Movie: Manamey
Rating: 2/5
Banner: People Media Factory
Cast: Sharwanand, Krithi Shetty, Vikram Adittya, Seerat Kapoor, Ayesha Khan, Vennela Kishore, Rahul Ravindran, Rahul Ramakrishna, Shiva Kandhukuri, Sudarshan, Sachin Khedekar, Tulasi, and others
Music Director: Hesham Abdul Wahab
DOP: Gnana Shekar V.S, Vishnu Sarma
Editor: Prawin Pudi
Production Designer: Jonny Shaik
Co-Producer: Vivek Kuchibhotla
Producer: T.G. Vishwa Prasad
Story, screenplay, and Direction: Sriram Adittya. T
Release Date: June 07, 2024
Sharwanand's much-awaited family entertainer, Manamey, has generated significant buzz, especially after the release of its theatrical trailer. It promised to be a delightful entertainment.
Let's find out if the film lives up to that promise.
Story:
Vikram (Sharwanand), a student in London, and Subadra (Krithi Shetty), who also works there, both agree to become caretakers for Kushi (Vikram Aditya), a two-year-old child whose parents died in a tragic accident.
Vikram was a close friend of the boy's father, whereas Subadra is a friend of the child's mother. They intend to provide care for the child for a duration of four months, after which the grandparents of Kushi, who reside in India, will assume responsibility.
Is Vikram, a predominantly carefree individual, capable of managing the responsibilities of parenthood? Is Subadra, who is already engaged to another guy, capable of suppressing her romantic emotions for Vikram?
Artistes’ Performances:
Sharwanand takes on an uber-cool persona, and his fun acting is delightful. His playboy antics and scenes with the kid make for some entertaining moments.
Krithi Shetty's convincing performance as a completely different character from her previous films earns her some marks. Her chemistry with Sharwanand is good.
Child star Vikram Adittya is adorable, and Vennela Kishore and Rahul Ramakrishna do routine work. Rahul Ravindran plays a silly role. Both Ayesha Khan and Seerat Kapoor make cameo appearances. There are plenty of actors but none of them make a difference. Shiva Kandukuri as Krithi Shetty’s fiance is okay.
Technical Excellence:
Visually the film has the best treatment. The production values are first class, while the cinematography by Vishnu Sarma and Gnanashekar V.S. standout. The producers have spent a bomb to make the film rich and grand.
Hesham Abdul Wahab's music is a mixed bag. The film features numerous songs, although only a handful of them are moderately effective within the context of the film. Throughout the entire duration, we are continuously getting to hear a multitude of songs, causing us to lose count due to their lack of impact.
The director's insistence appears to have carried too much weight for the editor, as numerous sequences could have been easily cut off. Due to its leisurely tempo and predictable sequences, the 150-minute film appears to have an extended duration. This is a failure on the part of the editor. Sriram Aditya's writing and direction is mediocre.
Highlights:
Rich Visuals
Sharwanand’s uber cool act
Drawback:
Predictability
Entire second half
Dragged on narrative
Superficial emotions
Analysis
Sriram Adittya's new rom-com "Manamey" is more of a family entertainer than a youthful drama, in contrast to his previous films.
The director has clearly established the basic plot point. The main point - Sharwanand and Krithi Shetty are forced to live together and care for their diseased friends' children - was established in the first twenty minutes. This portion is good. But after that, the director fails in a big way in narrating this story in an engaging manner.
Even the so-called fun moments involving Sharwanand's parenting attempts are only mildly entertaining, with a few chuckles sprinkled.
When it is already established that Krithi Shetty was engaged to another person in the first scenes, creating an interval sequence with the same twist appears contrived, and this attempt fails. Furthermore, the proceedings after the intermission put our patience to the test.
The story about the hero and heroine, as well as the heroine's fiance and child, going on an excursion is poorly written and executed.
The introduction of Seerat Kapoor is simply an excuse to include a song. The scenes involving Krithi Shetty and her fiance, including a bathroom situation, are tedious.
Rahul Ravindran and his villainous actions are completely out of sync and uninteresting in the first half.
Except for the main point of two different people being forced to take on parenting responsibilities, it is clear that the director has no idea how to handle this plot further.
Every situation and emotion is forced. The romantic thread is reminiscent of many popular films. The second half goes on and on without providing any engaging moments.
Neither the parental emotions nor the romantic scenes are engaging enough. Thus, the film fails on both counts: family drama and romantic drama.
Overall, despite Sharwanand's fun acting and rich and grand visual setting, "Manamey" is a mediocre effort from director Sriram Adittya, who is unsure how to narrate it in a more engaging manner. A dragged on family-rom-com.
Bottom line: Poor Baby