Movie: Sammohanam
Rating: 3/5
Banner: Sridevi Movies
Cast: Sudheer Babu, Aditi Rao, Naresh, Rahul Ramakrishna, Pavitra Lokesh, Tanikella Bharani and others
Music: Vivek Sagar
Cinematography: P G Vinda
Editor: Marthand Venkatesh
Producer: Sivalenka Krishna Prasad
Written and directed by: Indraganti Mohanakrishna
Release date: June 15, 2018
After scoring a hit with comedy film 'Ami Tumi', director Indraganti has directed romantic drama 'Sammohanam'. The film’s cool trailers and Bollywood's Aditi Rao debuting have created enough buzz around it.
Whether the film has lived up to the hype or not, let’s find out…
Story:
A famous actress Sameera (Aditi Rao) comes to the residence of Vijay (Sudheer Babu) for a movie shoot as the house was hired as the location. Vijay doesn’t like movie stars and their world as it is filled with fake people.
Despite his loathsomeness towards movie stars, he gets attracted to her when she hires him as Telugu dialogue coach.
Vijay is good at Telugu and is waiting for his book of cartoons in Telugu to be published. He naturally falls for her beauty and for her “aura”. But being a big film star will she reciprocate the same?
Artistes’ Performances:
Sudheer Babu is growing as an actor with each film. It is clearly evident that he has improved his acting skills a lot. He is appreciable in this role of common guy falling in love with a movie star. His chemistry with Aditi is also good.
Aditi who enthralled us all in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Cheliya’ looks perfect in her role. She has pulled off the role of a movie star with so much ease. Surprisingly, her Telugu dialogues (she dubbed her own voice) are near perfect for a first timer. She impresses with her beauty as well as with her acting skills.
The other actor who gets lot of space in the film is Naresh as the father of Sudheer Babu whose sole aim is to act in films. His character is perfectly used.
Rahul Ramakrishna gets registered with his performance. Hari Teja does neat job. So do Tanikella and Pavitra.
Technical Excellence:
P G Vinda’s camerawork is a major asset to this romantic drama. He has shot the film richly. Art work is also excellent. Together they have given class look.
On the other hand, the film’s mood is elevated further with excellent music and background score. Vivek Sagar’s songs are melodious and in tune with the theme. Production values are first rate.
Highlights:
Aditi and Sudheer’s chemistry
Music
Cinematography
Romantic moments
Drawback:
Slow pace
Lack of good conflict
Analysis:
From ‘Ashta Chemma’ to recent ‘Ami Thumi’, director Indraganti Mohanakrishna has proven that he is good at comedy and romance. When he gets it, he gets it right. In “Sammohanam”, he has almost found his form.
The film is a simple love story of two different persons falling in love. The difference here is the girl is a star, a film star with exceptional beauty and popularity and the boy is nobody who has not achieved anything yet.
Director Mohanakrishna begins the film in funny manner by introducing characters that have fun side like Naresh who takes voluntary retirement to act in movies.
We also have Rahul Ramakrishna, a bored techie who wants to run a website with filmy gossips and comes up with headlines like – “that actress wants it daily four times”.
After introducing these fun people and establishing Sudheer’s character as one who doesn’t like movie world, the director sets up the real drama by bringing a film star into hero’s life (and also into his home).
From here on, the romantic track progresses in an engaging and entertaining way like Aditi going with Sudheer to a supermarket to buy vegetables, and chatting with him over the terrace like a girl-next-door. The first half is fairly good and sets the expectations high.
As predictable as it gets, the second half goes on the beaten track after establishing such a beautiful interval bang. The lovers parting ways and misunderstandings happen between them in most regular way. The conflict and the villain are routine.
However, even in the second half, the film never bores us. It goes in slow and steady manner and ends neatly. Had the second half been treated in a better way, the end result would have been far better.
The film has cute romantic sequences and some fun episodes, but it is paced damn slowly. In the second half, Hari Teja’s narrating the backstory of Aditi is not handled properly.
Although there are right digs at commercial film-making, some dialogues on movie world seem forced as if the director is trying to give apologetic clarification to recent shams in the movie industry which are unnecessary.
It is a decent romantic tale of a movie star and a commoner that is clearly inspired by famous Hollywood movie “Notting Hill’.
All in all, “Sammohanam” makes a decent watch with some good moments, lead pair’s chemistry and music.
Bottom-line: Lives upto its name!
