‘Love Story’ movie review: Sense and sensibility

How does one define respect? Does it lie in adhering to caste norms, or does it lie in creating a safe environment and instilling in a child the confidence to talk when things go awry? Director Sekhar Kammula uses the platform of mainstream entertainment to introspect family audiences.

love story Kammula is all the trappings of the movie. The music (first time composer Pawan Ch) can sweep us off our feet, the strong-willed leading lady dances like a dream and the protagonist is a perfect gentleman. Romance blossoms on the roofs of middle-class houses in Padmarao Nagar, Secunderabad. As the film unfolds in modest settings, without larger-than-life frills, it shows how absorbing a film can be if there is a good script.

In Armur, Telangana, Revanth (Naga Chaitanya) grows up listening to his mother (Iswari Rao) reiterate the importance of earning and living with dignity. She tells him that it is better to be in a situation where you can give financial aid than to receive it. The success story of Revanth is; He runs a small Zumba center in the big city. There are challenges, but he is in a position where he can employ someone.

Shekhar compares this to Maunika (Sai ​​Pallavi), an upper caste girl who comes to the city with dreams in her eyes. Her family owns one acre of land, but she has to fight for her rights – financial and others. He learns that his low scores in engineering will not fetch him a hefty salary. long after happy Days (2007), in which Kammula focuses on engineering complexes, shows us the other side – pushing the keys from dawn to dusk at the computer, instead of adopting his innate penchant for dance to move forward in an engineer’s life. instead of giving. Mounika finds her wings to fly but lives in constant fear of her family rejecting her work. he it’hell’ (hell) And you can sympathize with his plight.

In the city, at least on the surface, there are no ‘us’ and ‘they’ caste differences. Revanth and Mounia can take Zumba and dance classes together and earn a living. However, the cracks in the society are exposed through the story of another couple.

Back in Armoor, there are scenes where Revanth and his mother are seen in an upper caste house. His work is ridiculed and no one thinks twice before giving him a second hand shirt.

Maunika and Revanth’s related baggage from the past runs as an undercurrent to the romance. He is tired of caste inequalities. She too is struggling with something complicated and she has to muster up the courage to raise her voice. She finds solace in the city because she can breathe free, and doesn’t have to look over her shoulders for safety. In a cleverly written scene, she tells Revanth that she will dance on the condition that she always maintains a distance of two feet. We know she is not talking about caste; Something else has injured him.

This is a film where everything comes together in harmony. Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi internalize their parts so well that they harmonize with the characters they play. Chaitanya is natural and with utmost sincerity, emerges victorious in a career-defining role. Sai Pallavi is excellent in conveying the subtle fear of Mounika. Props to Ishwari Rao and a funny cameo from Gangvva. Rajeev Kanakala acts like the embodiment of ego and evil so effectively that I completely hated him.

Old Bridge (Computer Graphics?) To be able to start life anew, Revanth and Maunika also have to cross the bridge amid storms.

love story could have been another Sairat, but Shekhar skillfully takes it in a different direction in the final act. Romance is one of the most sought after genres in commercial cinema and after a point, one tends to view it with cynicism. But it kept me invested; I held my breath, hoping that Revanth and Mounika would overcome the obstacles in their way.