Santosh Soban and Priya Bhavani Shankar in ‘Kalyanam Kamaniyam’
First writer-director’s relationship drama, third Telugu film to hit the screens for Sankranti Kalyanam Kamaniyam Starring Santosh Soban and Priya Bhavani Shankar, can best be described as vanilla ice cream. Plain and basic. In pre-release interviews, the team had said that the story was reminiscent of real-life situations where there was not much drama with twists and turns. The narrative echoes that sentiment. But if a movie doesn’t make you sympathize or root for the characters, is that enough?
Kalyanam Kamaniyam The protagonist begins with the marriage of Shiva (Santosh Soban) and Shruti (Priya Bhavani Shankar). He is a software engineer and is believed to be a bright student in college and is looking for a job with good skills. Shruti happily takes up the financial responsibility. Shiva is fully aware of his position and targets his father (Kedar Shankar), whom he describes as a home guard without uniform.
Santhosh plays Shiva with poise and displays the character’s happiness and gratitude that he has found an understanding life partner who accepts him as he is. The man-child-like character is written with frequently discovered traits – he loiters around the house when she is away at work, so much so that even the house help doesn’t respect him. And Priya Bhavani Shankar is adequate as Shruti.
Kalyanam Kamaniyam
Cast: Santosh Soban, Priya Bhavani Shankar
Direction: Anil Kumar Alla
Music: Shravan Bhardwaj
Karthik Ghattamaneni’s cinematography and Ravinder’s production design create an aesthetic world for the newly married couple. Anil Kumar Alla cares enough about how a couple with only one earning member can live in an elegantly decorated upper middle class house that looks like it belongs from the pages of an architecture and interiors magazine Is.
A conflict point comes in the form of a creepy co-worker at Shruti’s workplace and slowly, one thing after another, things go wrong for the couple. Small things that Siva neglects in the house such as the tap not being repaired or not watering the plants, which Shruti initially ignores, becomes irritated when marital discord begins. It’s an observation that comes from life-like situations but still, but drama is not enough. The story takes a downturn after the interval, the plot points become very fanciful.
We have no idea what drew Shiva and Shruti together in the first place, the effect of their separation. There are glimpses of Shiva looking at himself in the mirror filled with guilt for failing Shruti. But we are watching, undeterred.
Shruti never thinks to complain against a harasser (Satyam Rajesh as manager Bhushan), a key takeaway in workplace dynamics. In the post #MeToo scenario, it is imperative for corporate offices to have a redressal mechanism for sexual harassment. It is time to at least include this in the stories written by new and emerging directors about the contemporary workplace.
The subplot involving Saptagiri is lame and out of place.
Kalyanam Kamaniyam Trying to tell the story of a young couple who have to deal with uncertainties to strengthen their bond. But the story is boring and the characters are underwritten. The duration of 106 minutes seems too long.