Movie: Lover
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Sri Venkateshwara Creations
Cast: Raj Tarun, Riddhi Kumar, Ajay, Sachin Khedekar, Rajeev Kanakala and others
Music: Ankit Tiwari, Arko, Rishi Rich & Ajay Vas, Sai Karthik, Tanishk Bagchi
Cinematography: Sameer Reddy
Editor: Prawin Pudi
Art Director: A S Prakash
Producer: Harshith Reddy
Written and directed by: Annish Krishna
Release date: July 20, 2018
Director Aneesh Krishna won good name with his debut movie 'Ala Ela', a simple but effectively told romantic drama. When he teamed up with Raj Tarun for Dil Raju’s banner, movie lovers started having hopes on this combination.
Though the trailer didn’t seem promising, the makers claimed that it would appeal to all. So, does it?
Story:
Raj (Raj Tarun), a bike designer who modifies bikes, lives in Ananthapur with his brother (Rajeev Kanakala). He falls in love with a Malayalee nurse Charita (Riddhi Kumar) who works in a government hospital.
Charita finds that something fishy is happening at her hospital with blood and organ donor lists, this lands her in trouble.
How Raj rescues her and wins his love forms the story.
Artistes’ Performances:
Raj Tarun as a bike designer and a lover has played in his regular style. But he has tried to look different. There is nothing new in his acting here except mouthing dialogues in Rayalaseema accent occasionally. Riddhima Kumar as Malayali girl is beautiful and has done neat job.
Sachin Khedkar appears for brief moments, Ajay has outdated characterization and Rajeev Kanakala plays brother role in his typical manner.
Technical Excellence:
The film has good cinematography with cinematographer Sameer Reddy showing his form. He has shot locations of Ananthapur, Gandikota (Kadapa district) and Alleppy beautifully.
The film has music by different composers as each song is composed by a different music director and the songs are catchy. A music bit that keeps coming throughout is good.
Editing is okay. Artwork is decent. Production values are neat.
Highlights:
Cinematography and visuals
Couple of songs
Drawback:
Routine narration
Boring screenplay
Formulaic conflict
Analysis:
A hero living with his brother as his parents die in his childhood and treating his brother as father figure is such an outdated line. A hero falling for beauty and the beauty falling in trouble when she notices some illegal activity happening at her work place is even more formulaic line. Aneesh Krishna’s Raj Tarun starrer “Lover” is all about these two points.
First half of the movie drives on hero charmed by the Malayalee nurse and he trying all ways to impress her with ideas from his friends. Two good songs and many formulaic scenes later, the film comes to the interval point that heroine is going to land in trouble. The first half runs on predictable way and tests patience.
Post-interval, the film reveals the problem that heroine is facing and why ‘villain’ is after this heroine and other things. The reason why villain is after a small girl that heroine has kept in hiding lacks novelty. Thus both the first half and the second half doesn’t excite in any way though songs like “Chilipik Kala” and “Adbutham” make proceedings better to some point.
The hero’s occupation – bike designer – is effectively linked to the climax portions. But the conflict between hero and villain is not handled well.
The film lacks exciting moments. Riddhi Kumar’s innocent face, good songs and cinematography are worth talking about in this regular love story with formulaic scenes. To come out from his thick Godavari-accent, Raj Tarun has used Seema slang. He is looking good compared to his recent movies but this old plot doesn’t help him.
Overall, Raj Tarun’s “Lover” falls in the category of ‘been there, done that’. Except songs, the proceedings don’t connect with youth audiences. It’s a damp squib.
Bottom-line: Endha Chato!