Banner: Just Yellow
Cast: Sashank, Janardhan, Mohit, Abhishek, Narsing Yadav, Sivaji Raja & Sindhu Tolani
Music: Kalyani Malik
Photography: Senthil Kumar
Producer: Gangaraju Gunna
Story - Screenplay - Direction: Eleti Chandra Sekhar

Released in April 2003, Aithe is a refreshing change from the humdrum of Telugu films that deserve the boot more often the not. As the caption suggest, all movies are not the same and Aithe - (anni cinemalu okela undavu) definitely is not.

Eleti Chandra Sekhar makes his directorial debut with this slick flick so unlike most soppy Telugu films. This one is offbeat and technically sophisticated and for once I watched a Telugu film with interest . The actors are a bunch of not so famous actors and the story line although at times ponderous is full of surprises when you least expect.

Where do four innocent and simple everyday guys fit in a setup like this ? To Irfan Khan, a notorious gangster they are the perfect ploy for his escape from Hyderabad to Dubai in an airplane. Irfan is a Hyderabadi Don who has his finger in every criminal pie from real estate deals, narcotics, murder and mayhem. But the police are finally closing in on him and the safest haven is to flee to Dubai.

Pavan Malhotra , a Hindi Television actor plays the Don’s role with aplomb and subtlety. At times the plot slackens and is vague and one wonders on the exact nature of the role of the young men and one pretty woman. An effort is made to introduce each of their lives and their desperate need for money. I felt this part needed some drastic editing (Yawn ! ). The screenplay and the photography were good. There is blissfully only one song in the film which was well done.

I would recommend this film for its entertainment value.

This review is sponsored by Raja and Rana of Burlington.

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