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Vannam Vanam - 11/28/23

by Vaishnavi Duvvuri

12/5/2023

#south-indian, #vannam-vanam

This week's show is a showcase of "మంచి కాఫీ లాంటి పాటలు" - songs that are like a nice cup of coffee!

This phrase came from the movie Anand's tagline - "మంచి కాఫీ లాంటి సినిమా" (A movie like a nice cup of coffee") - a nostalgic and wholesome 2004 cult classic directed by Shekhar Kammula. Amongst the multitude of movies filled with violence, action, and vulgarity that came out every year (and still do), this movie stood out due to its honest and fresh writing, and it stays relavent to this day. It's known for its realistic and well-written characters - especially the main character, Rupa, portrayed by Kamalinee Mukherjee. Rather than most movies, which portrayed women as eye candy and only gave them value when they were good, obedient housewives, Anand depicted Rupa as a normal girl with wants, needs, opinions. She was allowed to be angry, to have interests, to have choice in her life decisions. Finally, she was a girl we could all relate to.

This phrase, "_____ like a nice cup of coffee" became a synonym to heartwarming and honest.

Disclaimer: Every movie on this list is an absolute banger - all of the songs today were chosen from movies that also qualify the tagline of today's show. I highly recommend all of these movies with my entire heart - especially if you're looking for new movies in a different language or if you're looking for more Telugu movie recommendations. These are going to be very different from commercial action type Indian movies - they're chill, wholesome, and heartwarming.

Chinuku Taake
Singers: Shreshta
Music Direction: Vivek Sagar
Lyrics: Shreshta
Movie: Pelli Choopulu

Aagi Aagi
Singers: Anurag Kulkarni, Manisha Eerabathini
Music Direction: Vivek Sagar
Lyrics: Krishna Kaanth
Movie: Ee Nagariniki Emaindo

Oohalu Oorege Gaalantha
Singers: Haricharan, Keerthana
Music Direction: Vivek Sagar
Lyrics: Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry
Movie: Sammohanam

Yamuna Theeram
Singers: Chitra, Haricharan
Music Direction: K.M Radhakrishnan
Lyrics: Veturi
Movie: Anand

Manasa Vacha
Singers: Chitra, Unnikrishnan
Music Direction: K.M Radhakrishnan
Lyrics: Veturi
Movie: Godavari
Another Shekhar Kammula film!! Another great main female character!!!

Anandama
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Shankar Mahadevan
Music Direction: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry
Movie: Konchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam

Doragari
Singers: Vivek Sagar
Music Direction: Vivek Sagar
Lyrics: Bharadwaj
Movie: Brochevarevarura

Em Sandeham Ledu
Singers: Sunitha, Kalyani Koduri
Music Direction: Kalyani Malik
Lyrics: Ananth Sreeram
Movie: Oohalu Gusagusa Laade

Show Recording