MAD is a Telugu-language campus-based comedy-drama that is reminiscent of 3 Idiots and Munnabhai MBBS directed by Rajkumar Hirani. It is hard to ignore the resemblance between the above-mentioned films and MAD. The humor around men’s college hostels is always relatable. The first rush of love and a relationship that is felt and experienced during college days is no match to what life throws at you once you’re all out in the real-world hustle.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Was Ganesh, Aka Laddu, On The College Campus?
The two-hour-long movie begins with a young college student who ran away from a precarious situation and was caught by a dominant college group for reasons unknown. We assume there was some clash between two factions in college, which is a common sight on many campuses. The student was kept hostage by this group until the next day. Ganesh, the ‘super senior’ from college, appeared to understand the scenario at hand. The filmmaker did not elaborate on why a grown man was walking into a college campus to resolve a dispute between students. Initially, Ganesh comes across as a stern ‘super senior’ who ruled the college campus with an iron fist. Ganesh narrated his life on the same engineering campus as a homesick student who had little to no experience living in a hotel surrounded by hormonal boys. The entire film is a flashback sequence from Ganesh’s point of view, who had befriended Manoj, Ashok, and Damodar. Damodar was his roommate and had all the qualities to be the next student leader. The movie went into detail to explain a series of events that can only be witnessed inside the boys’ hostel, starting with ragging and the dynamics of junior and senior students.
How Did MAD Become A Popular Group In College?
Their engineering college was in a rivalry with another institution that kept defeating them in a series of basketball matches to retain control over a particular canteen. The rival college beat up Laddu for entering the canteen, and this triggered Damodar to host another competitive basketball match. Ashok was the silent brooding student who had joined college and managed to create an aura about himself as one who was not easily approachable so Damodar had to beg him to join the match. Ashok never created any nuisance because he wanted to focus only on his studies. Damodar and Ashok’s team eventually clinch the title and restore their control over the canteen. Not long after this match, Manoj, Ashok, and Damodar became fast friends, and they were known as MAD. The camaraderie formed between the three was the core of the film and the life they led for the next four years.
Who Was Discreetly In Love With Damodar?
The three of them personally went through a monumental change when they all fell in love. Manoj was the lovestruck boy who would go after any girl he found pretty until he met Shruthi. She was not gullible and refused to fall for his romantic antics. Eventually, he found a breakthrough on how to woo her and managed to get a yes from her. Shruthi was US-bound for higher studies, and both were under the impression that this would be a short-term relationship. A misunderstanding and lack of communication between Manoj and Shruthi led to an emotional breakup. Manoj was under the impression that Shruthi probably never loved him, and that she was just fond of the attention he showered on her.
Ashok was a tough nut to crack, but he was relentlessly pursued by Jenni, who wanted to be his friend when she learned he was an orphan. The savior complex evolved into a genuine fondness, even though Ashok resisted her moves. Ashok and Jenni became good friends and fell in love without admitting their feelings for each other. Damodar had declared his detachment from love and the drama that follows. He was soon followed by a woman who claimed to be in love with him. Damodar was under the impression that the woman named Vennela would like to meet him, but she did not dare to face him, worrying about rejection. Their relationship never ceased, and they continued conversing without meeting each other. Damodar was probably smitten by the attention he was receiving from an unknown woman, and he believed their meeting would be special.
Was There A Rich Beneficiary Backing The University Festival?
As Manoj, Ashok, Damodar, and Laddu were gearing up for the final year and the university festival, many loose ends were being tied up. Ashok and Jenni were on the verge of beginning a committed relationship. Shruthi comes back to the campus, only for Manoj’s heart to skip a beat on seeing her after a while. They cleared up the misunderstanding that caused a pause in their relationship. Both started hanging out once again and were close to revealing their feelings for each other. Damodar was still stuck with Vennela and had some inkling that the woman would like to meet him. Apart from the lovestruck men in the film, Damodar learned that the university festival was sponsored by a rich man, and they were initially unable to find the source of the money. Damodar was clueless and intrigued to know why a random person with means would want the festival to be a success. The festival was a big deal for Damodar, and since all were in the final year, making it a successful event before they exited the college was their goal.
On their hunt to look for the rich beneficiary, Ashok was revealed to be a person from a family of means and he wanted to help Damodar make this festival a huge success. Damodar and the rest of the friends learned of his opulent background and finally understood why he chose to keep his family background away from many conversations. He wanted people to like him for who he was, not the money his parents left him. Damodar, Manoj, and Laddu turned out to be his friends for a lifetime.
Did Damodar Ever Get To Meet Vennela, Or Was She A Figment Of His Imagination?
Damodar was adamant about locating Vennela. His hunt for Vennela became a known topic of discussion in college. Radha, his classmate in college, was fond of Damodar, and there was genuine chemistry between the two. Damodar and Laddu were keen to find out who Vennela was because the woman was his first love, and he wanted to meet her before they decided on the fate of their relationship. Damodar was willing to ignore Radha and the platonic friendship they formed for the sake of a woman he had never met in person.
Damodar was finally informed by Laddu that Vennela was a creation of Ashok and Manoj, who pulled an elaborate prank on him. There was no detailed explanation of why Manoj and Ashok resorted to this, but we assume it began as an innocent prank. They soon witnessed Damodar’s emotional involvement in this faux relationship. They continued in the hope that someday they would find the heart to either end it abruptly or reveal the truth to Damodar. Neither of the two happened until Laddu disclosed everything.
Damodar was livid, but he was willing to hear their explanation, which was wafer thin as none of them could justify emotionally manipulating their best friend. MAD ends with Damodar going after his friends in a bid to find answers to all his questions. Manoj, Ashok, and Damodar had a hearty laugh over this incident. Damodar can finally move on from this event and probably focus on Radha. Damodar was somehow glad that his friends, under the guise of a woman, encouraged him to pick up on his leadership skills and were instrumental in making the university festival a success. This was a test of their friendship, and they sailed through without much clamor.
