Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi

The movie, Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi, begins in the UK where the duo goes to pursue higher education and it is obvious that all is not well.

What works for the movie is the effort to underscore the message that true love triumphs all odds and other relationships that come and go in between. While most of the scenes are relatable, and the tension is kept genuine and natural, while adhering to the main theme. The film’s story, which is kind of predictable, revolves around Sanjay (Naga Shaurya) and Anupama (Malvika Nair) at various stages of their life.

Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi Movie Review: Critics Rating: 3.0 stars, click to give your rating/review,The film rests on Naga Shaurya and Malvika Nair's ...

But occasionally, you just crave a comforting bowl of muddapappu avakai – which is what PAPA is. Sure, a song at the beginning (Kafeefi) comes across as juvenile – but then, so are these characters at that stage of their lives. The rest of the cast (including Srinivas Avasarala) fare well. The only question that remains is – will they wind up together – and Srinivas makes the journey delightful for the most part. He especially makes your heart tug at the fag end of the film when he lets himself be vulnerable. It’s hard not to relate to it because if you’ve ever fallen in love, you know what it’s like to feel the sweet pang of longing. PAPA is the kind of film that you’ll either love or hate. Neither the couple nor Srinivas are in a hurry to put a tag there. The narrative is non-linear, so when this tale begins, we kind of already know that things have gone wrong. In a poignant scene, Sanjay and Anupama look back at the people they were and let the silence speak more than their words. We follow their lives as they go from being fresh faced and innocent to looking haggard and sitting quietly in the ruins of what once was. He takes us on a journey – years where they grow up together, sometimes grow apart, but with a love that never seems to wane.

Srinivas Avasarala, the actor-director, has previously directed two successful romantic dramas, Oohalu Gusagusalade and Achyutananda.

Everything that happens in the second half is a complete mess. The cinematography is striking. The music is pleasant. Naga Shaurya's portrayal of the confused youngster is sincere. He does not, however, visit her in the hospital when she is admitted due to illness. The story is divided into chapters.

Srinivas Avasarala's third directorial has a free-spirited vibe and earnest performances but can't rise above its over-simplistic plot.

The film doesn’t have the cushion of falling back on commercial ingredients (of a regular fare) and demands the director to be very aware of their craft. Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi is an intimate, personal romance where the realism in the treatment isn’t backed by a substantial plot and meaty characters. Naga Shaurya and Malvika Nair stay true to the film’s understated ambience but it’s hard to be moved by the plight of their characters. The director doesn’t spell out the obvious, leaves aspects to the viewer’s imagination and keeps his setup compact with a limited bunch of characters. The narrative gaps interest you more than what unfolds on the screen and the conflicts are too dull for the film to wake up from its slumber. The story, revolving around the highs and lows in a relationship of two college buddies, is intentionally generic.

Writer-director Srinivas Avasarala ventures into a niche zone and succeeds to an extent with Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi, helped by Malvika Nair and Naga ...

This is a musical film of a more subtle kind and Kalyani Malik delivers it in an inimitable style, presenting signature melodies that he is known for, and pushing it further to accentuate the tension in the romance. Sunil Kumar’s cinematography and the use of sync sound aids in the realistic presentation. In the Sanjay-Anupama story, the third character is introduced at an earlier stage (Avasarala himself donning a character named Giri) though he becomes significant only much later. When the two opt for a live-in relationship in London, again the story does not make a big deal of it. The story does not dwell on it since it is not perceived to be a big deal. The non-linear screenplay leaves a few questions unanswered in different chapters, to return to it later.