Anukoni Prayanam

Anukoni Prayanam (“An Unexpected Journey”) is a 2022 Telugu drama written and directed by Venkatesh Pediredla and produced by Jaganmohan DY under the Apple Creations banner. Rajendra Prasad and Narasimha Raju play two old friends caught up in the COVID-19 lockdown. S. Siva Dinavahi composed the music, and the film was released on 28 October 2022.

What the story is about

Rajendra and Ramu are best friends working as migrant labourers on a construction site in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Rajendra looks at the world cynically; Ramu believes in relationships and keeps his family in a village near Rajahmundry close to his heart. When the government announces the COVID-19 lockdown, a co-worker dies in an accident and the contractor will not even send his body home. That night Ramu tells his friends he dreads such a death: he wants a funeral surrounded by his own people.

Their journey home the next day turns into something Rajendra never planned, and he finds himself crossing state borders during the lockdown to keep a promise to his friend. The film is the story of that road trip and the strangers he meets along the way, told as a mix of heavy drama and comedy.

Cast and crew

• Rajendra Prasad as Rajendra
• Narasimha Raju as Ramu
• Ravi Babu as a sub-inspector
• Subhalekha Sudhakar as Dr. Sudhakar
• Prema as Gayatri
• Dhanraj as Nagulu
• Thagubothu Ramesh, Prabhas Sreenu and Gemini Suresh in supporting parts

Writer and director: Venkatesh Pediredla. Producer: Jaganmohan DY (Apple Creations). Music: S. Siva Dinavahi, released by Aditya Music. Runtime: 118 minutes.

Reviews

The film drew mixed reviews. Deepthi Nandan of South First gave it 2.5 out of 5, calling Rajendra Prasad “the pilot” of a heavy drama entwined with comedy and asking viewers to appreciate its old-school genuineness. The Times of India gave the same rating and called it “a lengthy commentary on life”, well-intentioned but long. We have not found box-office figures from a named outlet.

Where to watch Anukoni Prayanam

We do not have a confirmed streaming listing for Anukoni Prayanam on file. If we verify one with a platform, it will appear on this page.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Anukoni Prayanam and the review it cites, linked above; our own cast and crew records.