Dear Comrade - Movie Review

What’s it about!
Bobby aka Chaitanya (Vijay Deverakonda) and Lilly aka Aparna Devi (Rashmika) become friends after initial misunderstandings in Kakinada, when she pays a visit to this town. He is a student leader with an aggressive bent of mind, she is a woman cricketer who plays for the state team. They like each other, fall in love. But his violent mentality is too unbearable for her and they breakup. Three years later, Bobby, who went to various places to study sounds of nature comes to know about Lilly who is in a depression. Why did she land in such emotional disturbance, how he stands for her, makes her fight back is the rest of the drama?

Analysis
Debutant director Bharat Kamma places the story of “Dear Comrade” as a love story cum break-up story but this isn’t such routine romantic drama. Fighting for what you love is the main theme.

Like the film’s title suggests, the hero is a leftist, a comrade. He says he wants to be her comrade, a person who can stand by her. When a girl falls in a situation that is tough to fight back, she needs a comrade. That comrade maybe a friend, a boyfriend, parent, sister or brother. This is what the film has told in the end. Here the situation is sexual harassment. The film centers on this topical issue - sexual harassment at the workplace and ‘Me Too’. But the director comes to this point very late in his tale.

This is the story of Bobby and Lilly, not Bunty Aur Babli. It is an honest portrayal of a relationship with a serious topical issue. However, the characterization of Vijay Deverakonda has similarities with Karthi’s character in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Cheliya’. The impulsive nature and the separation of the lead pair have a lot of similarities.

The film has got many things right but its second half has gone wrong in many places. In fact, the two halves are drastically different from each other. And many scenes are dragged on.

The film’s strength is in its performances: Vijay Deverakonda is absolutely brilliant as a guy who traverses an emotional journey. He has once again shown what a range he has in acting skills. As a student leader with impulsive nature, high-tempered attitude, he is at the natural best. The film also shows the other side – the matured, subdued and calm nature of the same role.

Rashmika has also pulled off the strong character. She is chirpy in the first half but gives her best performance in the second half and in the crucial climax sequence. Other actors have done a neat job.

Justin Prabhakaran’s musical score is one of the best in a long time. The songs are classy, melodious and have gelled well into the theme. His music is a huge plus to this tumultuous relationship drama. Dialogues are neat. Cinematography is beautiful, one of the best work in recent times. However, editing is a major drawback. There are lot of unnecessary scenes and the pacing is also another issue.

New director Bharat Kamma impresses with his handling of this theme.

Bottom-line: ‘Dear Comrade’ is a different love story that deals with a relevant issue. The #MeToo movement is packaged in a different way. Music and the lead pair’s chemistry is a treat. The new director has told the movie with his conviction and with a poetic touch but the pacing, the climax, and length are the issues. After a point, it becomes too heavy.