''Play Back'' is a 2021 Indian

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

-language science fiction drama film written and directed by Jakka Hari Prasad. The film stars Dinesh Tej,

Ananya Nagalla Ananya Nagalla (born Anusha Nagalla) is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu films. She made her debut in the 2019 film '' Mallesham'' and went onto appear in films such as ''Play Back'' (2021) and '' Vakeel Saab'' (2021). She was nominated ...

, Arjun Kalyan, and Spandana. ''Play Back'' is marketed as the first Indian film based on cross time connection. The plot follows Karthik (Tej) and Sujatha (Nagalla), two people from different time periods who connect together through a phone call. The film was released on 5 March 2021.

Plot

In 2019, crime reporter Karthik, who works in TV5, moves into an old house. The landline in his house receives a phone call from Sujatha which is intended for someone else. Sujatha's landline, however, repeatedly connects only to Kathik's landline. With no choice left, Sujatha seeks Karthik's help on her passport issue which he obliges. He tries to help her out but soon they realize that they are in different time periods, Karthik in 2019 and Sujatha in 1993.

Cast

Production and release

Hari Prasad Jakka who worked as a co-writer for Sukumar's films such as '' 100% Love'' (2011) and '' 1: Nenokkadine'' (2014) helmed the project. The film was theatrically released on 5 March 2021. It was later released on the streaming platform

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on 25 May 2021.

Reception

Venkata Chari of ''

HMTV HMTV is an Indian 24-hour Telugu news channel launched on 12 February 2009. The channel is operated by Hyderabad Media Pvt. Ltd, which also runs the English newspaper ''The Hans India''. HMTV is a part of Kapil Group, promoted by K. Vaman Rao. ...

'' appreciated Jakka's direction and his handling of the cross-time concept, stating: "This is a film that would thrill the audience." He opined that the film could have been better had the loop-holes been addressed. Surya Prakash of ''Asianet News'' rated the film 2.75/5 also echoed the same and lauded the novel attempt. He compared the film with the 2016 South Korean TV series ''Signal'' but added that Jakka adapted the script to Telugu nativity with more emotion and drama. A reviewer of '' Zee Cinemalu'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5 and opined that the casting could've been better. "Ananya was decent but none of the other actors could do justice for their characters," they added. ''123Telugu.com'' also rated it 2.5/5 and concluded: "On the whole, Play Back is a family thriller that has a fresh concept that deals with a cross-time telephone conversation. Though the movie has a few interesting moments here and there, lack of proper narration in the second half comes as a speed breaker."

References

External links