Sammohanam
Cast: Sudheer Babu, Aditi Rao Hydari, Naresh
Director: Indraganti Mohanakrishna
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
A celebrity and a commoner who despises the glamour world are thrown together and form an unlikely romance. And Sammohanam showcases the obvious conflicts that might arise in such a situation. Albeit, beautifully. Vijay (Sudheer Babu), a children’s book illustrator and author believes that the cinema industry is a sham and so are the people in it. His father (Naresh) loves cinema and the emotions they evoke. He also nurtures a secret desire to act as well.
And when a big production house approaches him for shooting a movie in his house, he agrees in exchange for a role in the film. Sameera Rathod (Aditi Rao Hydari), a superstar arrives for the 20-day schedule at Vijay’s place amidst a lot of hype by his friends and his family. When Vijay and his family laugh at Sameera’s lousy Telugu during a shot, she requests him to train her through her lines as long as she shoots there. Thus, bringing them together.
However, when Vijay confesses his love for her, she rejects his proposal saying she doesn’t feel that way for him. To add to that, when Vijay finds that she uses the lines that he tells her in confidence in her movie, it fuels his scorn towards her. How they finally come together and the reason why she rejects him forms the rest of the movie.
Sammohanam is a nod to the current debate of a woman’s standing in the film industry. It acknowledges, if not address, the misconceptions of how things work or are believed to be in the fraternity. There is also a commentary on the junk that media prints in the name of film news as well – two characters specifically meant for that in fact. Lines that specifically address these issues might seem like they were intended for the audience to catch, but they fit perfectly well with the narrative which was adopted.
While the film maintained a steady pace through the first half, parts of the second half were rushed. More so, because the parts that were rushed were meant to give us a peek into Sameera’s character and the audience got too less of that. Aditi Rao, who had to seem like an unattainable woman, looked her part and the fact that she dubbed for herself added an edge to it as well. Sudheer Babu probably gave one of his best performances in this movie. Perhaps because of the incredible artistes he shared screen space with, it fell short. Naresh was a delight to watch and the biggest asset to the film.
To demonstrate humour and pathos for the same sentiment and do it convincingly is only possible for an actor of his calibre.
The movie and its emotions stay with you long after you leave the theatre. Sameera, more so. What possibly disappoints are the dialogues in some scenes, especially in those where they should’ve been more impactful. Sammohanam is a breezy watch, you will not regret it.
srividya.palaparthi@newindianexpress.com
@PSrividya53