“Inspired by a moment from the Godfather, reads the caption as the film opens. While the first half of the bilingual (Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo in Telugu) is an eminently watchable love-friendship saga, the second derails as it moves into action mode and transforms into a suspense thriller.
Menon’s take on gender-relationships has always been classy. Here too the growing bonding between his lead pair is crafted with sensitivity and finesse. Simbu, whose character is unnamed almost till the end, is a livewire while Manjima (of the Malayalam OruVadakkan Selfie fame) is a delight to watch. The early scenes depict Simbu getting attracted to his sister’s friend Manjima who comes to stay with them and her slow thawing as she gets to know him better. It’s a cross country bike ride that the duo take and the unfortunate happenings which make the rest of the plot.
The technical side has coordinated ably. There are some exquisite visuals, the editing slick. Rahman’s catchy songs and background score adds strength. A love-song pops in at an unlikely moment, when tragedy has just struck. Insensitive it may seem, but the way it has been picturised, it lends a melancholic-beauty to the moment.
While in the first half the director has managed to keep his viewers glued to the screen, he falters in the second as the situations look contrived. The lead pair find themselves victims of a hit-and run accident. And when more such unpleasant incidents follow, with a ruthless cop (Baba Sehgal) in the fray, the hero is determined to get at the truth. The flashback, narrated verbally and in montages, is complicated and slackens the flow. Too many characters enter the plot, their roles weakly etched. A splendid first half seems to have been mismatched with a second half that doesn’t quite belong to it!