BOTTOM LINE
Promising First Half, Problematic Second
RATING
2.25/5
Director: Ravi Namburii
Story, Screenplay:Ravi Namburii, Sai Rajesh Neelam
Cast:Kiran Abbavaram, Sri Gouri Priya
Music Director:Mani Sharma
DOP:Viswas Daniel
Editor:Santhosh Naidu
Producer:Sai Rajesh Neelam, Srinivasa Kumar(SKN)
Presented By:SKN, Sai Rajesh Neelam
Production Company:Mass Movie Makers and Amrutha Productions
U.S. Distributor:Prathyangira Cinemas
Related Links: Trailer
What Is the Film About?
Nivi (Sri Gouri Priya) is going through a horrible phase in her life after an unexpected event. Steven Shankar (Kiran Abbavaram) enters her life during those difficult times and slowly but steadily changes her in his own way while simultaneously trying his luck at becoming a filmmaker.
Did Steven Shankar fulfil his dream? What happened to Nivi and Steven Shankar? The answer to these threads forms the movie’s basic storyline.
Performances
Kiran Abbavaram is usually seen in over-the-top fun mode for the most part and then gets into the emotional zone by the end in his films. It is no different here, but when it comes to the fun part, we see a touch of subtlety here that’s previously not seen.
Kiran Abbavaram turns the narrative into a breezy affair with his neat flow, especially during the first half. The small moments work, and the bonding is neatly developed. It could have easily ended in the peachy zone without one noticing, but that’s handled sharply. However, poor characterisation in the second half undoes this good work, a bit. Still, it is an overall satisfying outing for him as an actor.
Sri Gouri Priya, on the other hand, is the emotional anchor and mainstay of the film. She gets a good character, and that helps her leave a mark. There is a neat arc to her role, and she hits all the dramatic beats the character demands convincingly. In the end, again, it’s the content that holds her back more than anything else.
Analysis
Ravi Namburi writes and directs Chennai Love Story. Sai Rajesh of Baby fame provides the story. The movie, as the title makes it clear, is a love story set in Chennai. It is a typical breezy romantic drama, but with a twist.
The movie gets going from the start without wasting any time. The opening sequence sets the tone for what’s to come, and it flows properly, with the heroine proving to be the right anchor to hold things.
The change in the narrative and tone occurs with the hero’s entry. But care is taken to not make the proceedings look abrupt. The sad and serious segments smoothly blend into the fun and happiness spread by the hero. It leads to a breeziness that is essential for rom-coms or romantic dramas to work.
In the mid segment, things are dialled up a notch higher to increase the hero’s impact. The ‘Banisa’ segment is in parts cringe and dips the flow a little, but it doesn’t get to unbearable levels, as it’s neatly punctuated by montage, song, and fun moments.
The pre-interval-to-interval section is the best part of the movie. It’s here that everything comes together properly (The Temple Sequence). The chemistry booms, the montages shine, the emotion flows, and one gets a glimpse of the potential the movie holds if it delivers at the same level going forward. The actual interval involving the ‘incident’ could have been better executed, though.
Post-interval, despite the twist, one kind of understands where things are headed, and it neatly gets there. The emotional outburst is superbly done and sets things up perfectly for the rest of the narrative.
Unfortunately, the narrative misses the mark slowly and steadily from this point. The beginning after the key post-intermission development is fine, but as it moves further, the characterisation of the main character starts to irritate.
The frustration sets in not only for the main character but also for the audience as the narrative progresses. The actions slowly dilute the impact it made in the first half.
Also, the bigger disappointment or annoyance is that the various beats the story goes through seem fine individually. But they don’t come together as a cohesive narrative. It feels as if things have been reverse-engineered, keeping the climax in mind. In short, the team had a climax in mind, but the path to it was unclear. The way they went about it is where Chennai Love Story comes apart.
It is a plot point followed by closure, then another, and so on. It makes the narrative look clunky and formulaic. The emotional blocks that come as closures in between try very hard to bring tears, but when there is no connection, nothing happens.
The entire pre-climax-and-climax stretch, which involves the main character’s realisation, is designed to maximise the emotions, but again, nothing works. The climax feels very long and boring due to the sheer predictability of the whole thing.
Overall, Chennai Love Story has a light and fun first half and a heavy-on-emotions second half with a twist in the middle. The first half works, but unfortunately, it falters in the second half, leaving us with a movie that shows potential, but eventually misses the mark.
Performances by Other Actors
Apart from the main leads, the rest of the characters are mostly used for fun. None in particular stands out or has a worthwhile role to talk about. The actor playing Ajay could have had something to talk about, but it turns out to be a one-note, half-baked part used only to take the narrative its formulaic course.
Music and Other Departments?
Mani Sharma’s music and background score are good. The songs might not have made an impact as stand-alone tracks, but they blend neatly into the proceedings and, along with the background score, enhance the appeal and emotions.
The cinematography is neat, and the movie maintains a consistent polished look throughout. The editing in the first half is smooth, but it isn’t the same in the latter half. It makes the screenplay look patchy. The movie is close to three hours, but the first half never feels tiring, whereas the second half does. The writing is alright.
Production values from Mass Movie Makers and Amrutha Productions are quite neat and polished for a simple love story.
Highlights?
First Half
Lead Pair In First Half
Sri Gouri Priya
Drawbacks?
Last Hour
Main Track During The Second Half
No Emotional Connection
Screenplay (During Second Half)
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, the first half was enjoyable, but the narrative takes a different turn in the second half and doesn’t recover.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, mainly for the first half and if one is willing to keep the expectations really low during the second half.
Chennai Love Story Movie Reviewed by Kalyan
