# Fidaa

Fidaa (transl. Spellbound) is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Sekhar Kammula, and produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations banner. The film stars Varun Tej and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles. The film marks Sai Pallavi's debut in Telugu cinema. The plot follows Varun, an NRI, and Bhanu, a spirited village girl, as their budding romance faces cultural clashes and personal challenges. After parting ways, destiny reunites them, testing their love and resilience in unexpected ways.
Principal photography commenced in August 2016, and was shot in Banswada of Telangana, Texas and Colorado. The film's soundtrack is composed by Shakthkanth Karthik, with cinematography and editing by Vijay C. Kumar and Marthand K. Venkatesh, respectively.
Released on 21 July 2017, the film received critical acclaim and emerged as a commercial blockbuster, earning over ₹91 crore on a budget of ₹13 crore. It won four Filmfare Awards from nine nominations, along with two SIIMA Awards. Film Companion listed it among the "25 Greatest Telugu Films of the Decade."

## Plot

Varun is a non-resident Indian who lives in Austin, Texas, United States with his elder brother Raju and adopted, younger brother Bujji. He is a medical student aiming to become a neurosurgeon. Varun comes to India along with his younger brother for Raju's marriage to Renuka, whose family hails from Banswada in Telangana. There he meets Bhanumathi, Renuka's younger sister. Bhanu is a beautiful and confident girl who doesn't want to feel secondary to anyone. Gradually Varun and Bhanu develop a liking for each other but don't express it. Bhanu loves her father very dearly and doesn't believe in leaving him after her marriage.
One day, she overhears Varun talking to his cousin Shailu about the opportunities in USA compared to India which he deems unfit for settling. Worse, his reference to a marriage between Shailu and her boyfriend is misconstrued by Bhanu as being between Varun and Shailu and so she feels cheated and misled by Varun. Heartbroken, Bhanu decides to forget Varun and suppress her feelings for him and starts to ignore him. After his brother's marriage, Varun returns to USA but can't stop thinking about his love on Bhanu and why she ignored her. He decides to confess his love to her. But Bhanumathi gives him a rude answer which enrages Varun creating a rift between them that widens further due to subsequent rude behaviors from both of them. Bhanu finally agrees to marry a man of her father's choice but realizes she isn't comfortable with him even before marriage.
Meanwhile, Renuka becomes pregnant So, she is advised bed rest by the doctors. Bhanu is sent to USA by her father to help Renuka cope up with the pregnancy. Varun starts being inconsiderate towards Bhanu during her stay with them. This disturbs Bhanu and an argument ensues between them after which she decides to leave for India in a week. Before leaving, Bhanu decides to visit her friend in USA and Varun is asked to drop Bhanu at her friend's place. On the way when Varun drops her at a bus stop so she can take a bus, both have their final fight. Realizing he has hurt her, Varun makes amends and confesses to Bhanu how deeply he loves her and cannot imagine his life with anyone else and that his bad behavior towards her was but a dirty mask to try and get rid of, albeit unsuccessfully, his feelings for her, but since he seeks her happiness, will respect and value her going forward. They then decide to stay as friends and he offers to show her America.
It is during this cross-country USA roadtrip that Bhanu realizes how deep Varun's love for her is and she also rediscovers her own deep feelings for him. Before leaving for India, at the airport, Bhanu runs to Varun and hugs him with tearful eyes. Varun understands that Bhanu still loves him and a few days later goes to India to ask for her hand in marriage. Bhanu's father learns of their feelings for each other, and advises her to follow her heart and marry Varun instead of the man he chose to which she agrees. Though happy that she is marrying Varun, she is apprehensive about leaving her father and her village. After the wedding ceremony, Bhanu packs her luggage to leave for the USA. Renuka then tells her the truth that Varun actually gave up his life in the US and his medical seat and has decided to settle and practice as a Doctor in their village. Overjoyed, Bhanu runs to Varun and asks him how he could make such a big sacrifice to which he answers that wherever she is, it is his world because he loves her a lot. Varun decides to establish a hospital in the village and they live happily thereafter.

