Movie: Premalu
Rating: 2.75/5
Cast: Naslen K Gafoor, Mathew Thomas, Mamitha Baiju, Shyam Mohan, Sangeeth Pratap
Music: Vishnu Vijay
DOP: Ajmal Sabu
Editor: Akash Joseph Varghese
Producers: Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, Syam Pushkaran
Directed by: Girish A.D
Release Date: March 08, 2024
This is the film that has captured the attention of the young audience in recent times, as it has already made an impact by scoring a hit in Malayalam last month.
The dubbed version has arrived today, so let us explore its merits and demerits.
Story:
Sachin (Naslen K Gafoor) is an engineering graduate who aspires to further his career in the UK and is bored with his hometown and the family's bakery business to the extent that he seeks an escape from it.
Upon the suggestion of his friend Amul (Sangeeth Prathap), Sachin temporarily relocates to Hyderabad, where he encounters Reenu (Mamitha Baiju), an IT professional, and develops feelings for her.
However, Aadhi (Shyam Mohan), a senior colleague at the company, also expresses interest in Reenu.
As Sachin and Reenu form a friendship, events unfold toward the conclusion that shapes the narrative.
Artists' Performances:
Naslen and Sangeeth Prathap steal the show with their innocent yet hilarious characterizations.
Among the female actors, Mamitha Baiju and Akhila Bhargavan are a delight to watch, with Mamitha Baiju delivering the standout performance.
Meenakshi Raveendran, portraying the role of Wanderlust, appears sporadically but manages to evoke laughter with her concert at a wedding towards the end.
The performances of the other characters are satisfactory.
Technical Excellence:
The music is adequate, and the lyrics are presented in both Telugu and Malayalam. The songs are also handled with a lighter touch, although there was potential for focusing more on melodious and romantic numbers to create musical hits.
Both the cinematography and editing receive no complaints, as they have delivered their best.
Highlights:
Lighter vein narrative
Engaging performances
Drawback:
Cliched story
Predictable climax
Analysis:
Generally, a film that is successful in one industry is obviously treated with a positive reception by the audience of the other industries on the first day.
'Premalu' is a film made with a modest budget of Rs 3 Cr but caught the attention of the young Telugu audience for two reasons. One, it has become a blockbuster hit in the Malayalam version and made a gross collection of Rs 85 Cr as claimed by the makers, and the other reason is that it is originally made in Hyderabad with regional nativity.
But as the film starts and runs for about 20 minutes, it appears why this film scored such a blockbuster and would this film be treated with the same reception had any Telugu makers done this in the same fashion in the first place.
The storyline is mundane and gives a déjà vu feeling of having watched it many times before. The best part of the film is that it is made in a lighter vein throughout, adding no burdensome aspects for the audience. It is hilarious at times, though not a heavy laugh riot.
It's a passable entertainer but can't be eulogized for its content, keeping in mind that it had made a huge collection in the Malayalam version.
Generally, the films targeted for the youth come up with catchy songs and engaging music. That's lacking in this film.
Malayalam filmmakers are generally respected for their intelligent scriptwriting and gripping narratives. But this is not of that class. This is a generally formulaic story that even Telugu films were released in this fashion many times earlier.
The positive aspect of the film is that it is watchable by all sets of audience with no vulgarity or obscenity anywhere. Of course, some dialogues suggest vulgarity but are not vulgar. All new faces in the film slowly become acquainted with the audience and they all have delivered engaging performances.
There are no dull moments in the film, though the flow goes on in predictable lines. There are not many twists and turns in the narrative, but the dialogues bring in some laughs here and there.
The entire narrative, including the climax, appears cliched and stands between a children's film and a teen's film. It's a comedy entertainer that can be enjoyed to an extent with like-minded viewers of the same age group.
Bottom Line: Teen Entertainer