Kousalya Krishnamurthy Movie Review: Incredible performances elevate this sports drama 

Kousalya Krishnamurthy, the Telugu remake of 2018’s Kanaa stays loyal to the original. While keeping the nativity intact the film somehow fails to leave a lasting impact.

A young Kousalya swears to become a cricketer on seeing her cricket-fanatic father (Rajendra Prasad) mourning the defeat of the Indian cricket team. What starts as an innocent goal turns into a burning passion as she grows up. She takes the help of the local boys who she calls anna and puts all her efforts working towards getting selected into the T20s. Meanwhile, Krishnamurthy has his own battles to fight being a farmer. Kousalya is doomed to fight the odds both from a sexist society and the unfair bureaucracy of cricket selections. How she reaches her dream despite the odds makes for the rest of the movie. 

Cast: Aishwerya Rajesh, Sivakarthikeyam, Rajendra Prasad
Director: Bheemineni Srinivas

It is unfortunate that underdog stories inevitably have a few predictable tropes. Almost all the angles are covered in this film and things get very predictable because of this. Sivakarthikeyan’s extended cameo as the coach, who tries to redeem his reputation, gives you an unavoidable déjà vu of Chak De India.

The remake has been regionalised really well, with Rajendra Prasad and Jhansi delivering brilliant performances. Jhansi as the troubled mother is against her daughter from playing bat aata with the boys. Instead of hating her we only sympathise for her plight to conform to the social guidelines.

Performances are what saves the predictable story. Rajendra Prasad is in his element and it is always a delight to watch him play roles that bring out the best in him. Aishwarya Rajesh deserves all the praise for the hard work she has into the character. She delivers a honest performance that will make you believe that she is indeed Kousalya. The supporting cast too have their moments. However, Vennela Kishore and Mahesh’s comic roles don't fit into the narrative.

All said and done, it is refreshing to watch an entire movie mounted on a woman. The guy (Karthik Raju) who falls in love with Kousalya too doesn’t interfere with her life and only tries to aid her growth. Watch this film to get the adrenaline rush of winning a cricket match and of course, for the incredible performances.