Little Hearts

Cinema, a melange of art and commerce, is no exception to the rule of demand and supply. As fascination with hyper-masculine angry men, larger-than-life missions, and the love for grey shades is on the wane, there emerges a need for cinema that is more relatable and inhabited by characters who don’t hesitate to poke fun at their own flaws and vulnerabilities. A few Telugu films this year — Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, Mad Square, Single, Subham, Sarangapani Jathakam — highlight this gradual shift, which is reiterated by this week’s release, Little Hearts, directed by Sai Marthand. It exemplifies an often-quoted perception among cinephiles on social media — a film aware of its own silliness is indeed intelligent. Little Hearts is a love story about two misfits (as deemed by their families). Unable to clear his engineering entrances, Akhil (Mouli Tanuj) is compelled to undertake long-term coaching due to his father’s (Rajeev Kanakala) insistence. Khatyayini (Shivani Nagaram), daughter of a medico, is no different — except she is attempting MBBS for the fourth time. The scenario is ripe for love to blossom.