Aay is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Anji K. Maniputhra.[2] The film features Narne Nithin and Nayan Sarika in lead roles. Aay was released on 16 August 2024.[3]
| Aay | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anji K. Maniputhra |
| Written by | Anji K. Maniputhra |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Sameer Kalyani |
| Edited by | Kodati Pavan Kalyan |
| Music by | Score: Ajaya Arasada Songs: Ram Miriyala Ajaya Arasada |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 139 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Box office | ₹16.50 crore[1] |
Plot
editKarthik is a software engineer in Hyderabad who does not like to visit his hometown due to the issues he has with his father Burayya's attitude towards life. Burayya is frequently unwell and bedridden, relying on handouts from friends. In his childhood, Karthik lost his college seat due to his father's inability to afford it. Hence, Karthik decided to leave his hometown and study in hostels, which fostered a resentment towards his father's decision to help others in need when he himself has no income. Karthik also does not get along well with his childhood friends Subbu and Hari, but they still regard him as a close friend. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Karthik returns to his hometown for remote working. While Karthik begins to accept his friends' company, his conversations with Burayya remain limited.
During his stay in the village, Karthik falls for Pallavi, a college student and the daughter of the local politician Durga who belongs to a different caste. When Karthik and Pallavi strike a friendship, the former learns that Subbu was also in love with her for the last five years but never proposed to her. However, when Pallavi rejects Subbu and starts a relationship with Karthik, Subbu accepts and moves on. One day, Pallavi learns that Karthik belongs to a different caste and is sure that her father would not agree to their marriage. Hence, she accepts an arranged marriage proposal and asks Karthik to remain friends with her, plainly stating their caste differences cannot be resolved.
Karthik is increasingly confused by her behavior as she interacts with him as though nothing has happened and even invites him to help her shop for her wedding. Subbu and Hari then decide that the only way to unite Karthik and Pallavi is to kill Durga, as he is the only one who would object to their marriage. Without informing anyone, Subbu and Hari make several attempts to kill Durga, but each one fails in a comical manner. Subbu and Hari then approach Pallavi, who learns about their attempts and starts chasing them. Karthik stops her and chides the duo for their actions.
When Karthik asks Pallavi why she is ignoring his state of mind and refuses to run away with him, she tearfully explains that their love alone cannot overcome the caste issues in their villages and that Durga might even kill him because of it; this is why she agreed to the arranged marriage. Pallavi adds that she has been feeling depressed since then but has tried to maintain a cheerful demeanor to avoid suspicion and to spend more time with him. As she wishes him good luck and kisses him on the forehead, her uncle Bose catches them red-handed. During the chase, when Bose finally catches up with Karthik, Karthik pleads for him to reconsider hitting him, noting that doing so in front of onlookers would tarnish the reputations of both Durga and Pallavi. He promises to respect her decision and stay away from her. Bose lets him go, and the marriage preparations continue in full swing.
On the day of the wedding, as Karthik is getting ready to head to Hyderabad, Burayya questions why he seems so depressed. Karthik vents his frustrations, blaming Burayya for their financial troubles and lamenting that if they were as wealthy as Durga, his chances of marrying Pallavi might have been better. Burayya then goes to the wedding and requests Durga to approve Karthik and Pallavi's marriage. He tearfully explains that this might be the only thing he can offer Karthik, having denied him every wish since childhood. When Karthik hears from Subbu and Hari that Burayya has left the house for the first time in a long while, the three of them quickly head to the wedding hall, worried about Burayya's safety. Durga, however, wholeheartedly agrees and cancels the wedding, announcing the marriage of Karthik and Pallavi on a future date.
