August 26, 2023
Boys Hostel has been making quite a notice. The original film ‘Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare’ in Kannada became super successful. In Telugu, it is backed by Annapurna Studios and Chai Bisket films. Usually Kannada dubbed films rarely work in Telugu. The trend is changed by recent films though. Will this film work in Telugu? Read on, to know our take on the film.
Ajith discusses his short-film story with his roommates in the hostel. In his story, a hostel warden dies mysteriously resulting in chaos. However, things start unfolding in a similar way in the hostel. Ajith and his friends found the warden lying dead. They found a note involving their names. Ajith and his friends decide to cover-up the hostel warden’s death. In a few more hours, all have their exam. How Ajith and gang handle the whole issue forms the crux of the story.
Manjunath Nayaka as the hostel warden is the show-stealer. He pulls off the film single-handedly with his natural acting. The whole plot revolves around his character. He lives up to it. Prajwal as Ajith gets a lead role. He is ably supported by Shreyas Sharma (Praje), Srivatsa Shyam (Manja), Gagan Ram (Xavier), Abhi Das (Keshav). There are no few female characters. In fact, there are no female characters. So, they have roped in anchor Rashmi for a fantasy role. Rashmi adds the glamour touch. Director Tharun Bhascker as Bunty Naidu, the editor, is good in his short role.
The story is very thin, in fact based on one-point. Debutante director Nithin Krishnamurthy weaved it into a full-length film. But the shortcoming is the movie has very limited appeal. The story’s treatment is both its strength and weakness. The camera movements are weird. Shots are too close to create an eerie moment. But there are a lot of unconventional moments in terms of capturing visuals and presenting the story. Screenplay is racy.
Highlights
Drawbacks
Debutante director Nithin chose a black comedy film set against a boy hostel backdrop and the whole story happens overnight. The idea sounds exciting and intriguing. The success lies in choosing the concept and opting for a quite realistic approach. The film gives us a feeling that the audience is part of the story and the characters are right around us. Director succeeded in taking the audience to this world of Boys Hostel. Initial portions may be a bit confusing for someone. But it is a buddy movie set in a hostel laced with dark comedy. There is pop culture. There you find seniors demanding juniors for salute and three weirdos who are in weed.
The world of boys’ hostels is well created. The set up is very authentic. So are the characters and their traits. The Dialogues are funny. At times, there are double entendres but that is how one communicates in boys hostel. Some scenes are well-written, others are just fillers. But the show keeps going on. The interval twist is the strength of the film. Post interval, the steam sustains which isn’t easy.
But the second half has some sudden and cinematic moments. Clash between two groups and the pre-climax and climax portions all give unrealistic and cinematic appeal. The second-half isn’t bad completely.
The biggest shortcoming lies with its limited appeal. The makers didn’t put enough effort into evolving this further. The film is strictly made for the hostel boys and college-goers. For rest, this is enigmatic and not everyone’s cup of tea. To sum up, Boys Hostel settles as a youth movie with interesting moments. For sure, this is not the usual and conventional Telugu film which you come across every Friday. This is a rare attempt with a lot of madness and crazy stuff. However, it caters only to a certain age and group. How the film will be received in theatres need to be seen.
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