Romantic Telugu HD Released

 

Debutant Anil Paduri might have directed Romantic but with Puri Jagannadh at the helm with story, screenplay and dialogues, it’s hard not to miss the whiff of the latter’s trademark touches. There are warring gangster clans, there’s lust, sunrises and sunsets captured in a scenic Goa, a hero who doesn’t understand consent, a heroine who will of course fall for him, you know the list by now. But is that enough to make this work?

Vasco De Gama Alberto (Akash Puri) is a 21-year-old with a heart of gold that oscillates between stone-cold when he kills fellow gangsters and warm when he sets up money to build houses for the downtrodden. Monica (Ketika Sharma) is the jaw-droppingly stunning girl he lusts after, touches without her consent and continues to harass whenever he sees her. We’re of course shown the girl is somehow okay with all this because she never complains to her brother, a policeman called John (Uttej) when she could easily land him behind bars. Even if she’s blind in love/lust with this young gangster, ACP Ramya Gowariker (Ramya Krishnan) is here to not just put him behind bars but also to narrate the tale of these star-crossed lovers.

A lot of things happen in Romantic to set up Vasco as the hero we are to root for. He starts out as the son of a slain police officer who takes up wayward ways for survival. Soon takes up a vacuum that’s left in the world of gangsters, ripe for him to take the place. Also becomes a kingpin in the world of smuggling, pulling the carpet from under Samsung (Makarand Deshpande), the gangster who was on top till then. Then remembers he’s supposed to be lusting after Monica, who conveniently returns back to town to be groped. And none of this is a spoiler because you’ve all seen these tracks in various Puri films before. None-the-less you persevere because Akash and Ketika, not to mention Ramya, try and give it their all. Not to mention, you don’t really feel bored even if you aren’t fully engaged either.

iSmart Shankar aka Ram Pothieni and Puri himself make a cameo in a song, much to everyone’s delight in the cinema hall. The more risqué dialogues penned by the director, filled with double entendre, also elicit hoots. So do the punch dialogues. Sunil Kashyap’s music and BGM sets the tone of the film, with all songs thankfully following a certain sound that suits the film. Cinematography by Naresh Rama also captures the beautiful golden glow, especially in the climax. While too much time is set on building up the world Vasco resides in with his best friend Annie and grandmother Mary, him and Monica lit the screen on fire when they finally find some time alone by the beach. It's one of the film's best shot scenes, forming magic with the cinematography, dialogues, direction and actors. The tragedy lies in the fact that this gangster never truly has time for love, because someone is always on his heels.

Akash and Ketika shoulder a film that truly has nothing new to tell. It’s their performances that keep you hooked, apart from the technical department. Ramya Krishnan is stellar as usual, so is Uttej. Makarand oscillates between being hilariously bad and stunningly mad. The actress who plays Annie is a delight. Lyrics like ‘if you’re mad, I’m your dad’ in a romantic number might get on your nerves but the film manages to sail through. By the time the climax rolls around, Anil and Puri make it clear that at the core of it all Romantic is a love story. Why then the film doesn’t take out enough time to set up their love that goes beyond lust is hard to guess. This really remains the film’s biggest drawback. The climax surprises you, both due to the way it all ends and the performances of everyone involved. This is Puri's version of Romeo and Juliet.

Romantic is a like a comforting bowl of warm soup if you’ve missed Puri in his element, even if he’s not the one who directed this film. It’s like a thorn on your side if you wish new filmmakers like Anil would move beyond these tried-and-tested tropes to tell fresh and unique stories. Make your choice.