Baby Review – Imperfectly Perfect Baby

BOTTOM LINE
Imperfectly Perfect Baby

OUR RATING
2.75/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 57m

What Is the Film About?

Anand (Anand Deverakonda) and Vaishnavi (Vaishnavi Chaitanya) study in the same school and are from poor backgrounds. Vaishnavi loves Anand, and he reciprocates eventually. The two continue to stay in love ever since.

A few years later, Vaishnavi joins an Engineering college, and Anand becomes an auto driver. How does life change Vaishnavi? Who is Viraj, and what is his love story with Vaishnavi? The movie’s premise is the culmination of this triangle love story.

Performances

Anand Deverakonda, Vaishnavi Chaitanya and Viraj Ashwin are the primary characters running the show. The former two, especially, deliver a power-packed performance.

It can be said, without any doubt, that Baby is the career-best performance of Anand Deverakonda. He lives in the character of Anand. It is also a case of perfect casting, which aids him to the fullest. His looks, body language and air of earnestness make him the apt choice for the part.

Multiple scenes in the second half show the dramatic skills of Anand Deverakonda. The one’s around the pre-climax and climax are, without any doubt, the most impressive and heart-touching.

Vaishnavi Chaitanya has a better character arc and role in Baby than many heroines we usually see. She seizes the opportunity and delivers a memorable performance. Getting used to body language initially takes time, but things settle down smoothly later. A minor issue is her body language while drunk and talking tough during those moments. It looks a little forced.

Viraj Ashwin is the third cog in the wheel. His styling is good, and has moments to shine. However, the confusion wrt his character’s actions sometimes doesn’t let him rise above the given material.

Analysis

Sai Rajesh directs Baby. It is an age-old love story involving class differences mixed with another relatively old Tamil cinema’s realistically mounted love story tropes. The cocktail then has a dash of modern touch to make things palpable for the current generation.

The opening sets the ball rolling with the lead protagonist lying roadside on streets covered in dirt and mud with a messy look and drunk. The whole thing instantly recalls the Tamil cinema realism tropes mentioned earlier.

Soon, the movie takes us back in time via a beautifully cut montage of ‘O Rendu Prema Meghaalila’. It builds the love story beautifully and simultaneously adds a nostalgic value. The song and its BGM take care of the narrative for almost half an hour as it punctuates the proceedings.

The real story starts when Vaishnavi enters college and gets a mobile phone later. The way the phone is integrated into the narrative and plays a crucial role in character development is well done.

The transformation of Vaishnavi’s character takes care of the entire first half. In between, she has a few romantic scenes and struggles with genuine love, Anand. As a result, the narrative is stretched, and the predictable moments in these tend to drag the tale.

But, the unconventional romantic moments keep getting thrown up from time to time. It is escalated around the pre-interval and interval block when some foul language comes into play. A feeling of unevenness and weariness prevails at the end of the first half, but one still looks forward to the second.

Comparatively, the second half is better than the first. The narrative is more smooth, and it is packed with drama. Some of it might look overstretched, and some overdone, but the sincerity and genuineness behind them can’t be missed.

The last hour, in particular, is a nonstop emotional ride. However, some silly (execution and character choice-wise) moments appear before those heavy dramatic moments, taking a little sheen away.

By the time one reaches the end, it feels like an eternity. The drama goes on and on, but as things have been set up that way, everything seems fit coming together.

The ending is sure to move even a stone-hearted guy. But the catch is that one has to connect with the content. If one isn’t, the whole thing might appear as overblown melodrama.

Overall, Baby has its heart in the right place and honesty scores there. The length is a primary issue as it tires one down, but the performances and emotional end of the movie offer a moving experience making it a decent one-time watch.

Performances by Others Actors

The supporting actors are many, but none have a fully developed role like the three main leads. Each has a small part to do in the larger picture, but besides those moments, they seem non-existent. Nagababu and Seetha characters are the primary examples. They do their parts well but could have been better utilised in the narrative. Harsha has a small but vital role and delivers it in his style. The rest of the actors are okay.

Music and Other Departments?

Vijay Bulganin’s music is a major highlight of the movie. A couple of songs are excellent, but how they are shot and integrated with the narrative makes them stand out. MN Balreddy’s cinematography is alright. The focus is more on the expressions than the background, which helps a few moments. But, the visuals give an impression of trying hard. The dialogues are neat and enhance the impact (either in a desired or undesired way)

Highlights?

Vaishnavi and Anand Deverakonda

Vijay Bulganin’s Music & BGM

Few Emotional Scenes

Drawbacks?

Length

Predictable Tropes

Some Silly Moments/Choices

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, for youth love drama fans

Baby Telugu Movie Review by M9News

Live Updates

Final Report:

Baby’s second half has momentary silliness that leads to an intense drama with good performances. It’s not for everyone, but to whom it works, it’s decent watch. Length is an issue, but honest making shines. Give it a try.

First Half Report:

Baby is a character driven dramatic love story with a slow, but mostly engaging first half. There are parts that drag but unconventional romantic portions make up when they arrive and hold interest. The second half is the key now.

— Baby begins with a powerful visual of Anand, heartbroken and in love. It quickly transitions into a flashback. Stay tuned for the first half report.

Baby U.S. Premiere will begin shortly. Stay tuned for the report and review.

Cast: Anand Deverakonda, Vaishnavi Chaitanya, Viraj Ashwin, Nagababu,Lirisha, Kusuma Degalamarri, Sathvik Anand, Babloo, Seetha, Mounika, Keerthana and Others

Written and Directed by: Sai Rajesh

Produced by: SKN

Music: Vijay Bulganin

Dop: M N Balreddy

Editor: Viplav Nyshadam

Art: Suresh Bhimigani

Banner: Mass Movie Makers