Movie: Pelli Choopulu
Rating: 3/5
Banner: Dharmapatha Creations
Cast: Vijay Devarakonda, Ritu Varma, Nandu, Priyadarshi, Abhay, Anish Kuruvilla, Padmaja and others
Music: Vivek Sagar
Cinematography: Nagesh Banell
Editing: Ravi Teja
Producer: Raj Kandukuri
Presented by: D Suresh Babu
Screenplay, Direction: Tarun Bhascker
Release Date: July 29, 2016
Prashanth (Vijay) is aimless in life. His father arranges a pelli choopulu for him and he agrees to meet Chitra (Ritu). On the day of the pelli choopulu, Prashanth, Chitra and a small boy are stranded in a room where they were asked to talk to each other. Thanks to the door that gets jammed, Prashanth and Chitra talk about each other. Chitra tells Prashanth that she is not ready for marriage and due to her dad’s pressure she agreed to this.
As the conversation progresses the duo realize that their thoughts have a lot in common. Just then the family comes in and springs a surprise that Prashanth and his family are in the wrong place. They actually were supposed to meet some other family.
Chitra should have been happy that the Pelli choopulu is over and she is getting what she wants. But that is not what is going on in her mind. Does she forget Prashanth? Or has she fallen in love with him? Will that love take her back to Prashanth, the guy who has no goals in life.
Artistes’ Performances:
Vijay Devarakonda who acted in a small role in Nani starrer "Yevade Subramanyam" has played the lead role with right kind of attitude. As a lazy boy, he has portrayed the role with so much ease. No artificiality in his acting.
Ritu Varma should be complimented more as she has got the role with a substance and she has nailed it. This is not regular heroine role, yet she pulls it off perfectly.
The surprise find is new actor Priyadarshi who has brought laughs with his excellent comic timing. Nandu does a simple role. Director Anish Kuruvilla in a small role is good.
Technical Excellence:
Despite its low budget, "Pelli Choopulu" is high on technical standards. The camera work , the music, the art direction and production values are perfect to the realistic setting of the theme.
Highlights:
Cute pair
Refreshing narration
Priyadarshi comedy
First Half
Drawback:
Slow pace
No novel storyline
Second half
Analysis:
Rarely do we see movies that has fresh feel with their heart set at right place. "Pelli Choopulu" is one such film, refreshingly fun-filled movie with cute characters, simple situations, humorous dialogues. More than the story, the setting, the presentation, and the slice of life characters are what put the film in a different mould.
There is no melodrama, nor does it offer masala moments. No villains, only situations that happen in most of our lives, and some incidents to move the story forward. The story with just 2 hours run time also ends in an expected way.
Some portions in the movie remind us Sekhar Kammula's "Anand". Still it makes us laugh, connect with the characters. Simple drama, but energizing narration by new director Tharun Bhasckar is the plus point.
When Vijay Devarakonda and Ritu Varma are locked in a room due to the jammed door on their pellichoopulu day, the way the discover about each others lives and characters is told so interestingly. This setup and the following twist definitely brings chuckles.
What happens when they found that they are not the ones who were to see each other as mixed up addresses is also told by the director in entertainingly but at leisure pace. The scene that hero trying to educate the heroine's father is handled so well. The hero trying to realize his dream of chef is also established well.
Not that the movie has only plus points. It does have its own share of problems like slow pace, second half moving on a pretty predictable way. Also in second half all characters act completely different to what we saw them in the beginning. And there is not much story after the interval, it needs trimming.
But these can be pardonable as the movie offers so much fun factor. Tharun Bhascker, the director comes from the short films background. So he picked up a similar kind of simple story line and told in earnestly. When commercial movies with set formulaic standards are ruling, this comes a whiff of a fresh air.
All in all, "Pelli Choopulu" is an good attempt with fun-filled romance. A simple film told in engaging manner.
Bottom-line: Refreshing Romance!
