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Anni Manchi Sakunamule, as the name suggests, is surrounded by positive vibes all over. Starring Santosh Sobhan and Malvika Nair in the lead roles, the film is directed by Nandini Reddy. Priyanka Dutt produced this family entertainer, which has an ensemble star cast. The movie has hit the screens today, and let’s see how it is.

Story:

Set in a fictional place called Victoriapuram, the movie is about a feud between two families for a coffee estate. The fight continues over the generations, and currently, it is between Diwakar (Rao Ramesh) and Prasad (Rajendra Prasad). Arya (Malvika) and Rishi (Santosh Sobhan), who are born into these families, become high school buddies, but they share contrasting personalities. Rishi actually loves Arya since childhood but doesn’t express it. What happened next? Did the issue between the two families sort out? Did Rishi express his feelings for Arya? This forms part of the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

The movie starts off well, and the characters are introduced in a neat manner. Malvika Nair is the mainstay of the film, and she delivered a splendid performance. As a girl who wishes to handle all her family responsibilities, Malvika did a pretty convincing job. She looked gorgeous too and aced the girl next door, kind of a role with charm and grace.

Santosh Sobhan is neat as Rishi. He is too good in the comedy sequences, and when it comes to the emotional scenes, Santosh gave his best. The young actor surely has a lot of potential, and he would reach greater heights if he is choosy with his scripts.

The first half is passable with the fun portions. Though there isn’t much that happens as far as the story is concerned, the comedy is kept intact. Gautami, Rajendra Prasad, and Vennela Kishore evoke decent laughs. Rao Ramesh and Naresh are fine in their respective roles.

Minus Points:

The biggest disappointment about Anni Manchi Sakunamule is its thin storyline. The movie starts as a feud between two families, but it doesn’t stick to its plot and meanders around aimlessly. It is pretty evident that there isn’t enough meat in the story, and hence a lot of filler scenes are added. The filler scenes don’t entertain either and only cause boredom.

The first half was passable, but the entire second half has gone for a toss and is a tiresome watch due to the snail-paced narrative. The issues begin once the plot moves to Europe, and from there, it is a complete downhill ride. A dance sequence involving all the major cast could have been avoided. A few emotional moments in the climax become a saving grace.

One more weak link is the romantic track between the lead pair. We never get to feel the relationship between them due to the poor execution, and hence their unification, in the end, seems artificial. There is grandeur, the music is rich, the visuals are superb, but the most important aspect, i.e., drama, is majorly missing despite having a bunch of talented artists.

The backdrop of the film might not go well with the masses, and also, those who look out for time pass stuff may get disappointed. The film also could have been kept shorter, and some scenes in the second half could have been chopped off.

Technical Aspects:

The background score and songs by Mickey J Meyer are too good. Mickey tried to lift many scenes with his excellent score. The cinematography by Sunny Kurapati and Richard Prasad is fair and showcases the hill station visuals in a beautiful manner. The production values are top-notch. The editing is below par, as the movie has a considerable amount of lag.

Coming to the director, Nandini Reddy, she did an underwhelming job with the film, and her magic is clearly missing. The intent to make a clean family entertainer is visible, but the movie lacks solid drama to keep the audience hooked throughout. Had she taken more care regarding the story and the second half, the film could have been a decent fare.

Verdict:

On the whole, Anni Manchi Sakunamule is a family drama that works in parts. A few comedy scenes in the first half, performances of the lead pair, and the emotional scenes in the climax are its basic assets. But the movie nosedives in the second half and doesn’t recover till the climax. Hence it becomes just an okay watch this weekend.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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