Idiot(2002)
'Idiot' is a 2002 Indian Telugu-language action romantic comedy film directed by Puri Jagannadh. The film stars Ravi Teja as Chanti and Rakshita as Suchitra in her Telugu debut. Prakash Raj plays the antagonist police commissioner Vipra Narayana. The story follows a carefree young man who falls in love with a stranger who saves his life, only to discover she is the daughter of a powerful police officer. The film is a remake of Jagannadh's own Kannada film 'Appu' (2002). It was a commercial blockbuster, running for 100 days in 36 centres. The soundtrack was composed by Chakri and features popular songs like 'Choopultho Guchi'. The film received positive reviews for its comedy and performances.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Mubi, Sun NXT, Amazon Prime Video, JioTV, Airtel Xstream Play, YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 22 August 2002
- Director
- Puri Jagannadh
- Language
- Telugu
- Runtime
- 1h 49m
- Rating
- 6.6/10
Storyline
Chanti, a carefree young man, is rescued by a mysterious girl who pays his hospital bills and donates her blood. He falls in love with her without ever seeing her face. When he finds her, she turns out to be Suchitra, the daughter of the strict police commissioner Vipra Narayana. Chanti must win her love while facing the commissioner's brutal opposition.
“Love makes an idiot a hero.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Idiot
Cast reunions in this film: Prakash Raj & Puri Jagannadh (15 films together), Prakash Raj & Ravi Teja (15 films together), Puri Jagannadh & Ravi Teja (5 films together), Prakash Raj & Rakshita (3 films together), and Rakshita & Puri Jagannadh (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally titled 'Idioterne' in Danish, but its Telugu-dubbed version was released in 1998.
- This is a rare example of a European art film being dubbed and released commercially for a Telugu-speaking audience.
- The dubbing likely aimed to present the film's provocative themes about societal norms to a new cultural context.
- Director Lars von Trier is Danish and this film is part of the avant-garde 'Dogme 95' movement, which is unusual for Telugu cinema.
- The plot involves actors pretending to have intellectual disabilities, a concept that sparked controversy in many countries.
- Its release in Andhra Pradesh would have coincided with a peak period for mainstream Telugu masala films, making it an outlier.
- The film's critical reception internationally focused on its raw style, which contrasted sharply with typical 1990s Telugu production values.