Telegu film review: Vinavayya Ramayya is all about young love and clichés

Vinavayya Ramayya is not a collectible bag of clichés. Not because flashes of originality peep from between the seen and done before elements, but only because it doesn't have the full range of the usual. Rich girl and middle class neighbour are childhood friends - while he is vocal about his love, she has been holding her feelings under check for his own good. She knows what her rather powerful family - headed by Prakash Raj playing Chaudhari Garu - can do to him. Before eventually killing him, that is.

Naga Anvesh, who we saw as the child artist in Venkatesh's Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu, plays the boy next door (literally) Chanti, whose only agenda in life seems to be to rise early to catch a glimpse of Janaki - played by Kruthika Jayakumar - follow her around their small town, run errands for her. He enjoys being snubbed by her too but to his bunch of friends, it's a much rosier picture of their supposed love story that he presents.

Vinavayya Ramayya

Starring: Naga Anvesh, Prakash Raj, Krutika Jayakumar

Director: G Ram Prasad

Music: Anup Rubens

Rating: **

Trouble in paradise begins when one day a potential groom is invited over by Janaki's father, with the date of the wedding fixed within ten minutes of their arrival. Then follow a hurried declaration of love, maiden visit to the temple, desperately falling at Janaki's feet too, only to be told by her that she wouldn't go against her father's wishes. The song "Po po po" (translating to go go go and reminiscent of something like "Ja mujhe na ab yaad aa tu", in mood) comes here, leaving the audience wondering why a song like this one had to be choreographed at all.

On the day of the wedding, the two comedians in the film - Bhramanandam and Ali - are busy plotting the bride's kidnapping and before they know it, they are on their way to Kerala. The locales are picturesque and the emotions mixed. She is falling deeper in love with her childhood sweetheart but can't imagine how much her father must be pained back home.

But before long, Chanti is dragged back to be beaten up, with Prakash Raj doing his usual bit of the powerful landlord that we've seen in several other films, Telugu or otherwise. Bleeding profusely and still getting beaten, he can't stop saying "I love you." She finally says she loves him too but asks him to leave the town. Two years have passed in a blink and he's revisiting. On a rather philosophical note, Chaudhary Garu and his family accept him, realising that life cannot be lived without love. Foes finally turn friends and it is the usual family photograph moment before the credits roll.

In the midst of it all, we wonder what happened to Tiger Narayan, the tall and strong, ruthless and arrogant man whom Janaki was supposed to marry. Also, the songs are slipped in rather abruptly but the background score seems to linger longer in the ears than the songs. The slapstick comedy does lighten things up, but the slew of other minor characters turn out to be more of hindrance at places. In his debut as the male lead, Anvesh has surely won at least some young female hearts with his sincere lover looks, so what if he was a bit too consistent with them.

Fairytale-ishly convenient yet cute, Vinavayya Ramayya is another instance of Telugu cinema having us believe that love does win over all else. And that we will continue to be entertained by love stories.