AN OFF-BEAT RURAL COMEDY

Two middle-aged men dance their way through life like overgrown backbench school boys who decide to never abide by the rules. Badmashulu, written and directed by Shankar Cheguri, operates entirely in that amusing zone. It's not a loud, laugh-a-minute comedy, nor is it particularly inventive. But it's sincere, charming, and most importantly, kind. It asks very little of the viewer, and if you're willing to meet it halfway, it will reward you with a smile or two and a surprisingly warm aftertaste.

- ADITYA DEVULAPALLY

Set in a passive village, the film follows Tirupati (Mahesh Chintala), a spirited tailor and his barber buddy Mutyalu (Vidya Sagar Karampuri), as they drift through life on the fumes of mischief. When their antics land them in police custody, they somehow manage to colonize the station itself, continuing their thievery from within, much to the exasperation of the local constables. What unfolds is not a plot-heavy roller coaster, but a series of dryly amusing vignettes that slowly start to say something about friendship, purpose of life, and how the mischief of the underdog is often more human than the righteousness of the system.