Anand (2004)

Anand (Telugu: ఆనంద్ About this sound pronunciation ) is a 2004 Telugu drama film that was directed, produced and written by Sekhar Kammula. The film has the tagline Manchi coffee lanti cinema meaning a movie as good as a cup of coffee. The lead roles were played by Raja and Kamalinee Mukherjee. The film was well received by critics and owing to its success at the box office, it was remade in Tamil as Ninaithale. The film's basic story was also chosen as the subject for Sekhar Kammula's thesis screenplay which was a requirement for his Masters in Fine Arts at Howard University. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of India in the mainstream section.

The film begins with the death of the family of a young girl as a result of a character's drunken driving. The film sketches the path of the young girl growing up into a woman who lives her life independently and with self-esteem. How the male protagonist enters the woman's life and how they fall in love with each other forms the rest of the story. The film went on to win the Nandi Awards among several other prominent awards. If the award-winning Dollar Dreams (2000) set the tone, then Anand introduced the legacy of successful films made with simple stories. A noteworthy mention is of the film's soundtrack which was well appreciated for its soft melodies.

Synopsis

The film is essentially the story of a modern-day girl Roopa (Kamalini Mukherjee). She begins her day with classical music lessons for kids in her neighborhood followed by her day job in an ad-agency. She along with her close friend Anitha (Satya Krishna) work on weekends at a nursery. Roopa is shown as a woman who stands for her self-respect, determined at her decisions and yet lovable and sensitive. Unlike her friend Anitha, Roopa though modern, sticks to her traditional roots when it comes to dressing.

Actors