Movie: Love Reddy
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Anjan Ramachendra, Shravani Krishnaveni, Ganesh, Tilak, Jyothi, and others
Music: Prince Henry
DOP: K Shiva Sankar Vara Prasad, Mohan Chary, Ashkar Ali
Editing: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Art: B. S. Ramesh Kumar
Producers: Sunanda, Hemalatha Reddy, Ravinder G, Madan Gopal Reddy, Nagaraj Birappa
Written and Directed by: Smaran Reddy
Release Date: Oct 18, 2024
This week, there are no major or notable films at the box office. Among the lineup of smaller films, Love Reddy appeared promising, particularly because it is being distributed by the leading production house Mythri Movie Makers.
Let's examine its strengths and weaknesses.
Story:
The film, set in the border region of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, tells the love story of Narayana Reddy and Divya.
Divya (Shravani Krishnaveni) is a government official, while Narayana Reddy, who works at a textile factory in Bengaluru, goes through numerous pelli choopulu (matchmaking meetings), none of which appeal to him. Upon seeing Divya at a bus station, he instantly falls in love with her.
Narayana Reddy follows her, and Divya eventually begins to show signs that she likes him as well. However, he refrains from expressing his feelings, assuming she has already understood his emotions.
One day, he learns that Divya has gotten engaged to someone else. Narayana Reddy unintentionally disrupts the engagement. His parents then question him about whether Divya truly loves him. As he approaches her to find out, a surprising twist awaits him.
Artistes’ Performances:
Despite being a newcomer, Anjan Ramachendra displays a natural ease in his acting and delivers his role competently. Initially, his dialogue delivery in the Kannada-Telugu slang may be difficult to understand.
Shravani Krishnaveni perfectly embodies the qualities of a traditional Telugu village girl, making her a good fit for the role. However, other actors lack professional acting qualities. The actor playing Shravani's father, however, performs better.
Technical Excellence:
The film features two standout songs composed by Prince Henry—one sung by Sid Sriram and the other by Kailash Kher.
The cinematography and production values are minimal, while the writing remains fairly basic.
Highlights:
The last 20 minutes
Two songs
Drawback:
Boring first half
Basic writing
Most part looks amateurish
Analysis
Movie titles featuring caste references, such as "George Reddy," "Arjun Reddy," and others, have become quite trendy lately. The title "Love Reddy" piqued interest for the same reason.
The film's protagonist is named Narayana Reddy, and after he falls in love with a girl, his family and friends affectionately start calling him 'Love Reddy.' That's the story behind the title.
Beyond the title, the setting and dialogue stand out, as the narrative takes place in the Chikkaballapur (Karnataka) and Madanapalle (Andhra Pradesh) regions, with local dialects infused into the conversations.
For instance, in Telangana, girls are referred to as "pilla" or "pori," while in Andhra, they are called "ammayi," "pilla," or "papa." However, in this film, girls are addressed as 'bidda,' and when the hero says "aa biddani premistunna," it takes a moment to catch on.
Aside from the setting and dialect, the rest of the narration follows a familiar formula. It's the typical story of a boy falling in love, mostly one-sided and opposed by the girl's father.
The only fresh elements in this otherwise routine plot are the handling of the last 20-30 minutes and the unexpected ending.
While the first half of the film feels amateurish and unengaging, the second half improves significantly. The story picks up when the hero confronts the girl to understand her true feelings about him, making it more compelling. However, the ending leaves mixed emotions, particularly regarding the sudden shift in the villain’s character, who becomes unreasonably adamant and cruel.
Overall, "Love Reddy" offers two decent songs and a gripping last 20 minutes, but it lacks a strong, convincing narrative. Though the makers claim it’s based on a true incident, the ending leaves the audience with mixed feelings.
Bottom line: Not Effective