Movie: Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi
Rating: 2/5
Banner: People Media Factory, Dasari Productions
Cast: Naga Shaurya, Malvika Nair, Srinivas Avasarala, Megha Chowdhury, Ashok Kumar, Abhishek Maharshi, Srividhya, Varanasi Soumya Chalamcharla, Harini Rao, Arjun Prasad and others
Music: Kalyani Malik, Vivek Sagar
Cinematography: Sunil Kumar Nama
Editor: Kiran Ganti
Art: Azmat Ansar, John Murphy, Ramakrishna
Producers: T G Vishwa Prasad and Padmaja Dasari
Story, Screenplay, dialogues and Directed by: Srinivas Avasarala
Release Date: March 17, 2023
Srinivas Avasarala, the actor-director, has previously directed two successful romantic dramas, "Oohalu Gusagusalade" and "Achyutananda". This is his third directorial effort, coming after a long hiatus.
Let's analyze.
Story:
The story is divided into chapters. It begins in 2010 in the United Kingdom and moves back in time to 2000, when Sanjay (Naga Shaurya) and Anupama (Malvika Nair) meet at an engineering college in Visakhapatnam.
While both are students at a university in the United Kingdom, they become close friends before falling in love. They also make the decision to live together. He does not, however, visit her in the hospital when she is admitted due to illness.
They slowly drift apart. They run into each other again many years later, as in romantic comedies. Will they ever get back together? Why didn't he go see her when she was in the hospital? Will she ever find an answer?
Artistes’ Performances:
Naga Shaurya's portrayal of the confused youngster is sincere. He changes his appearance depending on the age at which he plays.
With her charm and convincing performance, Malvika Sharma steals the show. She has a natural ability to express any emotion, which is evident here.
Srinivasa Avasarala makes a brief appearance. Sri Vidya, who plays Malvika Nair's roommate, and Megha Chowdhury, who plays Naga Shaurya's other girlfriend, are both adequate.
Harini Rao's character is the most irritating one in the film.
Technical Excellence:
The music is pleasant. Two songs are effective. The cinematography is striking. The scenic UK has enriched the frames. A couple of the dialogues are very good. Poor editor must have struggled to put this disjointed footage in the right place.
Highlights:
Some moments in the first half
Drawback:
Confused narration
Unconvincing ‘closure’
Entire second half
Throughout boring moments
Analysis
"Two befuddled lovers fall in love and split up because of one incident. Years later, they come together and realize they never stopped loving each other."
This template has been used in many recent romantic films, with directors telling the same story in different ways, often using back-and-forth narration.
Srinivasa Avasarala has also used this formula in his latest film, but unfortunately, he has made it as awkward as possible. Both the male and female leads in the film are confused about their feelings, but the director seems even more perplexed than they are.
If the film had ended at intermission, it would have made more sense than the aimless wandering of the post-interval section.
In the first half, we learn that Naga Shaurya and Malvika Nair split up for one reason, but the second half is filled with nonsensical sequences.
Suddenly, Avasarala Srinivas appears, attempting to woo Malvika, and a wedding between Naga Shaurya and Malvika's former roommates takes place.
At this wedding, we see a woman named Neelima Ratnababu, who happily checks into a hotel room with Naga Shaurya, a total stranger to her. Her nagging is not only annoying to Naga Shaurya in the story, but also to the audience in the theatre.
The stretch goes on and on, and the climax makes us wonder if the director forgot what he was attempting to tell. The absurd closure doesn't help matters.
We won't reveal the twist, but if Naga Shaurya had truly split up for 'that reason,' he could have easily told her within one or two months of her recovery, rather than waiting many years. It makes no sense, and the film ends up being a silly exercise.
Avasarala Srinivas's aimless direction and poor writing turn what could have been a decent romantic comedy, especially in the first half, into a tedious slog. Everything that happens in the second half is a complete mess.
Bottom line: Complete Bore
