Dear Comrade is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language romantic action drama film written and directed by Bharat Kamma. It is produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Big Ben Cinemas. The film stars Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna and Shruti Ramachandran (in her Telugu debut).[2] Principal photography for the film commenced in August 2018.[3] The film was theatrically released on 26 July 2019 in Telugu along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.[4][5] Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics in Telugu and mostly negative reviews in Tamil.
Dear Comrade | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Bharat Kamma |
Written by | Dialogues: Jayakrishna |
Screenplay by | Bharat Kamma |
Story by | Bharat Kamma |
Produced by | Naveen Yerneni Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar Mohan Cherukuri (CVM) Yash Rangineni |
Starring | Vijay Deverakonda Rashmika Mandanna Shruti Ramachandran |
Cinematography | Sujith Sarang |
Edited by | Sreejith Sarang |
Music by | Justin Prabhakaran |
Production companies | Mythri Movie Makers Big Ben Cinemas |
Distributed by | Big Ben Cinemas |
Release date |
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Running time | 170 minutes[1] |
Country | India |
Language | Telugu |
Plot
editThis article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (January 2024) |
The movie revolves around Bobby, a leftist student union leader with anger management issues. He fights with a local politician, Bulliah's brother, and causes a girl from his college to attempt suicide due to repeated harrasment. Bobby runs into Lilly, who causes him a minor accident while returning from lock-up. He learns that Lilly is his childhood friend, the cousin of his neighbour Jaya.
Bobby falls in love with her. However, Lilly tells Bobby to resolve conflicts internally rather than engage in fights and shares that her brother died in a college fight.
During Jaya's marriage, Bobby confesses his love for Lilly but is rejected by her. Bobby agrees to rectify his excessive aggression. Their love blossoms until Bobby is drawn into a fight with Bulliah's brother's gang, leading to the death of Bulliah's brother.
Lilly advises Bobby to give up his violent ways. She gives him an ultimatum to choose between his anger and her. Bobby loses his temper and pushes Lilly out of the hospital, telling her to get lost. Later Bobby realises his mistake and tries to reach out to Lilly. He leaves home to find inner peace and joins a group working on a project on Sound healing.
Three years later, Bobby and his team go to Hyderabad to meet a doctor. They see Jaya and her husband, who ask Bobby if he visited Lilly in the hospital. Bobby learns that Lilly had an accident. He takes her on a road trip heal her.
Lilly returns to her house and meets the doctor who warns her of hidden pain inside. Bobby dismisses this and gives her his Digital voice recorder to listen to if she feels pain. They are invited to their friends' wedding, where Lilly is impressed by Bobby's newfound maturity. She asks Bobby to marry her, but Bobby states there is no urgency for their marriage.
To his surprise, Lilly reveals that she has given up cricket for good. One day, Bobby spots Lilly's former teammate and friend Rubina, who tells him the truth: Lilly's team won a high-profile tournament and was named the "best player". Ramesh Rao, a south-zone selector for BCCI, demanded Lilly sleep with him to get selected for the national team. Lilly refused to lodge any complaint due to fear of confrontation, but Rubina complains on her behalf. Ramesh Rao physically assaulted both Lilly and Rubina.
Bobby becomes furious but breaks down in front of Lilly, apologising for leaving her, and Lilly is touched. Bobby takes her to the police station where he lodges an official complaint against Rao.
Lilly decides to meet with a prospective groom her family has arranged for her, and Bobby tries to convince her not to run away from her life. However, Lilly blames him for not being around when she really needed him. She tells Bobby she would forget him in a few years.
Bobby leaves Lilly. She gets confirmation of her marriage and is consumed by the prospect of losing Bobby forever. She desperately reaches out for Bobby's old voice recorder, which contained his messages to her over the years.
The video footage of Bobby assaulting Rao goes viral. Lilly and her family are now thrust into the media's limelight, and the BCCI appoints a committee to investigate the allegations against Rao.
The police officer investigating a sexual assault case arrests Bobby. He refuses to let Bobby off and coerces Lilly into lying for his release. Lilly's deposition before the BCCI committee reveals she was not sexually harassed by Ramesh. Ramesh Rao insults both Bobby and Lilly in court, demanding an apology for false allegations. Lilly, enraged, attacks Ramesh Rao and confesses to being sexually harassed by him, abusing his position as a selector. They reunite, embracing their true selves. The film ends with Bobby dropping Lilly at the National Cricket Academy for her practice.
