Movie: Aay
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: GA2 Pictures
Cast: Narne Nithiin, Nayan Sarika, Ankith Koyya, Rajkumar Kasireddy, Vinod Kumar, Mime Gopi and others
DOP: Sameer Kalyani
Music: Ram Miriyala, Ajay Arasada
Editor: Kodati Pavan Kalyan
Art Director: Kiran Kumar Manne
Presenter: Allu Aravind
Producers: Bunny Vas and Vidya Koppineedi
Director: Anji K Maniputhra
Release Date: Aug 16, 2024
Among the four new films released during this Independence Day period, “Aay” is the only film that is minor-budgeted. Still, it gained attention due to the production house GA2 Pictures.
Let’s find out how this film fare.
Story:
A software engineer, Karthik (Narne Nithiin), returns to his village of Pasarlapudilanka. He and his friends Subbu (Kasireddy Rajkumar) and Hari (Ankith Koyya) enjoy their time hanging out until Karthik meets Pallavi (Nayan Sarika). Despite knowing that Subbu is already fond of Pallavi, Karthik proposes to her, and she reciprocates her love.
But Karthik’s happiness doesn’t last long. Pallavi unexpectedly agrees to marry someone else. Pallavi always makes decisions based on caste. Was that the reason she changed her mind?
Is Pallavi a cheater, or would Karthik and Pallavi unite again?
Artistes’ Performances:
Narne Nithiin, brother-in-law of NTR Jr, made his debut in "Mad", which was a super hit. He is very casual in this role. He needs to work on his acting skills and go for a little makeover. But he is sincere in his effort.
Nayan Sarika has expressive eyes. Rajkumar Kasireddy and Ankith Koyya, the hero's friends, are the ones who really steal the show. With their humor, they bring the house down. Rajkumar Kasireddy, as Subbu, in particular is hilarious.
Vinod Kumar, in his brief role, provides a much-needed emotional anchor.
Technical Excellence:
The film primarily takes place in and around Amalapuram and the Konaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, where the lush green locations create a vibrant screen.
The cinematographer captured the area's beauty well. Music is okay. “Sufiyana” and another song, which constantly appears in the background, have worked effectively.
Highlights:
Hilarious portions
Rajkumar and Ankith’s comedy in the first half
The climax episode
Drawback:
Dragged Narration
Too repetitive
Post-interval sequences
Analysis
At the very beginning, the makers of “Aay” prepare the audiences to watch the film for fun and don’t look for strong content or logic. And right away, the story begins with a comic episode, setting the tone of the film.
It provides a constant supply of jokes and hilarious moments in the first half.
The jokes are nothing new, but the director presents the simple scenes in a funny way.
One of the most hilarious scenes in the film involves Narne Nithiin and his friend Rajkumar Kasireddy falling in love with the same girl, after which the heroine chooses Nithiin as her boyfriend. This whole stretch provides laugh-out-loud moments.
Some of the comedy scenes remind us of Vamsy’s old movies, whose stories are entirely set in the Godavari region. One such episode involves the hero and heroine moving into the bedroom of a woman with whom the hero's friend has an extramarital affair. When her husband comes, the entire situation turns hilarious.
But the comedy doesn’t last long. Post-interval, the film becomes monotonous, repetitive, and overly long. The film's pace drastically slows down. A particular repetitive comedy track, which involves an old man enlisting the help of the hero's friends to watch pornographic bits, becomes tedious after a while. Additionally, certain scenes lack impact.
The pre-climax episode is the only positive part of the second half. The episode better establishes the reason for the 'caste problem' and neatly concludes it.
Overall, “Aay” provides fun moments, as the makers promised. The hilarious sequences involving Kasireddy Rajkumar make this film watchable. Despite issues in the second half, the film is a fairly neat entertainer among all the weekend’s releases and makes for a fun watch.
Bottom line: Godavari Fun
