My Dear Donga (2024)

Sujatha lives alone in a Hyderabad apartment and is going through a rough patch with her boyfriend. One night a burglar slips into her home, gets caught, and, rather than being handed over to the police, finds himself drawn into a long, funny and oddly honest conversation about love, loneliness and the choices people make. As the night goes on, friends and the boyfriend become part of the muddle, and the thief turns into a kind of unexpected agony uncle. My Dear Donga ("donga" is Telugu for thief) is a small, dialogue-driven comedy built around comedian Abhinav Gomatam's deadpan timing. Its lead actress Shalini Kondepudi also wrote the story, and the film works as a light, warm-hearted chamber comedy rather than a crime caper.