Nostalgic 'Happy Days' number one in Telugu cinema

Hyderabad, Jan 10 (IANS) "Happy Days" continues to be the top film as it completes 100 days - an incredible feat for a film sans stars. The list of top films is pretty much the same as in the last fortnight.

The top five Telugu films are:

1. "Happy Days" - This film is cruising merrily at the box office. Made without any big stars, it has been able to hold its own in the face of star-studded movies like "Thulasi", "Athidhi" and "Don". Sekhar Kammula has spun a good yarn around college life. Simple, heart-warming and nostalgic "Happy Days" is a good trip down memory lane.

The seven new faces and Tamanna, who is the only one to have done movies before, have made their presence felt and are now on their way to getting a foothold in Telugu cinema. The movie has raked in a lot of moolah and ushered in Telugu film industry's corporatisation.

2. "Mantra" - The whodunit film starring Charmee and Sivaji is faring well as far as the revenues go. Although suspense thrillers and murder-mysteries are not common in Telugu films, "Mantra" and "Anasuya" have shown that this genre goes down well with the audience if the film is made well.

3. "Anasuya" - Bhumika Chawla steals the show in the title role in "Anasuya". Playing a TV journo, Bhumika displays good acting skills. She portrays the right kind of emotions in the film. Ravi Babu, who is also the director, is good as the villain. This 'edge-of-the-seat' 'noir'-like thriller directed by Ravi Babu has got critical acclaim (it's technically slick albeit a bit dark in terms of lighting) and is faring well.

4. "Don" - Nagarjuna's only release this year has been at the receiving end in terms of reviews. Reports on the film's performance are not too favourable but Nagarjuna's fans will surely keep it going. Raghava Lawrence wears many hats - as director, actor, choreographer and music composer. Perhaps this was a bit too much on the plate to do full justice. Generally, most star-studded films run for the first few weeks and perhaps the initial curiosity to see it will attract crowds. One has to see how long it runs.

5. "Thulasi" - It continues to be in the reckoning even after it crosses 50 days. Child star Atulith gives an endearing performance despite the large dose of violence. Venkatesh returns to action with the movie, which is filled with commercial elements. A stereotypical story with a lot of violence thrown in with a bit of romance, sentiments and enough songs and dances and a sizzling item number by Shriya seems to have found favour.

Nayantara is paired with Venkatesh and she dons some glamorous outfits in the first half of the movie. She has a fairly substantial role.

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Happy Days