When does a home cease to be a space of dwelling and become a part of who we are, carrying with it memories of mundane day-to-day happenings as well as of our highs and lows? Illu (Home), a 45-minute Telugu film that began streaming on ETV Win over the weekend, addresses simple yet profound observations of home through an intimate slice-of-life story of a middle-aged freelance writer named Krishna Prasad.

Written by Camp Sasi and directed by Rohit Penumatsa, the Avanti Cinema duo who have quietly powered the Telugu indie cinema segment for years, the film is a moving ode to a home, empathetic enough to make viewers reflect on the association with their own homes.

Starring Harsha Vardhan as a writer and Bindu Chandramouli as his partner, Illu has largely been filmed in a middle-class apartment complex in a residential colony in the heart of Hyderabad. Those in the film industry, especially Hyderabad’s indie film circuit, might even recognise the space as the director’s home. “We filmed nearly 80% at my home,” says Rohit, adding that the story is partially inspired by his personal journey. “One day, Sasi wrote this story on a whim.” 

Illu leads viewers into the life of the protagonist and his modest dwelling matter of factly. Shashank Raghavula’s cinematography captures the space with warmth, finding joy in the smallest of things, from the door latch to the staircase and the compact balcony, which overlooks the adjacent green space. 

The backbone of Illu is its writing, which packs in subtle social commentary. The conversations and the silences between the writer and his partner reflect their understanding built through a relationship of several years. They work in different cities and are comfortable not being defined by marriage and societal expectations. Refreshingly, their marital status or the lack of it is not a concern to their friends or the househelp.

However, the tranquility of the writer’s life shifts when circumstances force him to begin househunting. The search opens an expected can of worms: questions about bachelorhood, food choices, caste and the reluctance to rent an apartment to a freelancer.

Vivek Sagar’s music accentuates the character’s love for his home filled with memories, books and a large collection of plants. When the story explores the possibility of the writer moving to the outskirts and yet having to shell out much more, it reflects Hyderabad’s escalating rentals and what might happen to modest homes with an old world charm. Illu chooses a heartwarming ending rather than resort to unexpected turns for the sake of drama. It is almost as though Rohit and Sasi were content presenting a love letter to a lived-in tucked away in the heart of the city, like an undiscovered retreat.

Harsha Vardhan and Bindu Chandramouli are fine actors who anchor Illu with their mature and authentic performances. They beautifully convey their thoughts even through silences and the dialogues underline that less is more. Anish Kuruvilla and Camp Sasi portray brief characters.

Illu is among those films that utilise the scope of digital streaming to draw our attention to offbeat stories that can thrive without the box office arithmetic. Sometimes, a simple story that’s beautifully narrated feels enough.

(Illu streams on ETV Win as part of the weekly series titled Katha Sudha)