Pallavi, shocked and concerned that this might be Durga's scheme to harm Karthik, is reassured by Durga that he genuinely approves of their marriage. Durga explains that Burayya possesses something that outweighs their caste differences. Meanwhile, the trio discovers from an elderly man that Durga and Burayya were once close friends, with Burayya providing financial assistance to Durga when he was in debt. Burayya had asked Durga to keep this help a secret, as people from Durga's community might not accept aid from someone of a different caste. When Durga's finances improved, he offered Burayya a share of his profits, but Burayya declined, emphasizing that their friendship was more important and should remain private to avoid upsetting the caste dynamics in their village. The money Burayya gave to Durga was the reason he couldn't afford Karthik's college seat. This revelation shifts Karthik's perspective on his father, helping him understand why people in the village held him in high regard despite his lack of income and wealth. He starts to respect his father, as well as Subbu and Hari, who consistently supported him and wished him well, even though he often ignored them. The film ends with Durga and Burayya celebrating the marriage of Karthik and Pallavi, along with their friends and families.
Cast
edit- Narne Nithin as Karthik
- Nayan Sarika as 'Funk' Pallavi
- Rajkumar Kasireddy as Subbu
- Ankith Koyya as Hari
- Vinod Kumar Alva as Burayya
- Mime Gopi as Durga
- Krishna Chaitanya
- VTV Ganesh as Manager Kishore
- Surabhi Prabhavathi
- Sri Vani Tripuraneni
Music
edit| Aay | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Ram Miriyala and Ajay Arasada | |
| Released | 2024 |
| Recorded | 2024 |
| Language | Telugu |
| Label | Junglee Music |
| Producer | Ram Miriyala |
The film's soundtrack album is composed by Ram Miriyala and Ajay Arasada, while the background score is composed by Ajay Arasada. The first single "Sufiyana" was released on 20 March 2024.[4]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sufiyana" | Sri Mani | Ram Miriyala | Ram Miriyala, Sameera Bharadwaj, Ramya Shree | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Ranganayaki" | Suresh Banisetti | Ram Miriyala | Anurag Kulkarni | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Amma Laalo Ram Bhajana" | Anji K Maniputhra | Ajay Arasada | Penchal Das | 3:36 |
| 4. | "Entha Andhamo" | Kasarla Shyam | Ajay Arasada | Mangli | 3:30 |
Release
editAay was initially scheduled release on 15 August 2024,[5][6] thus having a three-way clash with Mr. Bachchan and Double iSmart, which were released on the same day. To avoid the clash, the film was rescheduled to release on 16 August 2024.[3] Post-theatrical digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix and was premiered on 12 September 2024.[7][8]
Reception
editAppreciating the Anji K. Maniputhra's work, and the performance of Rajkumar Kasireddy and Ankith Koyya, Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu stated, "An enjoyable, lighthearted social drama from the Godavari region".[9] 123Telugu gave a rating of 3 out of 5 saying "Aay is a decent entertainer, driven by the hilarious performances of Narne Nithiin, Kasireddy Rajkumar, and Ankith Koyya", while particularly stating the performance of Rajkumar Kasireddy as "exceptional".[10] Pratyusha Sista of Telangana Today echoed the same, calling it "worth watching".[11]
References
edit- ^ "AAY Movie Total WW Collections Report!!". T2BLive.com. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Sistu, Suhas (11 August 2024). "'AAY' is a film rooted in Godavari culture: Narne Nithiin". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ a b "'Aay' opts for paid premieres on August 15th". Telugu Cinema. 29 July 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Features, C. E. (20 March 2024). "Sufiyana from Aay out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ "Narne Nithiin's Film Aay To Release On August 15". Times Now. 26 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Features, C. E. (25 June 2024). "Narne Nithiin-starrer Aay gets a release date". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ "Aay Is Streaming on OTT: Narne Nithiin's Film Can Be Watched Online On This OTT Platform". Times Now. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Aay locks its OTT platform: Where to watch the Narne Nithin film". OTTPlay. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (16 August 2024). "'Aay' movie review: An enjoyable, lighthearted social drama from the Godavari region". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Aay Telugu Movie Review | Narne Nithiin, Nayan Sarika". 123telugu.com. 16 August 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ Today, Telangana (15 August 2024). "Movie review: "AAY" is a light-hearted entertainer with a twist". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.