1st Rank Raju

1st Rank Raju is a 2019 Indian Telugu comedy drama written and directed by Naresh Kumar HN and produced by Manjunath VK. It remakes the director’s own 2015 Kannada film of the same name and stars Chetan Maddineni and Kaashish Vohra. It was released on 21 June 2019. The film looks at the importance placed on academic results and at parents’ belief that marks alone lead to a successful life.

Story

Raju has been raised by his father Shobhan Babu to be a topper and to believe that only book knowledge matters. He tops every exam through school and college but has no common sense or social skills, and he spurns Shruthi, a girl who likes him. When a job interviewer rejects him for his rigid personality, his parents draw up a list of activities to turn him into a well-rounded young man. The plan leads to friendships, romance and conflict that make Raju question what education is really for.

Production

The film was produced by Dolphin Entertainment, which Manjunath V. Kandkur founded in 2014. The company’s first production was the Kannada original, released in 2015, which ran for 100 days. The Telugu remake was its second.

Music

Kiran Ravindranath composed the soundtrack, with lyrics by Vanamali.

Themes

The film argues that friendship and love are not a syllabus, that education should not be treated as a business, and that following one’s heart matters as much as hard work.

Release

The film was released on 21 June 2019.

Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata.