Middle Class Abbayi was released theatrically on 21 December 2017 and received mixed reviews from critics, but became a commercial success.[6][7] It was remade in Hindi as Nikamma (2022).
Plot
Nani, a middle-class youth with an eidetic memory, stays at his uncle's house in Hyderabad. He has issues with his brother's house because he dislikes his sister-in-law Jyothi, an RTO officer. Ravi, Nani's elder brother, asks him to leave for Warangal to aid Jyothi in the new place. He falls for Pallavi, who proposes to him in the first encounter.
Nani realizes that Pallavi is actually Jyothi's sister after she arrives to live with them. Pallavi tells him that she has seen him during his brother's wedding and has been in love with him. Jyothi learns about Nani and Pallavi's love towards each other and sends Pallavi back to her village, while secretly pursuing Pallavi's father to accept their relationship, but Pallavi's father refuses. Jyothi tries to make Nani to become a software engineer, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, Jyothi seizes two buses with the same number which belongs to "Siva Shakti Travels", owned by Shiva Shakti alias "Warangal" Siva, a dangerous gangster. Siva threatens Jyothi with dire consequences. Nani learns about Jyothi's sacrifices and realizes his mistake. When Siva threatens Jyothi at the RTO office, Nani thrashes him in public and warns him. Nani and Siva agree to bet on Jyothi's life, without letting anyone know about the challenge.
Siva plans various strategies to finish Jyothi, but Nani intelligently rescues her. However, Siva kidnaps Jyothi and hides her in the one of the bus, which she seized earlier. Nani ask Jyothi's whereabouts to Siva, who commits suicide and is taken to the hospital. Nani figures out the buses and saves Jyothi. Siva survives, but loses his memory and starts his life afresh. Nani marries Pallavi, while fooling her father that he is a software engineer.
The film was released on 21 December 2017. The Times of India reported that the film was released in over 900 screens.[8] The theatrical rights of the film were sold at a cost of ₹30 crore. BlueSky Cinemas have acquired the distribution rights of the film in the United States for ₹3.50 crore. Sakshi Post reported that the film was released in over 150 screens across North America.[9]
The film was also dubbed and released in Tamil as Middle Class Aambala.[10] It was also dubbed in Kannada as Middle Class Huduga.
Reception
Box office
On its opening day, the film collected a total gross of ₹28 crore worldwide.[11] As of 8 January 2018, the film grossed US$1.07 million (₹6.85 crore) at the United States box office.[12] By the end of its theatrical run, Middle Class Abbayi grossed ₹80 crore worldwide, with the distributors' share of ₹40 crore.[13]
Critical response
Hemanth Kumar of Firstpost gave 3/5 stars and wrote "MCA is not a bad film, but it also leaves you with a feeling that it could have been a lot more.[14]Sify gave 2.75/5 stars and wrote "Nani and Sai Pallavi's romantic thread is the major highlight in this otherwise regular commercial movie that is too bland".[15]
Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "MCA is good enough for a one-time watch, especially if you're a Nani fan or a sucker for family dramas".[16] Manoj Kumar R of The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Venu has banked heavily on the charming performances of Nani and Pallavi to make MCA click with the audience, as his writing is unambitious and mostly filled with clichés like his idea of middle class".[17]
Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute wrote "Middle Class Abbayi is a middling entertainer with a lot of fresh ideas that unnecessarily turns into a routine drama".[18] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote "Three versatile performers are the saving grace in this partly entertaining and partly middling film".[19]
