Parichayam - Movie Review

Thursday, July 19, 2018 - 21:00
Parichayam (2018)
Cast & Crew: 

Film: Parichayam
Cast: Virat Konduru, Simrat Kaur, Rajeev Kanakala, Padmaja Lanka, Venkateshwara Rao Paruchuri, Prudhvi
Music: Sekhar Chandra
Producer: M Riaz
Story, Dialogues, Direction: Lakshmikanth Chenna
Release date: July 21, 2018

'Parichayam', starring Virat Konduri and Simrat Kaur in leading roles, hits the screens this weekend.  Let's find out what works and what doesn't.

Story:

Anand (Virat Konduri) and Lakshmi (Simrat Kaur) are neighbours.  Their fathers, played by Rajeev Kanakala and Prithvi, respectively, are colleagues in Indian Railways but their relations are not healthy.

Lakshmi falls in love with Anand.  Since they were born on the same day, in the same hospital ward and around the same time, their love is a matter of destiny.  Much as her father tries to prevent her from talking to Anand, she falls in love with him.  

But everything goes haywire when Lakshmi's father becomes violent upon coming to know that his daughter is in love with Anand.  She now takes an extreme decision.  A shocking consequence follows.  

How does Anand respond to the turn of events?  What is Lakshmi's problem?  Will he ever be able to convince Lakshmi's father?  Answers to these questions are found in the second half.

Analysis:

'Parichayam', directed by Lakshmikanth Chenna, suffers from severe story-sequencing issues.  This is how it goes. First, we see the hero being admitted to a hospital because some goons smashed him brutally. Second, we see the heroine entering a police station to complain that Anand (the hero) is missing.  Third, we see the love story of the hero-heroine duo as a long flashback after the phrase 'Some years ago' appears on the screen.

The way all this pans out, it's not shocking or even exciting when, post interval, something terrible happens.  Despite the best efforts of the director to evoke pity when the hero cries like a child in a hospital, the audience is largely untouched.  This is because something very crucial is revealed about Lakshmi at the beginning itself.  

The first half plays out like a tender love story.  But in trying to convince the audience that Anand has always been Lakshmi's world since childhood, the director infuses too many childhood episodes (sometimes brief, sometimes long) in the first half.  

If melodies like 'Yemaindo Manasa' are beautiful and the lead pair too strikes a decent enough chemistry, the proceedings are soulless in the second half.  Anand joins hands with a good-hearted muscleman (Sijju) and becomes somewhat influential.  This is also when things start working out well on Lakshmi's front.  And this is when oversimplification of the narration takes place.  There is no intensity, no tension.  One fake anti-climax happens.  A lame action episode in the climax takes place.  

Don't expect comedy.  Don't expect subtle dialogues, spare a few lines here and there.  

Simrat Kaur is beautiful and she fits the bill in the role of a pure, child-like lover girl.  She has a lovely smile and emotes well in emotional scenes. Debutant Virat Konduri has  done decent job. He looks promising. Rajeev Kanakala is dull and Prithvi might become a sought-after character artist in Tollywood after this film.  Sijju is just OK in an otherwise boring character.  Paruchuri Venkateshwara Rao, Rahul Ramakrishna as a hospital labourer, Sai, Koteshwara Rao, Padmaja Lanka and Parvathi are seen.  

Sekhar Chandra's music as well as Bhaskarabhatla and Srimani's lyrics are engaging.  Prawin Pudi's editing is fine.  Cinematography by Naresh Rana captures the beauty of greenery in Araku well.

Bottomline:

'Parichayam' would have been a mature love story with a shock factor if the story-sequencing was wise.  The second half is made soulless by simplistic narration, too much of melodrama and a silly anti-climax.  Good technical output by different departments.

Reviewed by: 
Vishwanath V
Rating: 
2/5