Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: S K Pictures
Cast: Sree, Urmila Mohanty, Mithun Murali, Manisha Yadav, Muthuraman, Rithika and others
Music: R Prasanna
Cinematographer: S D Vijay Milton
Editor: Gopikrishna
Story, screenplay, direction: Balaji Sakthivel
Producer: Suresh Kondeti
Release date: 04/05/2012
Just like stale mass masala movies coming in Tollywood, even Kollywood is seeing few movies like that. Tamil directors have got addicted to giving tragic ending to romance stories. Many of those movies got translated into Telugu but not many were successful. Telugu audience has understood that Tamil movies will be like this only and tragedy will be there somehow or the other. Tamil audience may like it but the Telugu buyers should think twice before they invest money. This film is also one from that lot.
Story
Venu (Sree) hails from utter poverty and he takes up work in a street-side Tiffin shop. He falls in love with Jyothi (Urmila) who works in the neighbouring apartment but is unable to express it. Before he decides to express his feelings, Jyothi meets with an accident. Venu is made responsible for that and is arrested. What exactly happens to Jyothi? Why did Venu get arrested? In the same apartment lives a teenage girl Aarti (Manisha), she is constantly chased by Nitesh (Mithun) a boy from the same apartment. The fight between them leads to a problem for Jyothi. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.
Performances
The film comprises of debutantes mostly and among them, the lead pair of Sree and Urmila have done well.
Urmila conveys a lot through her eyes though she has few dialogues. Sree fits the character rightly with perfect expressions. Manisha also has done a good act. Mithun was natural.
Rest of the cast ensured that Tamil flavour was not missed. And Suresh Kondeti who dubbed the movie in Telugu might have discovered the lack of comedy so he filled the gap with an item song.
Technical Aspects
The background score of R Prasanna is good. Two songs in the film were composed without instruments and only the voices of the singers were used. This technique sounds okay but you will feel the absence of music in critical romantic scenes and get bored. Cinematography was neat. Usually, such films tend to have a rugged backdrop but the cinematographer has taken enough precautions to give a soothing feel. Editing was average it could have been better in second half.
Highlights
- Cinematography
Drawbacks
- Story, screenplay filled with Tamil flavour
- Character development
- Direction
Analysis
The director Balaji Sakthivel has made 'Premisthe' movie in a very natural way. Though it was a tragic love story the entertainment value is there. In this movie he has also touched contemporary issues by showing how youth are getting misled through SMS and Smartphones. But the crucial scenes of the film had flat direction. Climax was not effective. Mainly, one will not get sympathy for the lead pair which has fallen into problems because of someone else. The main drawback is not developing the love story rightly. The scenes and screenplay to show the link between first half and second half, the emotions between the characters and the attachment to be given to the audience was left to the wind. That’s why one does not react even if something terrible is happening onscreen. That shows the weakness of direction.
The low budget films coming from Kollywood are always like this, why? There is a compulsory tragedy in the end, why? The characters are always below the poverty line, why? Is it because directors believe this to be the easiest way for appreciation? Or is it a genuine sympathy or affection towards people who belong to such class?
Earlier, we saw a cobbler, roadside mechanic, employee in clothes shop. Since they have shown all such characters, did the hero become a worker at a streetside Tiffin centre? Is that why his pair is a servant maid? Finally, the tragedy that strikes them, was it also written after ensuring that it was not repeated in other films?
One film sees the hero going mad and the other film sees the heroine becoming physically handicapped. So what should be fresh in our film? Did they write the story thinking what will make the audience cry their hearts out and show extreme affection to their lovers? Isn’t this one form of sadism? Is it not an attempt to exploit the weakness of audience and encash it?
With entertainment quotient being zero and a snail pace of the film, it is difficult for Telugu audience to show generosity. Since there are audiences in neighbouring state who pay money to cry their hearts out, such films can make good collections there. Telugu audience is not in a position to move to such sentiments. Those who are used to watching Tamil tragedy flicks can watch it but otherwise this forced tragedy will not be liked by anyone.
Bottomline: ‘Premalo Padithe’…sure to lose peace of mind
Written By GreatAndhra Team
