C/o Kancharapalem
C/o Kancharapalem is a 2018 Telugu-language slice of life anthology film written and directed by debutant Venkatesh Maha. It is produced by American filmmaker Praveena Paruchuri and distributed by Rana Daggubati under the banner of Suresh Productions. The film features a cast of over 80 non-actors, most of them native to Kancharapalem, a neighbourhood of Visakhapatnam where the film is set. The film received positive reviews from the audience and a majority of the film critics. The film received the Best Critic Movie award at 2019 Zee Cine Awards Telugu. It was screened at  the New York Indian Film Festival, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. It was honored with "Best Film Award" at the "Critics' Choice Festival of Indian films" in Mumbai, the "Caleidoscope Indian Film Festival" in Boston, where in the lead actor Subba Rao received the "Best Actor" honor, and Film Companion's "25 Best Telugu Films of the Decade". The film was remade in Tamil as "C/o Kaadhal" (2021). Plot. The story focuses on four couples cutting across age, religion, caste and class barrier in the small town of Kancharapalem near Visakhapatnam. It also shows how life and  time plays a significant role in the fate of the four couples who break social norms for the sake of love. Production. Development. The idea of "C/o Kancherapalem" struck director Maha while he was visiting an old friend living in the neighbourhood of Kancharapalem. After interacting with the local people and closely observing their lifestyle, Maha decided to make an independent film about the locality and its people. Maha later happened to meet Praveena Paruchuri, an Indian American cardiologist who was looking to make a film in India. Maha showed Parachuri a pitch video of his story, for which  she was instantly impressed and told him, "This is made for Cannes." Parachuri offered to produce the film and paid Maha as an initial amount. Casting. Maha recruited most of his cast, nearly 80 non-actors, who are from the town itself. While no one in the town took seriously that he was making a film, they had shown great enthusiasm to act nonetheless. Maha also cast Paruchuri for a role when she flew down from U.S. to visit the sets. Principal photography. The film was shot for 62 days over two schedules in Kancharapalem and Bheemili suburbs of Visakhapatnam . Post production. Post production work of the film is done at Ramanaidu Studios where its owner D. Suresh Babu happened to watch the film. Babu acquired the distribution rights of the film immediately. Soundtrack. The soundtrack and background score was scored by Sweekar Agasthi, and the audio was released on 8 September 2018 on Aditya Music. Release. The film premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival in May 2018. Reception. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of "The Hindu" called it a "small film with a large heart", further appreciating it by remarking "a rare Telugu film that takes us beyond the  habitual cinematic settings to familiarize us with the sights, sounds and lives of people of a locality." Baradwaj Rangan of "Film Companion South" reviewed, "A deeply moving romantic drama," and added "The format may suggest we are watching "Love, Actually" set in a village, in the midst of “what will people say?” considerations and drunks singing a Telugu song to the tune of "Gori tera gaon bada pyara". But "C/o Kancharapalem" is a slow burn that builds and builds, and it goes far beyond the "Love, Actually" template. Yes, it’s cute and charming and very funny. But it ’s also… real. [...] There’s a lot of mindfulness in the writing.[...] It’s been a while since a film showed us a side of love that’s so expansive, so generous, so attuned to the fact that love means… not just romantic love." Srivathsan Nadadhur of "The Times of India" rated it a "4/5" and reviewed, "C/O Kancharapalem raises a toast to sincere, uncinematic storytelling, gives power to those unheard regional voices and does its part in undoing the stereotypical portrayal of community-specific stories in Telugu cinema." Box office. At the US Box office, the film collected  $36,000 on its first day, and $185,000 in the opening weekend. By the end of theatrical run, "C/o Kancharapalem" grossed of ₹7 crore worldwide. Remakes. The film is reported to be remade in Tamil and Malayalam. The remakes are to be directed by debutant Hemambar Jasti. The Tamil remake was titled "C/O Kaadhal".