Krithi Shetty and Sharwanand in ‘Maname’
First the good things. Sharwanand, who is often cast in roles that require him to be restrained, lets loose and has fun this time. The actor is at his best in this Telugu romantic comedy. MindWhile director Sriram Aditya has presented him as a child who doesn’t want to grow up. In a typical case of adversity, he is sidelined by the mature and responsible female lead, played by Krithi Shetty. The film is based on a predictable plot, is aware of its limitations, and makes its narrative smooth and entertaining. Some funny lines around Sharwanand’s character work but after a point, fatigue sets in. Hello NanaThis is another musical masterpiece from Hesham Abdul Wahab, but his tunes fail to make up for its lackluster writing.
In the opening scene, Vikram (Sharwanand) approaches a woman and compliments her good looks, asking if her father is a painter. You get the idea. Such talk comes across as more cheesy than charming but Vikram has a way with women; he is happy not to be tied down by relationships and responsibilities. Things change when his best friend Anurag and his wife Swati die in an accident, leaving behind their two-year-old son. The boy takes a liking to Vikram, but he doesn’t want to take on any responsibility. A friend of Swati, Subhadra (Krithi Shetty), arrives at about the same time. In a dramatic turn of events, Vikram and Subhadra are asked to temporarily care for the baby. Meanwhile, Subhadra hopes to convince her fiancé Karthik (Shiva Kandukuri) to adopt the baby.
Maname (Telugu)
Director: Sriram Aditya
Cast: Sharwanand, Krithi Shetty
Plot: When two contrasting people come together to temporarily care for their friend’s son, romance blossoms.
After that, everything follows a predetermined rhythm. The fun comes from the platitudes given to Vikram, who is torn between love for his childhood friend and correcting his reckless behaviour when he is suddenly asked to raise a child. His happy-go-lucky lifestyle, flirting with women and drinking beer and spirits takes a lot of time, and soon it all becomes repetitive. He says it takes a village to raise a child and Vikram and Subhadra bicker over daily chores. To add a tinge of humour to their encounters, other characters like Vennela Kishore as the paediatrician and Rahul Ramakrishna as Vikram’s Man Friday also join in.
Most of the story takes place in London and almost all the important characters come from the affluent section of the social scale. The designer aesthetic extends from homes that are from architecture and design magazines to clothes that make style statements. Vikram and Subhadra come from affluent backgrounds and that reflects in their lifestyle. But the house that Vikram’s friends leave behind is nothing short of a dream house. There’s nothing wrong with watching a romantic comedy in a luxurious setting, but I kept wondering if young restaurant owners in London would be able to afford such a house. Never mind.
for the most part, Mind It is a light-hearted entertaining film, but it fails to hit the right note when it brings in a villain (played by Rahul Ravindran). The part is poorly written. A business rival of Vikram’s friend, he tries to kidnap and kill the child time and again! First introduced as a monster, it’s funny how he is cut down to size and nowhere to be seen later.
The drama revolving around Vikram, Subhadra and Karthik in the later portions is reminiscent of hundreds of romantic comedies we have already seen. The emotional weight comes from Vikram’s conversations with his parents and while some universal truths are told, at least some of us want to call our parents and talk. The film could have been given a few more such moments to give it some gravitas.
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music is a lifeline Mind But at times, the background score pre-empts every move and amps up the emotions without stopping. Occasional moments of silence don’t hurt either. In any case, his tunes can’t compensate for his dull writing.