Cast
edit- Vijay Devarakonda as Chaitanya Krishna "Bobby" Makineni
- Rashmika Mandanna as Aparna "Lilly" Devi
- Shruti Ramachandran as Jaya, Lilly's cousin
- Raj Arjun as Ramesh Rao
- Suhas as Martin
- Kaali Venkat as Veluthambi
- Vikas as Raghu
- Divya Sripada as Anitha, Raghu's girlfriend
- Vinay Mahadev as opposite gang
- Charuhasan as Bobby's grandfather
- Anand as Bobby's father
- Kalyani Natarajan as Bobby's mother
- Viva Harsha as Bheema
- Pratyusha Jonnalagadda as Rubina
- Tulasi as Jaya's mother
- Sanjay Swaroop as Lilly's father
- Ashrita Vemuganti as Lilly's mother
- Srikanth Iyyengar as Police Officer
- Rafsan Shahriar
Production
editDevelopment
editIn May 2018, it was reported that Vijay Deverakonda will join with debutant director Bharat Kamma for a new film.[6] The first look poster of the film was unveiled on Devarakonda's birthday, 9 May 2018,[7][8] with the title Dear Comrade, also being announced.[9] While sources claimed that the film will be a remake of Malayalam movie Comrade in America (2017) starring Dulquer Salmaan as the protagonist, the director and actor denied its connection with the movie.[10][11] Rashmika Mandanna, was selected to play the female lead, collaborating with Deverakonda for the second time, after Geetha Govindam (2018). Vijay Devarakonda plays the lead role of a student leader,[12] while Rashmika essayed the role of a female cricketer.[13] After completing the pre-production work by its month end, the team planned to kickstart the film's shoot in June 2018, but was delayed further, in order to complete the shooting commitments, of the other lead actors, while the team used to finalise, other principal cast and crew. In July 2019, it was reported that Sai Pallavi was earlier chosen for the film's female lead. However, she rejected the script due to the lip-lock scenes between the lead actors.[14]
Filming
editThe film's pooja ceremony was launched on 2 July 2018.[15] Apart from the film's cast and crew, M. M. Keeravani provided the first clap for the film while Chandra Sekhar Yeleti switched on the camera. Bharat handed the script to directors Sukumar and Koratala Siva.[16] Principal photography began very soon after the launch.[17] However, production further delayed, due to the actor's involvement in other projects. The film's second schedule took place in Kakinada in December 2018, after the completion of the first schedule.[18] The shoot came to a halt, after Vijay faced an injury while boarding a running train, as a part of the film's scene.[19] The actor also suffered from fever and exhaustion,[20] while shooting the film, which led him to be hospitalised, which further delayed the film.[21] Filming was completed on 28 April 2019.[22]
Soundtrack
editRelease
editThe film was originally scheduled to release on 31 May 2019, was postponed in order to avoid clash with Suriya's NGK.[23][24] On 9 May 2019, Deverakonda announced that the film will be released on 26 July 2019 in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages.[25][26]
The film was also dubbed and released in Hindi on YouTube by Goldmines Telefilms on 19 January 2020. The Hindi dubbed version crossed more than 307 million views on YouTube.[27]
Marketing
editThe official teaser of the film was released on 17 March 2019,[28][29] landed in controversy, after both the lead actors being trolled over the kissing scene featured in the clip.[30] Rashmika stated in response to the controversy, that since the particular scene in the film demanded a lip lock scene, it is a responsibility for an actor to do justice for the role. She further added, "No movie should be judged solely on the basis of a lip-lock scene. It should be seen as a whole."[31]
A promotional event titled Dear Comrade Music Festival, took place across Bengaluru, Cochin, Chennai and Hyderabad, for the film's marketing purposes.[32] The film's marketing team announced its collaboration with Airtel India, as their sponsor.[33]
Reception
editCritical response
editHemanth Kumar of Firstpost said that the film is "an intense but uneven film". Giving the film a 3/5, he adds, "Dear Comrade is beautifully written and the love story between the two characters is sheer magic, but then it straddles between two worlds that are loosely held together"[34] Sudhir Srinivasan of The New Indian Express gave the film a 4.5/5 by praising the movie for its direction and the acting of its leading roles.[35] Writing for The Times of India, Suhas Yellapantula gave 3.5 stars and said that the film "makes you think, keeps you guessing and plays with your emotions. After the film, there's a good chance you'll walk out with your collar up and ready to raise your voice against anything that doesn't sit right with you — even if it's just for a while."[36] Janani K of India Today wrote that "Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's Dear Comrade is about the relationship between two contrasting characters. While the film addresses an important message on sexual harassment, it gets hidden under mass moments. Watch it for the performances. Director Bharat Kamma had a solid script in hand, and a relevant one at that."[37] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote, "Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda shine in director Bharat Kamma's film that underlines the importance of being a comrade".[38] Karthik Kumar, in his review for Hindustan Times, gave 3.5 stars out of five and wrote that "Dear Comrade does tumble towards the end with a slightly below par climax, but it's still an effort you want to appreciate. The film, about life, love and facing our worst fears, achieves more than one can imagine, and that's what makes it a winner."[39]
Box office
editDear Comrade collected around ₹18 crore on its opening day.[40] It collected ₹30-33 crore in the first weekend.[41][42] According to International Business Times, Dear Comrade grossed a total of ₹37.33 crores till the end of the year 2019.[43]
Remake
editFilmmaker Karan Johar acquired the rights of producing a Hindi remake of the film.[44][45][46]
References
