PremiumMiss Shetty Mr Polishetty on OTT: When a rare Telugu director got a modern-day woman right
The dignity with which the film’s principal character Anvitha Shetty, played by Anushka Shetty, is written, is good news for Telugu cinema
Last Updated: 12.27 AM, Oct 07, 2023
Cinema is a medium where a storyteller’s true intent always comes to the fore, voluntarily or involuntarily. One may fool around with the plot points, dialogues or even the visuals but the art form always has a knack to capture the core personality of every storyteller. Truth be told, the way most modern-day Telugu filmmakers view their female characters doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the industry.
However, the recent hit Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty, directed by Mahesh Babu P, is a breath of fresh air. At some level, the film is a great companion piece to Vicky Donor, looking at the IVF procedure from a woman’s perspective, liberating the principal character from the need for a marriage to raise kids. Beyond the romance, the story is as much about parenting, relationships and career choices.
Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty gets a lot of aspects right - the writing, the performances and the dignity with which humour is used to drive the story forward. However, its most memorable victory is the effort to understand the mind of an independent, modern-day woman, who’s clear about what she seeks from life. Despite being in her 30s, Anvitha Shetty doesn’t feel the need for a companion to complete her existence.
Even with a decision to chose a sperm donor for the kid on her own, she does so quite unapologetically. While her idea to emotionally manipulate a man for it leaves you with mixed feelings, the second hour does well to put the spotlight on her vulnerabilities (beyond her inner strength). The story is ultimately about how gets over her rigid beliefs and breaks the wall she builds around herself.
Anvitha Shetty is a character you end up liking - she’s smart, successful and is particular about what she expects from men. In Anushka Shetty, the makers find the right actor to play the character, though the although the detailing in her professional life as a chef could’ve been better. The success of the film augurs well for Telugu - it portrays the strength of its female lead without emasculating her male counterpart.