Ala Ela Review

Having delivered duds like 'Pelli Pusthakam', Rahul Ravindran was at an all-time low.  Ala Ela proves that he may have been down but not out.  Here he gets to be a natural, instead of having to emote (or over-emote, if it is comedy).  What works better for this rom-com is the fact that it is authentic when it comes to not over-indulging anyone or any one element.  The male lead's friends, intriguingly, want to be called heroes and not heroes' friends.

Rahul grudgingly promises to get married to a girl of his grandpa's choice, just to let the grandpa die peacefully so that he doesn't have to travel from Hyderabad to his village every time Ralla Palli falls sick.  As his luck would have it, the girl not only brings to him Rs. 2 crores as dowry, but also she is gorgeous.  Inspired by Chiranjeevi's ways in 'Choodalani Undhi', he decides to go to the girl's village and be friends with her in order to win her without disclosing his identity.  In his attempt, he gets cozy with the girl's friend (Hebha Patel as Shruthi).

The first half is fun to watch, replete as it is with jokes on marriage, wife and more.  Vennela Kishore as a henpecked husband and Shani as a self-proclaimed 'creative' ad maker play Rahul's friends.  Kishore is funny as a friend who is disappointed that the fun trip and adventurous experience which Rahul promised him is not there.  His wife (played by Bhanu Sri Mehra) is eager to teach him a lesson once he is back.

Though the interval bang is misleading and the first half of second half drifts a bit, the film comes into its own in the last 30 minutes.

What is enjoyable is the multiplex character that is coalesced into a village backdrop.  Hebha Patel fits the bill in the role of a village belle and she comes across as one of the expressive faces out there.  The girl who plays Divya is more a glam doll.

Given that the character is tailor-made for Rahul's demeanour, it must have been a breeze for him to do it.  He gets the right kind of songs for the first time since 'Andala Rakshasi', although we see nothing new in his comic timing.  Like others, he is bailed out by witty dialogues, which are the film's raison d'etre.

In the mould of a Bollywood rom-com, 'Ala Ela' reaches out to the youngsters.  It may be multiplex in its outward appearance, but it has a soul that is relatable to many.  Through Divya's character, the modern-minded village girl (as the hero would have it, "... She is like a shark in the ocean") looking to pick one from several options (boys) is projected.  Through Shruthi's character, the average village girl who is aware of the ways of the urban youth (read the scene where she asks the male lead if he is a virgin) is portrayed.

The film goes adrift at one point and one feels like asking 'ala ela?' when that avoidable item song sears its way into an otherwise sensible narration.

If the performances are fine (after Rahul, it is Vennela Kishore who is second hero), the technical aspects go the whole hog in making this film an A-rated one.

Right from cinematography to music to RR to editing, the films gets them all right.

Verdict: A feel-good rom-com with the right ingredients and a good climax that helps us forget the drift that infects the film in bits and pieces, 'Ala Ela?' is worth a watch.

Rating: 2.75/5