edit- ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. (26 July 2019). "Dear Comrade movie review and rating: Audience fall in love with Vijay-Rashmika's chemistry again after GG". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ "Dear Comrade Movie (2019) | Reviews, Cast & Release Date in". BookMyShow. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "'Dear Comrade': Shooting for the Vijay Devarakonda-starrer progress in Kakinada". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda reveals Dear Comrade will release in four languages, shares new poster". hindustantimes. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ "Dear Comrade will not see Hindi version". New Indian Express. 13 July 2019. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda to star in 'Dear Comrade' directed by Bharat Kamma". www.thenewsminute.com. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ R, Shajini S. "Vijay Devarakonda starrer 'Dear Comrade's' first look is out!". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda's birthday marked by Mahanati release, Dear Comrade first look and ice cream truck". The Indian Express. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ R, Shajini S. "Vijay Devarakonda starrer 'Dear Comrade's' first look is out!". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda clears air on connection between 'Dear Comrade', 'Arjun Reddy'". The Week. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ Soman, Deepa. "Vijay Devarkonda's 'Dear Comrade' has no Mollywood connection". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda to play student leader in 'Dear Comrade'". The News Minute. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Rashmika Mandanna to play a cricketer in Vijay Deverakonda's 'Dear Comrade'". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Gorgeous Sai Pallavi refused to romance Vijay Deverakonda in 'Dear Comrade' due to lip-lock scenes?". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda's Dear Comrade goes on floors". The Indian Express. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Nyayapati, Neeshita. "Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's 'Dear Comrade' launched!". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Nyayapati, Neeshita. "Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's 'Dear Comrade' begins shoot". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "'Dear Comrade': Shooting for the Vijay Devarakonda-starrer progress in Kakinada". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda injured while shooting for 'Dear Comrade'". The News Minute. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Arjun Reddy star Vijay Deverakonda hospitalised due to exhaustion". India Today. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Nyayapati, Neeshita. "Dear Comrade star Vijay Deverakonda hospitalised!". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "The shoot of 'Dear Comrade' has been wrapped up". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda's 'Dear Comrade' release postponed due to likely clash with Suriya's 'NGK'?". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Release of Vijay Deverakonda's 'Dear Comrade' postponed". The News Minute. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda Announces 'Dear Comrade' Release Date a Day Before His Birthday". News18. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's Dear Comrade to release on July 26". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Dear Comrade (2020) New Released Hindi Dubbed Full Movie - Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika, Shruti". YouTube. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "'Dear Comrade' teaser shows us two sides of the film". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Dear Comrade teaser: Vijay Deverakonda fights for love". The Indian Express. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda brutally trolled for Dear Comrade kissing scene". India Today. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Rashmika Mandanna comments on the lip-lock controversy in 'Dear Comrade'". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Dear Comrade music festival is a grand success in Bengaluru and Kochi". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Gopi (9 July 2019). "Dear Comrade Associates With Airtel India". Social News XYZ. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Kumar, Hemanth (26 July 2019). "Dear Comrade movie review: Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika in an intense but uneven film". Firstpost. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ "'Dear Comrade' review: This Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna-starrer is equal romance full of heart and sensitivity". The New Indian Express. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "Dear Comrade Review {3.5/5}: A film that makes you think, keeps you guessing and plays with your emotions". Times Of India. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ K., Janani (26 July 2019). "Dear Comrade Movie Review: Massy Vijay Deverakonda undoes an important message". India Today. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (26 July 2019). "'Dear Comrade' review: A multi-hued romantic drama". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Dear Comrade movie review: Vijay Deverakonda's film is a beautiful tale of love with shades of Arjun Reddy". Hindustan Times. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Upadhyaya, Prakash (27 July 2019). "Dear Comrade 1st day box office collection: Vijay Devarakonda's new film shatters opening-day record of NOTA". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. (29 July 2019). "Dear Comrade 3-day box office collection: Vijay film makes 60% recovery in weekend 1". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Dear Comrade earns Rs 33 cr globally in opening weekend; The Lion King tops Tamil Nadu box office". Firstpost. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. (22 December 2019). "Tollywood Box office report - 2019: Highest grossing Telugu movies of the year". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Dear Comrade: Karan Johar acquires Hindi remake rights of Vijay Deverakonda's film". The Times of India. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Karan Johar buys rights for Hindi remake of Arjun Reddy star Vijay Devarakonda's Dear Comrade before it releases". Hindustan Times. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Bollywood actor Jackky Bhagnani to star in Hindi remake of Telugu film Pelli Choopulu". Firstpost. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
External links
edit- Dear Comrade at IMDb