In the Godavari belt in Andhra Pradesh, ‘aay’, uttered at times in a sing-song tone, is a word that stands for acknowledgement. The Telugu film Aay , with the tagline ‘Mem friends andi’ (we are friends), written and directed by Anji K Maniputhra, is a tale of friendship and romance steeped in the region’s flavour, with an undercurrent of caste divisions. Anji keeps the tone lighthearted while conveying that relationships can overcome deep-rooted caste barriers.
The film is set in Amalapuram during the monsoon season. The rains witness random ramblings among friends, the first brush of romance and family ties that have turned sour. Karthik (Nithiin Narne) comes home sometime between the first and second lockdown, since working from home is the new norm.
His childhood buddies Subbu (Rajkumar Kasireddy) and Hari ( Ankith Koyya ) are still loitering around aimlessly. Anji is in no rush. Just like the small town that plods along at its own pace, soaking in the season’s rains, the film moves at an unhurried pace, capturing the lifestyles of people in the locality.
How the village folks view the concept of working from home, leads to a few fun moments. Humour woven around day-to-day happenings keeps the momentum going. Nayan Sarika and Nithiin Narne When Pallavi (Nayan Sarika) enters the picture, things begin to change between the friends.
Still, Anji keeps things breezy and simple. Slowly, the director unravels the deeper issues. When Pallavi confesses that she grew up .