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EDITOR'S PICK
`Prema
Katha Chitram` - a twisted entertainer (Telugu Movie Review)
Rating:
**1/2
Prabhakar Reddy`s "Prema Katha Chitram" (PKC) is one of those low
budget films backed by quirky narration, that can`t be placed under one
particular genre. The reason? The film shifts gears at regular intervals only to
remind us that it doesn`t fit in to the genre we think it belongs to. Even
though it leaves you guessing almost till the credits, what PKC manages to
achieve at the end is that it gives its viewers an experience worth their money.
During a time when most Telugu films are backed by their famed actors, PKC
succeeds merely due to its content.
Walking a tight rope between romance, horror and thriller genres, PKC is the
story of four friends (Sudheer, Nanditha, Praveen and Saptagiri), who are
unsatisfied with life and, therefore, plan on committing mass suicide at a
remote farmhouse in the forest.
At the farmhouse, Sudheer falls head over heels for Nanditha, who has been
secretly having feelings for him.
As Sudheer tries to get intimate with Nanditha, unknown things start to happen
much to the surprise of everybody. It is revealed later that every time Sudheer
tries to get close to Nanditha, something goes wrong. The rest of the story is
all about why things turn ugly whenever Sudheer attempts to touch Nanditha.
One of the reasons why PKC is instantly likeable is because it deviates from
commercialism and makes way to creativity. It doesn`t glorify its hero like
every other Telugu film, but instead gives importance to all four characters
with equally distributed screen space.
The plot isn`t truly outstanding but the performances definitely are worth the
time and money invested. The film strikes a fine balance between multiple
genres, allowing audiences to take home experience filled with thrills, chills
and occasional laughter.
While Sudheer is the hero figure in the film, occasionally do we get to see him
flaunt the hero tag with elan. Instead, he becomes the pick of most rollicking
moments that are aptly backed by the supporting cast. Sudheer doesn`t quite give
us a performance worth taking a minute to appreciate or even notice, while his
co-star, Nanditha chips in a cheerful presentation.
Most Telugu films run beyond two and a half hours, but thankfully PKC sticks to
nearly a two-hour runtime and manages to entertain throughout, barring few
scenes. It doesn`t boast of any scenes that are neither melodramatic nor
tear-jerking. It is plain entertainment laced with intermittent thrills.
Prabhakar directs the film with a tinge of sarcasm filled with double meaning
dialogues. Not only does this entertain, but works brilliantly in inducing
laughter in the most serious scenes.
The film`s biggest letdown is its climax, which not only kills all the
excitement the film builds but also reminds us how an exceptionally different
film can turn into a run-of-the-mill kind of story in an instant. Barring the
climax, PKC is an entertaining watch.