'Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam' hit the screens today. In this section, we review the latest box office release.
Story:
Arjun Kumar Allam (Vishwak Sen) has lost all hope of getting married. He is pushing 33 and there is little chance of finding a bride in his caste due to a skewed sex ratio. When his parents fix an alliance with Madhavi (Rukshar Dhillon), his life starts looking bright. But then, there is a fix. Madhavi is not forthcoming and is not enthusiastic about the alliance. Why is she not kicked about Arjun? What does Arjun fall back on when the going gets tough? Is marriage written in his fate?
Analysis:
Writer Ravi Kiran Kola sets the story during the early days of the pandemic in 2020. Arjun's family travels all the way to a Godavari village for engagement. Due to Janata Curfew and the subsequent lockdown, they get stuck there for many days. During their stay, the track between Arjun and Madhavi undergoes many turns.
Last year, the SonyLiv release 'Vivaha Bhojanambu' (Telugu) had the element of the bride's family getting stuck in the male lead's house during the lockdown. The similarities between the two films end there. The sensibilities are completely different, and the stories belong to two different worlds.
Vishwak Sen's solid performance uplifts the mood of the film in the first half. Rukshar Dhillon doesn't have much to do. Ritika Nayak delivers an effortless performance as Madhavi's sister. Kadambari Kiran does the job of both a jovial uncle and an emotional relative who makes his presence felt in a serious scene. Kedar Shankar, Rajkumar Kasireddy and Goparaju Ramana fit the bill.
Despite Jay Krish's music and Pavi K Pavan's able cinematography, something very fundamental is amiss in the film. It's a narration that can keep you invested in Arjun's journey. One can see a crucial plot point coming from a distance. One good thing is that this can't be gauged from the trailer. A lot of trailers of films belonging to this genre manage to conceal the main plot turn and it's not special achievement.
The 'maradalu' comes across as a stock character, to begin with. As the story proceeds, she becomes predictable. She is placed in a generic context and is deliberately made to look better than another key character.
The comedy surrounding the pre-wedding photo-shoot is weak. For that matter, the comedy takes a beating in the second half and the film barely has any laugh-out-loud moments.
On the one hand, the film delves into families with meagre means and a male lead with his own share of struggles. On the other hand, the story merely scratches the surface. There is no depth in the way Vishwak Sen's character talks after a point. His language turns superficial.
The comedy built around Arjun's fate fizzles out. Fatalism gets referred to as 'script' in a scene that turns out to be just another booze scene. Vennela Kishore's presence doesn't add any laughs.
The film should have redeemed itself at least in the climax. But the dialogues, the melodrama, and the way the closure is narrated are not engaging at all.
Verdict:
'Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam' lacks consistency. The premise works, but the comedy wears off. The second half is superficial.
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