Movie: Lover
Cast: Raj Tarun, Riddhi Kumar, Sachin Khedekar, Rajeev Kanakala
Direction: Annish Krishna
The trailer of Lover promised to be a beguiling and humorous love story showing how Raj (Raj Tarun), a custom bike builder finds his suitable romantic partner in Charita (Riddhi Kumar), a Malayali nurse and doesn’t want to lose her, no matter what. But when you walk into the theatre with a certain level of expectation, the film offers really little that’s original. The audience has seen such stories devoid of novelty and offers nothing spectacular many a time.
After his debut film Ala Ela (2014), director Annish Krishna took four years to come up with this film that’s beyond belief, replete with cliches and predictable story that unfurls in an old-fashioned way. Sample this, the protagonist, an orphan, lives with his brother’s family, his love interest, who comes from an Alleppey-based affluent family, but works in Anantapur’s government hospital as a nurse, doesn’t acknowledge her feelings and lands in trouble before intermission.
These portions don’t have the depth enough to hold the first hour. The film tries to come into its own after the interval when the action shifts to Kerala, unravelling the conspiracy behind Charita’s story. But it doesn’t quite carry the interest thus becoming too indulgent and sluggish. Although Raj’s profession during the climax was smartly connected, the conflict between the good and the bad looks implausible. The director seems to have lacked focus on the proceedings and made it a farrago of trite emotions.
Sachin Khedekar, as a don who suffers from liver cirrhosis, offers nothing to his poorly etched character – in terms of performance or persona. Ajay looks regressive with exaggerated facial expressions and a melodramatic performance.
Rajeev Kanakala appears in a subtle role, while the rest of the many characters played by Satyam Rajesh, Sathya and Praveen among others are flat. Unfortunately, their presence cannot make things memorable. Riddhi Kumar shows promise, exudes confidence with a fairly good screen presence. Refreshingly, Raj Tarun tried the Rayalaseema dialect and arrives with a decent performance. He had undergone a makeover and sported a ponytail which suits him quite well.
The music offers some respite as the songs scored by an ensemble composers Ankit Tiwari, Rishi Rich, Arko, Tanishk Bagchi and Sai Karthik are melodious and well picturised. Cinematographer Sameer Reddy’s frames the picturesque locales of Kerala. Amid the deja vu feel, the visuals, to an extent help break the monotony of watching a predictable story unfold. Despite its conventional arc, Lover offers some entertainment and gritty moments. But that’s not enough to hold your interest and keep you glued to your seat beyond a point. That way, the film may save the day for Raj Tarun, who is reeling under failures, but it doesn’t rise above the regular love stories and present a challenge to the audience.
— Murali Krishna CH
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