## Cast

* Varun Tej as Varun (Bhanu's love interest)
* Sai Pallavi as Bhanumati "Bhanu" (Varun's love interest)
* Raja Chembolu as Raju, Varun's brother and Renuka's husband
* Sharanya Pradeep as Renuka "Renu", Bhanumati's elder sister and Raju's wife
* Sai Chand as Bhanumati's father
* Dhaasshyam Geetha Bhaskar as Bhanumati's aunt
* Satyam Rajesh as Ali, Varun's friend
* Aryan Talla as Bujji, Varun's younger brother
* Gayathri Gupta as Sumathi, Bhanumati's friend
* Manisha Eerabathini as Shailu, Varun's cousin
* Harshvardhan Rane as Bhanumati's neighbor/suitor
* Katarina Richter as Suzie

## Soundtrack

The film's music is scored by music director Shakthikanth Karthick and released on Aditya Music.
The song "Hey Pillagaada" is inspired by an older song "Parugulu Theeyaali" from the movie Malliswari (1951).

## Release
### Theatrical release

The production of Fidaa began in August 2016 and the film was released worldwide on July 21, 2017. It was made on a budget of 13 crores and ended up grossing ₹90 crores, with a distributor share of ₹48 crore. It was the seventh highest-grossing Telugu film of that year. It is dubbed into Malayalam and Hindi under the same title, and in Tamil as Banumathi.

### Home media

The film premiered on television in Star Maa channel on September 24, 2017, and received a massive 21.3 TRP just behind Bahubali and Magadheera. Fidda made its debut on Aha on 8 July 2021 after being acquired by the platform.

## Critical reception

The Hindu critic Sangeetha Devi opined that the film was rooted in reality. "Director Sekhar Kammula returns with a heart-warming romantic musical, powered by compelling characters," she added. A reviewer from The Times of India rated the film three stars and wrote, "The plot line is too flimsy and simplistic; the climax is also a la Anand"
In his review for the Firstpost, Hemanth Kumar CR rated it 3.25 out of five, and stated, "The film is packed with relatable characters, a lead pair whose sparkling chemistry is bound to put a smile on your face, and a landscape which takes your breath away just by its sheer beauty and simplicity." Kumar however felt that the climax was rushed and the story itself needed better closure. Karthik Keramulu writing for The News Minute appreciated the lead cast performances by stating, "While Sai Palavi steals the show, Varun Tej plays the shy boy to perfection." The Indian Express critic Priyanka Sundar rated the film 3 stars of 5, and wrote: "Sekhar Kammula directorial Fidaa has done something unexpected yet again with this film which is to tell a story from the female perspective." She, however, added that the film falls short due to lack of strong supporting cast roles.

## Impact

Fidaa is listed among the "25 Greatest Telugu Films Of The Decade" by Film Companion. Additionally, Film Companion also listed Sai Pallavi's performance in the film amongst "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade".

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Actress – Telugu | Sai Pallavi | Won | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Male Playback Singer – Telugu | Hemachandra for "Oosupodhu" | Won | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Female Playback Singer – Telugu | Madhu Priya for "Vachinde" | Won | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Choreography | Sekhar | Won | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Film – Telugu | Dil Raju | Nominated | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Director – Telugu | Sekhar Kammula | Nominated | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Supporting Actress – Telugu | Saranya Pradeep | Nominated | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Music Director – Telugu | Shakti Kanth | Nominated | |
| Filmfare Awards South | 16 June 2018 | Best Lyricist – Telugu | Chaitanya Pingali | Nominated | |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2018 | Best Film (Telugu) | Dil Raju | Nominated | [18] [19] |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2018 | Best Actress (Telugu) | Sai Pallavi | Nominated | [18] [19] |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2018 | Best Lyricist (Telugu) | Suddala Ashok Teja for "Vachinde" | Won | [18] [19] |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2018 | Best Female Playback Singer (Telugu) | Madhu Priya for "Vachinde" | Won | [18] [19] |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2018 | Best Male Playback Singer (Telugu) | Hemachandra for "Oosupodhu" | Nominated | [18] [19] |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2018 | Best Music Director (Telugu) | Shakti Kanth | Nominated | [18] [19] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Best Director | Sekhar Kammula | Won | [20] [21] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Favourite Director | Sekhar Kammula | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Entertainer Of The Year (Male) | Varun Tej | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Entertainer Of The Year (Female) | Sai Pallavi | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Favourite Music Director | Shakti Kanth | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Favourite Song | "Vachinde" | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Zee Telugu Golden Awards | 31 December 2017 | Favourite Film | Dil Raju | Nominated | [20] [21] |