It’s been over six weeks since cinema halls were closed and there’s no saying when we can head back to the theatres, without the fear of COVID-19. A number of films are holding on and waiting to give the audience a theatrical experience, and a few are looking towards streaming apps. Director Surender Kontaddi’s Amrutharamam is the first Telugu film to directly release on an OTT platform. It began streaming on Zee5 from April 29.
There’s convenience in watching a new film at home, than wade through traffic (in pre-COVID scenario) to reach the cinema hall. But unless the film keeps us engaging, it’s easy to move away.
The plot of Amrutharamam feels outdated and the narrative tries too hard to prop it up as a saga of ultimate, selfless love.
The setting is Sydney, Australia. It could have been anywhere and the story and characterisation would still feel underwhelming. But hypothetically speaking, maybe it’s easier to build a scenario of overtly obsessing over someone in a new country, away from family and friends.
The opening minutes give away the story — of a woman who is madly in love. Amrutha (Amitha Ranganath) who lands in Sydney, takes a shine to Ram (Ram Mittakanti) the moment she spots him at the airport. Minutes later, she tells her guardian brother on phone that she felt grounded while on the flight and now (after seeing Ram), she feels like she’s flying! The seriousness with which she declares it is an indicator that she’s going to be too obsessed about him for her own good.
Love at first sight is a common trope in cinema but you need to project it in a way that viewers buy that suspension of disbelief. In this case, it required a better lead actor. Ram doesn’t fit the bill and comes off as amateurish even in the crucial scenes. If Amrutha fawning over him isn’t enough, in the later half, there’s an Australian colleague vying for his attention.
- Cast: Ram Mittakanti, Amitha Ranganath
- Direction: Surender Kontaddi
- Streaming on: Zee5
Newcomer Amitha fares much better, though for the most part we see her ready to burst into tears or cry copiously.
We gather that Amrutha comes from a loving family, has several friends and studied in a co-education college in India. What makes Ram special and why is she so drawn to him? We don’t know, and this is the film’s weakness. Having completed his Masters programme, he’s whiling away his time. He also has a pessimistic approach to life, going by his initial banter with his friends.
The scene where Amrutha expresses her love for him is hilarious. She pours him a drink, lights him a cigarette and begins to talk. He falls asleep! Minutes before, we learn from her mind voice (there’s plenty of it, but not really adding depth to the story or the character) that she’s getting addicted to him like she would to a drug.
Cinematographer Santosh Shanamoni and music composer Ns Prasu try to make the film a little more palatable with their sense of aesthetics and melody, but it doesn’t help.
At one point when Amrutha packs her bags to India, it seems like a good move to give that relationship some breathing space. But no, this is a story of someone who is hopelessly in love and ends up taking an extreme decision.
Love stories needn’t be pragmatic. The idea of going to any extent for love holds good, provided the story is narrated in a manner that keeps us invested in the narrative. This one doesn’t make the cut.
Amrutharamam is streaming on Zee5