Mail

Mail, also marketed as Kambalapally Kathalu Chapter 1: Mail, is a 2021 Telugu comedy written and directed by first-timer Uday Gurrala and produced by Priyanka Dutt’s Swapna Cinema. Priyadarshi stars alongside newcomers Harshith Malgireddy, Mani Aegurla and Sri Gouri Priya. Set in a Telangana village in 2005, it premiered on Aha on 12 January 2021.

What the story is about

In 2005, computers and the internet are still a novelty in the village of Kambalapally, Telangana. Ravi, an innocent degree student, is fascinated by them, and when Hybath opens the village’s first internet centre, Ravi persuades him, for the price of some liquor, to teach him how to use a computer. He borrows money from Shivanna, the local moneylender, to pay for it all. Hybath sets Ravi up with his very first e-mail account, and Ravi gives the address to Roja, the classmate he has a crush on.

Then one day an e-mail arrives telling Ravi he has won a ₹2 crore lottery. Ravi, who has never heard of internet fraud, is thrilled, and with his friend Subbu he sets about claiming his prize. What follows is a gentle village comedy about a new technology arriving in a place that is not quite ready for it.

Cast and crew

• Harshith Malgireddy as Ravi
• Priyadarshi as Hybath
• Mani Aegurla as Subbu
• Sri Gouri Priya as Roja
• Ravinder Bommakanti as Shivanna, the moneylender

Writer and director: Uday Gurrala. Producer: Priyanka Dutt (Swapna Cinema). Music: Sweekar Agasthi and Kamran. Runtime: 116 minutes.

Making and release

Mail was filmed in 2020, and its release was held up by the COVID-19 pandemic before it went straight to Aha.

Reviews

Critics liked its small-scale charm. Thadhagath Pathi of the Times of India called it “a sweet watch if nostalgic, rural dramas are your thing”, praising Harshith’s innocence, Mani’s comedy and Gouri Priya’s subtle performance. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu called it “a bittersweet tech story”, “indie-spirited” with “its heart at the right place”, though she wished it moved faster; she singled out the panchayat debate on computer viruses as fun. Pratyush Parasuraman of Film Companion found its tone “neither entirely serious, nor entirely satirical”.

Where to watch Mail

Mail premiered on Aha on 12 January 2021, according to Wikipedia. We have not checked a current Aha listing, so availability may differ.

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