BOTTOM LINE
Fun Okay, Emotions Not Okay
RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 35m
What Is the Film About?
Manamey follows a tried-and-tested formulaic template story in which Vikram (Sharwanand) and Shubhadra (Krithi Shetty) agree to be the caretakers of their friends’ child who lost his parents. The core story of Manamey revolves around how they eventually fall in love and how this child becomes a part of their lives.
Performances
Firstly, Sharwanand looks superbly fit and at ease throughout the film. He carries a flamboyant body language, and his performance elevates even the routine scenes. The styling is also very good, including the costumes chosen for him, which match the slick and urban appeal the visuals generate.
There are no complaints when it comes to Sharwanand’s performance; he absolutely delivers what’s required and what’s given to him.
Krithi Shetty looks gorgeous, and her performance is also neat. However, there isn’t much that will stick in our heads once we leave the theater, which is more to do with the way her role is written.
Seerat Kapoor gets to play an absolutely trashy role, and it only irritates for the brief time she appears on screen.
Shiva Kandukuri, who is a hero himself, plays a role in the film. He looks good on screen, but the writing of his role lacks impact.
Analysis
Manamey is directed by Sriram Adittya, who previously directed Ashok Galla’s debut film, ‘Hero’. For Manamey, he chose a predictable, formulaic plot that required fresh treatment and presentation, achieving only partial success.
The first half of Manamey offers a breezy experience with sharp jokes mainly delivered by Sharwa’s character, and its visually rich appeal adds value, despite lacking originality.
The villain track, played by Rahul Ravindran, seems silly, and a fight scene involving a car chase resembles a low-quality video game.
However, thanks to good casting and stylish, slick visuals, the first half is easily enjoyable even though everything looks familiar.
For a film like Manamey to succeed, the second half is crucial, where it needs to deliver emotions in the right doses. This is where director Sriram Adittya disappoints.
The second half features tedious sequences, such as an air balloon ride for a child, and Seerat Kapoor’s role introduces extreme boredom. Furthermore, there is some extremely silly writing related to Sharwa’s character working on a thesis, etc. These ideas are extremely poor, and even the critical pre-climax block, where Sharwa tries to take the child from grandparents, is unintentionally funny. The fact that crucial scenes intended to evoke emotion instead provoke laughter shows how weak the writing is.
In short, Sriram Adittya lacks the conviction on how to balance the emotions between the child’s storyline and the lead pair’s love track. Without this balance, Manamey fails to deliver in the second half.
The only saving grace is the intermittent fun that works sporadically. Director Sriram Adittya needs someone to oversee his work, as it is not the first time he has shown promise but failed to deliver, despite the issues being obvious and clear.
Overall, “Manamey” offers a fun, lighthearted first half with rich visual appeal but disappoints in the second half with weak emotions, despite Sharwa’s fine effort.
Performances by Others Actors
Manamey features a whole bunch of well-known supporting cast, and they deliver their roles, except for Rahul Ravindran, who seems miscast for his role, which is written in a silly manner. Vennela Kishore plays a very brief one-scene role, while Rahul Ramakrishna appears more frequently but adds no value. Comedian Sudharshan looks a bit different and plays a subtle role instead of his usual over-the-top acting.
Additionally, there are a couple of senior artists who give their usual performances, including senior actress Tulasi.
Music and Other Departments?
Hesham Abdul Wahab composes the music. Although a couple of songs look good on screen because of the stylish choreography and visual appeal, none of them stay with us after we leave the theater. However, his background score is decent. A film like Manamey should at least have a couple of chartbusters, and Hesham fails to deliver in that aspect.
Manamey has rich visuals; every single scene looks slick and polished, and credit goes to cinematographers Nana Shekar V.S., Vishnu Sarma, along with the art director Jonny Shaik.
Prawin Pudi’s editing could have been better, especially in the second half, which is filled with plenty of boring blocks that are easily identifiable.
The production values by People Media Factory are very good; the film looks visually lavish from start to finish.
Highlights?
Sharwanand
Visual richness
Cracking jokes
Drawbacks?
Second half
Poor drama
Ineffective comedic villain
Need better songs
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, Partially
Will You Recommend It?
Not much
Manamey Movie Review by M9
Final Report:
After a breezy first half, the director fails to elevate the emotional quotient in the second half. However, intermittent fun keeps coming, and Sharwa’s energy levels help throughout, making “Manamey” a passable watch in the end. More in our detailed review soon.
First Half Report:
The first half of “Manamey” is decent, though it runs in a familiar zone. A bit of emotion mixed with humor, along with Sharwa’s energy, makes it a decent watch so far. We have to see if the second half takes it a step higher to make it a fully satisfying watch.
‘Manamey’ started in London with a peppy mood. Stay tuned for the first half report.
Stay tuned for Manamey movie Review, U.S.A. Premiere Report.
Cast: Sharwanand, Krithi Shetty, Vikram Adittya, Seerat Kapoor, Ayesha Khan, Vennela Kishore, Rahul Ravindran, Rahul Ramakrishna, Shiva Kandhukuri, Sudharshan
Story Screenplay Direction: SRIRAM ADITTYA T
Producer: T.G VISHWA PRASAD
Co Producer: VIVEK KUCHIBHOTLA
Music: HESHAM ABDUL WAHAB
Cinematography: GNANA SHEKAR V.S, VISHNU SARMA,
Editor: PRAWIN PUDI
Art Director: JONNY SHAIK
Executive Producers: KRITHI PRASAD, PHANI K VARMA
Associate Producer: EDIDA RAJA
Production: PEOPLE MEDIA FACTORY
