‘Meet cute’ anthology review: Feel-good stories and a few good moments

The Telugu anthology ‘Meet Cute’ is a mixed bag, with a few standout stories and other cheerful but generic ones

In the Telugu anthology Meet Cute, streaming on Sony Liv, debut writer and director Deepthi Ganta narrates five stories that are designed to be conversational, feel-good urban romances. The stories that stand out are the ones that go beyond the generic ‘chicken soup for the soul’ category. It is a mixed bag, as is the case with several anthologies occupying the digital space. What is interesting, though, is how only two stories take the typical girl-meets-boy route.  

My pick is In L(ove)aw featuring Rohini Molleti and Akanksha Singh, whose chance encounter changes something in both of them, forever. The segment is written with sharp observations of real-life women. Rohini is brilliant as the mother Padma who sees her son, who she thinks is resting at home after a tiring week-long workshop, talking to a girl. Curiosity gets the better of her and she trails the girl — architect and pet volunteer Pooja (Akanksha Singh). 

Padma’s anxiety and curiosity lead to both subtle and laugh-aloud humour in the way she scrutinises Pooja, as though holding a mirror to social tendencies. When the conversation gets going, the layers begin to peel and we get a closer glimpse of both the women. 

The drama probes everything from how mothers tend to spoil their sons, and occasionally daughters, to voicing a woman’s plight in a relationship that feels lonely. In the silence between the lines, Rohini conveys volumes with just a glance and a twitch, and Akanksha Singh tries to match her, internalising both her past angst and the joy at the prospect of a better tomorrow and conveying the emotions effectively. It is a joy to watch these two women. Deekshith Shetty as the son is adequate. I wish the rest of the stories had similar gravitas.

At the fag end of the anthology comes Ex-girlfriend, in which Anjana (Sanchita Poonacha), who is irate with her husband Ajay (Govind Padmasoorya) and unexpectedly engages in a  conversation with his former girlfriend Kiran (Sunainaa). I won’t reveal more but do watch out for certain dialogues and observations that seem commonplace at first. When you look back, some of them appear more thoughtful and befitting. Deepthi springs a surprise towards the end, moving away from the otherwise cheery, sunny stories in the anthology. Sanchita and Sunainaa, portraying contrasting personalities, enact their parts well.

In both In L(ove)aw and Ex-Girlfriend, we see the men through the gaze of the women and watch how the relationships are likely to transform.

The two stories that fall into the girl-meets-boy meet-cute format are Meet the Boy starring Varsha Bollamma and Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan and Star Struck featuring Adah Sharma and Shiva Kandukuri. The first one is a modern-day pelli choopulu wherein the prospective bride and groom meet at a predetermined location.