“Next enti?” is a terrorising question that youngsters in the Telugu states face, and variants of this are probably common across the country. What are you going to study next and which job will you land? But though we live in such a perpetually inquisitive society, Telugu cinema heroes somehow manage to escape the well-meaning uncles, aunties and neighbours who ask such questions in real life. They manage to stay jobless for most of the movie but suddenly jump into a career that most of us can only dream of. They can become Chief Ministers, Chief Executive Officers, police officers, collectors, kickboxers, wrestlers and what not overnight.
They don't need any planning or preparation to turn into achievers. It can happen over the course of a song or sometimes, not even that much effort is required. Here's a look at five such films, from the '90s to now, that prove that this trend is not going anywhere.
Thammudu: Released in 1999 and directed by P. A. Arun Prasad, this is one of Pawan Kalyan's early movies that won him a huge fanbase. Pawan plays Subbu who is always scolded by his father for his 'irresponsible attitude'. In contrast, his brother Chakri, who is sincerely practising for the kickboxing championship, gets the father's approval and appreciation. Subbu occupies himself by dating a woman while claiming to be from a rich family. But at the end of the film, when Chakri is beaten up by his rival due to Subbu's behaviour, the latter learns kickboxing in no time and becomes a champion by defeating the previous title holder. Simple.
Watch song from Thammudu movie here :
Gowtam SSC: The plot of the film, directed by PA Arun Prasad and released in 2005, is apparent from its title. The hero, played by Navdeep, has just studied up to his SSC (Secondary School Certificate). He keeps failing his exams and spends most of his time with friends, having fun. However, his family members, who are all educated and well-settled, are unhappy with him and he's eventually thrown out of the house to fend for himself. Gowtam then becomes a mechanic and also prepares for the civil services. And you guessed it right, he becomes an IAS officer with a top rank.
Watch Gowtham SSC movie climax scene here :
Kick: Directed by Surender Reddy, this 2009 film has Ravi Teja playing Kalyan, a youngster who is not at all interested in doing a 9 to 6 job as he doesn't get a 'kick' out of it (as if that's why the rest of the world does it). But towards the end, we realise that Kalyan is something of a Robinhood who steals to save children who suffer from chronic diseases. Obviously he doesn't get caught, as if he's a professional thief who's been doing it since his childhood. What's more, Kalyan also becomes a police officer in the end and his own robbery case is assigned to him to solve. We won't blame you for wanting to kick something right now.
Watch a song from Kick movie here :
Julayi: In this 2012 Trivikram directorial, Allu Arjun and Ileana D'Cruz play the lead pair. Allu Arjun's character Ravi hates to work hard and believes in making easy money. The title 'Julayi' means 'wanderer' and that's exactly who he is. However, though all he does is laze around, he manages to help the police crack a Rs 1,500 crore bank robbery. And of course, he understands the value of hard work and settles down in a job at the end.
Watch scenes from Julayi movie here :
Bheeshma: In this 2020 movie directed by Venky Kudumula, Nithiin and Rashmika Mandanna play the lead pair. Our hero, Bheeshma, is a meme creator but goes on to become the CEO of a company called 'Bheeshma Organics' that promotes organic farming. And all this happens because he falls for a woman named Chitra (Rashmika) who works for a company involved in organic farming. All it takes is for Bheeshma to read a book on the subject.
There are also films where the hero becomes the Chief Minister with zero experience in politics. They just land in the country after their studies or quit their jobs, and accomplish the feat. Films like NOTA, Bharat Ane Nenu and Leader are some examples.
Some films are pretty straightforward in setting the audience's expectations about the hero and his profession. Ravi Teja's Idiot and Varun Tej's Loafer would fit the bill.