In a scene in Veeranjaneyulu Viharayatra , the Telugu film written and directed by Anurag Palutla, siblings smile and stop squabbling, at least briefly, over mango-flavoured ice golas. Anurag peppers the film with such small moments that prevent the narrative from becoming an utter slog. He presents a bitter-sweet portrait of family, to show how people can bond together despite misgivings.
After all, family ties are rarely saccharine-sweet in reality. The film streaming on ETV Win may be far from wholesome in making us root for its characters, but it has its moments. The dysfunctional family comes alive with performances by Naresh , Sri Lakshmi, Rag Mayur and Priya Vadlamani .
There is also the endearing presence of Brahmanandam, in spirit, who tries to make up for the shortcomings in writing. Veeranjaneyulu ( Brahmanandam ) has been gone for nearly a year and his family is yet to immerse his ashes. Through Brahmanandam’s voiceover, we learn how he worked all his life for the betterment of his family and has left behind a residence, Happy Home, in his favourite destination — Goa.
Each surviving member of his family has a story replete with challenges. The first half hour or so is spent establishing these characters. The father (Naresh), a school teacher, is unceremoniously dismissed from service citing his inadequacy in English.
The mother (Priyadarshini) is portrayed as a tireless nurturer, enduring day-to-day taunts from her mother-in-law (Sri Lakshmi). The daughter, Sa.