Ishtam

Ishtam (meaning “Like”) is a 2001 Telugu romantic drama directed by Vikram Kumar and Raj Kumar, best known as the debut film of Shriya Saran. She stars opposite Charan Dodla, with Poonam Dhillon and Chandra Mohan in supporting roles, and D. J. Gopinath composed the music. It was the only film Charan made as an actor; he died of a cardiac arrest in 2012.

What the story is about

Karthik comes from a rich family and is hopeless at his studies. Neha is the motherless daughter of Subbu, and a junior at Karthik’s college, where he ragged her mercilessly. When Karthik’s mother, Lakshmi, is hurt in an accident, it is Neha who rescues her and gets her to hospital, and the two women become friends. Neha falls in love with Karthik, and Lakshmi seems to welcome the idea of the two marrying, until Subbu actually proposes the match and she refuses. Why she changes her mind is the question the film answers.

Cast

• Charan Dodla as Karthik
• Shriya Saran as Neha
• Poonam Dhillon as Lakshmi Chakravarthy, Karthik’s mother, and Sarath Babu as his father
• Chandra Mohan as Subbu, Neha’s father
• Jayasudha as Neha’s mother, in a photograph
• Srinivasa Reddy and Khayyum as Karthik’s friends
• Monal in a special appearance in the song “Yaavuru Yaavure Chinnadaanaa”

Music

D. J. Gopinath composed the soundtrack, released by Mayuri Audio.

Release and reviews

Our record gives Ishtam’s release date as 30 November 2001, although Idlebrain.com’s review is dated 30 December 2001. It came out a day after Jabili, and its closing scenes were similar to that film’s. Jeevi of Idlebrain.com praised the music, photography and direction but said it “terribly lacks” entertainment value and has “an overdose of sentiment”. A critic in The Hindu found it “an enjoyable exercise” despite its uneven tempo, with a “refreshing music score”. Full Hyderabad was dismissive, saying it was worth watching only if there was nothing better to do. Wikipedia’s article does not record its box-office performance, so we do not characterise it.

Where to watch Ishtam

We do not have a confirmed streaming platform for Ishtam on file. The OTT details on this page will be updated when a platform’s own listing confirms it.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Ishtam and the reviews it cites, linked above; Wikidata; our own cast and crew records.