24 kisses

This week's release 24 Kisses is a classic case of how a filmmaker shouldn't approach a story. This Ayodhya Kumar Krishnamsetty-directorial comes five years after his first award-winning film Minugurulu and the rustiness of the filmmaker shows. He catches you by surprise with the premise he's dealing with-of the ups and downs in a relationship between two equals and how the number of kisses they share drives their saga. Well, it would have been simpler to tolerate 24 Kisses had the director stuck to this initial idea. 24 Kisses is a mess because it tries to do a lot, delves into multiple subplots that discuss marriage, social activism, psychiatry, filmmaking and doesn't do justice to any of them.

A lot in 24 Kisses seemingly has autobiographical references to the incidents in the director's life. Meet the male protagonist Anand Kumar (Adith Arun) who's a socially conscious filmmaker specialising in making children-centric films. His films garner critical acclaim but don't get the moolah at the ticket window. He's advised to make projects with better commercial prospects; however he isn't willing to budge.

Amid this conundrum, Anand meets Sri Lakshmi (Hebah Patel), a filmmaking student. The two hit it off as a couple, the 'bodily excitement' (yes, that's the word the girl uses) of a kiss intrigues the girl. She reads from a book that 24 kisses seal the foundation for a solid relationship, but the road ahead doesn't seem easy for the two. Anand's rebellious nature, commitment phobia and inability to fit into a society appear to be major roadblocks for the same.

The better side of 24 Kisses is the subtlety with which it discusses about the physical needs in relationships; Ayodhya Kumar appears to be the rare Telugu filmmaker who doesn't resort to crassness in this zone. The interactions between the psychiatrist Murthy (Rao Ramesh) and Anand come with interesting slice-of-life humour. However, this thread is ailed by monotony soon.

This is a film that should've been a lot about Anand's personal transformation. The director dilutes his character arc by weaving in a sob- flashback thread discussing the character's need to make films about children. There are too many conflict points to resolve, including a brawl at the bar. The emphasis on the number of kisses becomes trivial beyond a point. The film, as it progresses, appears to be as indecisive and confusing as its lead character. There are flashes of brilliance in the writing but nothing comes together.

If there's any ray of hope in the proceedings, it's Adith Arun's performance, he tries to bring in a relatability to a wavering character. Hebah Patel and Rao Ramesh get meaty roles, though their characterisation leaves a lot to be desired. An interesting story that's needlessly complicated, 24 Kisses misses the bus.