'Romantic' is out in the theatres. Here is our review of the latest box-office release that is in the box-office race.

Story:

The story is set in Goa. Vasco (Akash Puri) is a gangster whose enemies are as ruthless as him. While Samsung (Makrand Deshpande) wants to get hold of him at any cost, he also faces the threat of arrest because of Ramya Gowarikar (Ramya Krishna), a cop. While Vasco can't care less about his enemies, he has a weakness. He is in love with Monica (Ketika Sharma), the sister of a cop named John (Uttej). Who wins and who is defeated in the end is the crux of the cat-and-mouse chase.

Analysis:

Over the past one-and-a-half year or so, director Puri Jagannadh has attained the status of a philosopher among the Telugus with his insightful Puri Musings, the popular podcast capsule. As the writer of 'Romantic', he takes his credentials to the next level.

The staging of the story in Goa is delightful. If Naresh Rana's sun-bathed visuals are delectable, Sunil Kashyap's background music is stylistic. The songs, ranging from 'Naa Valla Kadhe' to 'Peene Ke Baad' (in which a well-known actor makes a cameo appearance) and 'Darling', are enticing. Puri Connects ensures that the production values are top-notch.

Akash Puri becomes the 'baap' of attitude and pulls off the challenging role quite well. As a gangster who has to run for his life and woo the girl he has been crushing on, he is confident and fun to watch. He understands the depth of the characterization and delivers a stunning performance. Ketika Sharma, the newcomer, is gorgeous and impressive in the emotional scenes, especially in the climax. Ramya Krishna plays the short-tempered and ruthless cop with elan. Uttej, comedienne Sunaina (as his wife and singer), Devayani (as the hero's childhood friend), and others are good.

Makrand Deshpande is proving to be a distinctive antagonist. He should have got better dialogues, though. His character takes a beating in the second half. That said, debutant director Anil Paduri doesn't overdo the action scenes and keeps them at the minimum. That helps the hero-villain rivalry be restrained and believable.

The backdrop (Goa) has been leveraged well. Even the hero's grandmother (Rama Prabha) looks like a decades-long resident of the place. The way the sensuous nature of the subject is explored through songs, little touches, and romances is cool.

The best aspect is the climax, which is both nail-biting and shattering. It's suspenseful and brings out the depth of Puri's writing. The execution is flawless, with the actors making us root for their feelings.

A minus is that the film is just about 130 minutes long. A couple of action scenes would have made a difference, preventing the proceedings from looking hurried. That said, it's commendable that the director hasn't let overplayed anything and focussed on the unfolding emotional drama after a point.

Verdict:

'Romantic' is a commercial outing with style, oomph, emotions and action going for it.