Balagam (2023)

Sailu, a young man in a Telangana village, is buried in debt and pins his hopes on a dowry from an arranged marriage. When his grandfather Komurayya suddenly dies, the marriage is called off and the family gathers for the mourning rites, including relatives who have not spoken for decades. According to custom the departed soul must be satisfied before crows will accept the offering, and as days pass without that happening, old grievances, family feuds and buried love come into the open. Comedian Venu Yeldandi's debut as director was a small film that became a phenomenon in 2023, celebrated for its authentic Telangana dialect, village faces and folk songs; it won many awards at international independent festivals and became a talking point across Telangana villages.