Telugu OTT platform ‘Aha’ has become successful lately and started competing with Amazon Prime when it comes to Telugu content. ‘Aha’ releases Telugu dubbed versions of other language films unlike Amazon Prime and Netfilx that stream original versions with subtitles. ‘Jallikattu’ released in 2019 in Malayalam and went on to become a critically acclaimed film. It won awards at various film festivals and amassed good collections at the box office. Let’s delve into the story and highlights of the movie.
Contrary to its title, the film’s plot has nothing to do with the barbaric sport of ‘Jallikattu’ which is famous in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu’s Telugu version is releasing on ‘Aha’ on 25th of September. It was directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. ‘Jallikattu’ was made with a shoestring budget of Rs. 4 crores whereas it collected more than 20 crores.
People belonging to a few regions of Kerala love eating beef which is considered a staple diet. A butcher named Kalan Varkey captures a bull and brings into the village. Its slaughter goes haywire and Varkey immediately alerts the residents of the village. Meanwhile the animal which runs amok destroys two shops in the village which causes loss to the shopkeepers. People go frenzy to catch the animal and hunt day and night in mobs. They even employ a shooter to kill it. During the chase, the bull falls into a well and when people try to lift it, the animal escapes again.
One of the villagers gets killed in this ordeal which further maddens the crowd who bay for blood. This film discusses cruelty and mob mentality of humans. It demonstrates humans as animals in disguise. Many movies came in the past with animals playing important roles but ‘Jallikattu’ stars a bull in the leading role. Director Lijo Jose handled this psychological adventure drama with aplomb while conveying an underlying message efficiently. Cinematography and background score stood as highlights for this film. Let’s see whether ‘Jallikattu’ receives accolades from Telugu audiences or not.