Sunday, 1 January 2017

PELLICHOOPULU (TELUGU) (2016)


Chitra has just completed MBA and aspires to pursue further studies in Australia and become an entrepreneur. Prashanth is forced to pursue Engineering course by his father though he aspires to be a chef. He is also too lazy to chase his dream and seeks shortcuts to settle down in life. The movie takes off when the two protagonists meet accidentally during a pellichoopulu (a common Indian ritual where potential groom and bride meet along with their families). What follows is a narrative that presents a predictable story in an engaging manner with oodles of humor and very relatable situations.

Vijay Deverakonda is authentic in his portrayal of Prashanth who is used to the daily taunts from his father and would prefer to laze around seeking simplistic solutions without a care. Ritu Varma, with her sparkling presence lights up every frame and is pitch perfect as the ambitious Chitra who is at ease in conveying a wide range of emotions. They share an easy chemistry and are ideal foil for each other which make them instantly likeable and keeps the viewers invested in how they fare. Besides the leads, the movie benefits from a competent set of supporting cast who register their presence even in the smallest of roles and adding to the funny situations. Composer Vivek Sagar has provided some good songs and adds value with his background score. 

Debutante director Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam has made a breezy romcom which checks almost all the right boxes a genre which is mostly messed up in  narratives that are mired in melodrama or mindless action or other "masala" elements. His competence as an engaging storyteller is evident in the way that he strikes a fine balance in presenting the multiple threads of understated romance,  aspirations of girls which are often ignored or even trampled upon as well as the casual attitudes of a section of youth Wei fail to follow one's dreams due to their lethargy and seeking easy solutions, family bonds without getting preachy or melodramatic and constant flow of jokes which do not feel forced.

With an entertaining first feature, Tharun has announced his arrival as a film maker to look forward to. 

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !!

RATING - 3/5

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