Manu Telugu Movie DVD Released

Great stories are told, great films are made on-screen when the form complements its content adequately. Here's one film, Manu, where the filmmaker is so much in admiration with his story that he leaves no stone unturned to make it a visual extravaganza, to an extent that he is blinded by its drawbacks. Artists are often advised to know where to end their paintings, here's a self-consumed portrait that offers a little too much to swallow in one gallop.

Every frame in Manu reeks of a poetic interpretation in an idyllic backdrop, unveiling a newer dimension to its characters — the colours, the philosophies, the lighting, the artworks and even inanimate objects seem to have a life of their own. The lead characters Manu and Neela are wonderfully etched, nearly every facet of their personality is elaborated upon. The painter Manu tells us that black is his favourite colour as it helps him be an escapist, the photographer Neela meanwhile uses her vocations — embroidery, perfume-making, art- to make up for her loneliness. These characteristics aren't for face value alone, the dots are connected well at the desired moments.

The exchange of thoughts between Manu and Neela is very pristine. You see hope, desolation, solace and love. The filmmaker steers clear of timelines, although suggesting this to be a pre-mobile era. The two communicate through letters, landline calls and gestures. Their world is as metaphorical as it can get, their art and poetry go beyond a mere combination of words and strokes. Locks, keys, scientific formulae too form a part of their association, the detailing is miraculous to be modest. The girl on his birthday presents him gifts that'll please all his five senses. This seems like a poetry in motion (on paper), just that it isn't one.

Manu has a strong story to tell, it's disappointing that it doesn't build on that promise. The execution is top-notch but that translates into indulgence soon. The deep faced-expressions, conversations, spelling out almost everything that the characters think, delay the inevitable beyond necessity. Not much is left for the audience to interpret. The first hour unfolds like a thriller — a series of murders, conversations at a bar with mysterious characters amid limited surroundings. The latter half of the film is more direct than abstract, Manu needed more of such moments. The poetry loses its flavour and even becomes absurd towards the final portions, the three-hour length and a needlessly convoluted narrative don't aid the watching experience.

The editor in Phanindra Narsetti fails the filmmaker in him, a price that a crowd-funded film has to pay, where the lines between passion and indulgence are blurred. The dialogues could have been more direct in critical situations. Otherwise there's no doubt that Goutham and Chandni Chowdary get their career best roles, surrendering well to the filmmaker's vision. Abeeram Verma is a promising find too.

Cinematographer Vishwanath Reddy remains the film's unsung hero, making the most of the lights, nature, art, towering above the production limitations for a film of this scale. Naresh Kumaran's haunting background score is another takeaway, although silence as a trope in the background score could have been utilised better. Manu had all the ingredients to be a rewarding experience, though it falls short of being one.