'Babu Baga Busy' hits the screens this hot summer as a cool, naughty breeze. Does the film live up to expectations? Read on to know...
Story:
Madhav (Avasarala Srinivas) is a self-confessed sex addict. It means he is one and has always been one, conventions be damned.
When he least knows that he is at the cusp of facing a raft of life-altering experiences (that would unfold in the second half), he meets Radha (Mishti Chakravarthy), a working, independent-minded Vizagite whom he seems to like and not lust after.
Since being honest about his history of sexual affairs might end the relationship then and there, he decides to play Mr. Curd Rice in her presence.
Narrated non-linearly, the narration goes back in time to his childhood and adolescence, when Madhav lost his innocence, virginity and conscience over the years.
The second half is about how some incidents change Madhav's perspective, who now yearns for a long-lasting relationship with Radha.
Analysis:
By and large, 'BBB' is a faithful remake of the 2015 Bollywood adult comedy 'Hunterrr'.
To be fair (or may be unfair), this is a coming-of-age rom-com if you remove those overt and covert references to things related to sex/lust/masturbation. But for the fact that Madhav is a 'loose' (by the way, what do you call a male version of a nymphomaniac? Last read, there is no word for male sex addicts), 'BBB' is a love story with an appeal of its own.
And that's where the catch lies. How are the audience to see it? As an unconventional rom-com whose protagonist is yet to evolve, or as an adult comedy (primarily) which unabashedly indulges in one extra-marital affair here and a casual fling there?
'BBB', frankly put, is neither here nor there. At least, prima facie.
Metaphorically speaking, debutante Naveen Medaram copies the courtship tactics of Mr. X (Bollywood) without bothering about what type of girl he is flirting with. In the end, he never gets the one-night stand he is seeking.
The urban-rural landscapes copied from the original are out of place. Same is the case with BGM, which is understated like it is in the original, but not aptly nativised.
The attempts at coalescing the songs into the narration fall flat because the technique is overplayed, especially in the second half. There is only so much one can achieve by imitating an alien idiom.
Since the male lead's character is 'theda' (the Telugu equivalent of 'hatke', we suppose), at least the story-telling techniques and props should have been more local. Shankar's Boys' lessons could have been used.
The climax was supposed to take the tempo to next level through the acting of the lead pair, but Srinivas Avasarala's light-touch performance and Mishti's over-sophisticated persona take the zing out. In the end, there is no climax, we mean, the metaphorical orgasm!
The element of bromance is once again good on paper. The same, however, is lost in translation. It's hard to believe that Priyadarshi can be that colourless. A good opportunity to leverage the comic timing of Avasarala and the 'Pelli Choopulu' comedian was thanklessly wasted, all under the pretext of delivering an understated adult comedy, perhaps.
Avasarala tries his hand at enacting a range of emotions. He comes out with pass marks. Mishti is good, Supriya Ayasole as a love-seeking housewife is better, so also Sree Mukhi in a cameo. Tejaswi Madivada acts every bit that shy girl whose dormant sexual feelings are gradually becoming active.
Sunil Kashyap's music and Suresh Bhargava cinematography pass muster.
Verdict:
'BBB' has a heart of its own. But the narration reeks of blind imitation. After a point, it starts seeming affected.
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