Gurtukosthunnayi Review: Nostalgia, Friendship and Yashashree Rao Make This a Comfort Watch

ETV Win has quietly built a niche around nostalgia-driven storytelling. After the success of 90s: A Middle Class Biopic, the platform has repeatedly returned to stories celebrating friendships, family bonds and simpler times. Gurtukosthunnayi follows the same formula, but this time wraps it around an emotional memory-loss comedy. Directed by Winod Gali, the seven-episode series isn’t particularly groundbreaking. Yet it knows exactly what it wants to be. Instead of chasing twists or spectacle, it focuses on warmth, relationships and the comforting familiarity of childhood memories.Creator-turned-actress Yashashree Rao, known for building a loyal audience through her digital content, brings an effortless charm to Vaishali. Although the screenplay limits her role, she delivers a grounded performance that adds warmth to the romance and proves she has the screen presence to take on meatier characters in future projects.

Also read: How Instagram Star Yashashree Rao Landed Her First Tollywood Film

A Familiar Story, Told With Heart

The biggest hurdle Gurtukosthunnayi faces is its premise.

Anyone familiar with Vijay Sethupathi’s Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom will immediately recognise the inspiration. Once again, a groom-to-be suffers partial memory loss just before his wedding, leaving his closest friends scrambling to protect him from embarrassment while helping him regain his memories.

Rather than attempting to disguise the similarities, director Winod Gali reshapes the concept into something distinctly Telugu. Flashbacks become the emotional engine of the narrative, taking viewers back through school life, teenage friendships, first crushes, summer holidays and family moments that define Santhosh’s journey.

The nostalgia rarely feels forced. Instead, it serves as the emotional glue holding together a fairly predictable plot.

Viraj Ashwin Carries the Series

Viraj Ashwin delivers one of his most natural performances to date.

Playing Santhosh requires balancing confusion, innocence and optimism without turning the character into comic relief. Viraj manages that balance comfortably. Even when Santhosh forgets important people, misplaces family members or unintentionally creates chaos, the audience sympathises with him instead of laughing at him.

His performance anchors the emotional moments and prevents the series from becoming overly melodramatic.

Yashashree Rao, despite limited screen time, brings warmth to Vaishali. The romance feels understated but believable.

The real chemistry, however, belongs to the four friends.

Pavan Sidhu, Godavari Gopi and Viva Raghav successfully recreate the effortless banter of childhood friendships. Their frustration, loyalty and emotional investment never feel exaggerated.

Friendship Remains the Biggest Hero

Unlike many friendship dramas where supporting characters exist only to help the protagonist, Gurtukosthunnayi gives its friends personalities of their own.

They become exhausted repeating the same stories and disagree on how to handle Santhosh’s condition. They make mistakes while trying to protect him. Those small moments make the friendships feel authentic.

The series also explores Santhosh’s strained relationship with his future father-in-law, played effectively by Priyadarshini Ram. His scepticism adds conflict without turning him into a stereotypical villain.

Comfort Over Complexity

The writing doesn’t attempt anything particularly ambitious. The narrative moves exactly where viewers expect it to. The emotional beats are familiar. The climax follows the classic Telugu family-drama template, complete with heartfelt speeches and neatly resolved conflicts. Yet none of that feels disappointing because the show never promises anything bigger. It understands its audience. It aims to become an easy weekend binge rather than a prestige drama. In that, it succeeds.

Where the Series Falls Short

The show’s biggest weakness lies in its lack of originality. The female characters also deserve stronger writing. Vaishali remains largely defined by her relationship with Santhosh instead of receiving an independent emotional journey. The nostalgia, while enjoyable, occasionally borders on repetitive. The series could also have benefited from a slightly sharper screenplay during the middle episodes.

Technical Simplicity Works

Winod Gali keeps the direction clean and accessible.

The cinematography avoids unnecessary visual experimentation, allowing the emotional moments to take centre stage.

Ajay Arasada’s music complements the story without overpowering it.

The supporting cast, including Rohini Hattangadi, Sivannarayana, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Goparaju Ramana and Anish Kuruvilla, lends credibility even within limited screen time.

Should You Watch It?

Gurtukosthunnayi isn’t trying to reinvent Telugu web series.

Instead, it offers something increasingly rare in the streaming era: a simple, feel-good story built around friendship, family and nostalgia.

If you’re looking for suspense, unpredictable twists or high-stakes drama, this isn’t that show.

But if you’re in the mood for a light, emotionally comforting series with relatable friendships and a sincere lead performance from Viraj Ashwin, Gurtukosthunnayi makes for an enjoyable watch.

It may not stay with you for weeks, but it leaves you smiling when the credits roll.