Story
A group of Indian bachelors stay in a house in an undisclosed western country. During birthday celebrations of one of the roommates, he dies when his birthday bumps go wrong. The roommates have three choices - call the cops, inform parents and convince them not to give a complaint and/or just dispose of the body & act as if nothing happened. Rest of the story is about what option they take.

Artists Performance

Except for three actors (Ravi Krishna, Rajeev Kanakala & Pramodini Pammi), all others are new. It added freshness to the screen. Among the roommates, Raja Ashok is pretty entertaining with his mass comedy. Ravi Krishna is good as the guy who tries to solve the problem. Sameer Malla makes a mark as a righteous guy who is forced to abet a crime. Mani Vaka, Vikranth Ved, Sai Arun and Rahul Ch are fine as roommates. Rajeev Kanakala is excellent as the father of the birthday boy. His expressions and body language is apt though it appears weird at times.

Story - screenplay - direction: Story of the film is pretty good. What makes it special is the fact that it’s a true story. What makes it more intriguing/dangerous is that it’s based on a crime that was never reported to cops. And the director was present during that time though he didn’t do it. Within 15 minutes after the start of the film, the death of the birthday boy occurs. Rest of the film runs on a screenplay and it’s initially about how to solve the crisis. But later revealed that, there is more to death than being just a freak accident. 80% of the film is shot in a house and among 7 characters. Though it’s amateurish at times and slow most of the time, the director succeeded in engaging the audiences with the plot point and narration. He made this movie in his own style rather than following a cinematic/formulaic way of narration. The flashback part of it should have been more interesting. Despite its drawbacks, you end up appreciating the film because of the climax because the real photo of the real victim is displayed and the director’s note after that. I don’t think such a kind film was ever made in Telugu where it's based on unreported crime and not all the people involved in it know the entire truth. (And it’s made by the director who was also a part of it).

Other departments: Cinematography by Sankirth Raahul is fine. Music by Prashanth Srinivas is alright. Most of the film is shot in a house and the aesthetics of it match western countries. Art direction is by AR. Vamsi G. Editing by Naresh Adupa is okay. Producer Bharath should be appreciated making and releasing the film with no support.

Analysis: The Birthday Boy explores two unique aspects that weren’t much done in movies. It tells us how dangerous birthday bumps could turnout to (it is done for fun, but could become lethal). It also narrates a crime that was never reported. It is given a certificate. There are many cuss words, which are not muted. It’s an independent film that comes with both positive and negative aspects. But, it’s a kind of film that's worth watching (especially for young audiences) for its unique content.