At a time when promiscuity goes for contemporary urban romance, second-rate vulgarity goes for realism, naive manner of character-etching and scene-writing is advertised by complacent directors as feel-good cinema, Routine Love Story comes as a huge relief. It is refreshing with doses of healthy comedy and sensitive story-telling. But for Mickey J Meyer's not-so-exciting music, which actually gives a feeling of watching a routine Kammula film (read the intolerably lame LiB) at two-three places, there is nothing routine about this curiously titled flick. Praveen Sattaru shows his maturity as a writer as well as dexterity as a director.
The good part is that the creator did not have this meaningless desire to play to the gallery or evoke laughter by throwing up caricaturish characters. Nor is there any trace of touchiness apparently meant to move the sentimental amongst us to silly tears.
The actors are very unpretentious (though Sundeep is a natural for most part, he at places seems narcissistic), the situations are believable but not commonplace, the dialogues are breezy though not very creative, and the story pans out smoothly without hiccups. The duration (124 minutes) is just right.
Sanju (Sundeep Kishan) swoons over Tanvi (Rezina) at first sight. He ogles at her everywhere for some days before his three all-weather friends (headed by Snigdha) take it upon themselves to concoct a romantic encounter. Their first meeting ends up in a shambles. Routinely, Tanvi finds our hero quite indecent, while our hero (not so routinely) wants to avoid her because he thinks befriending a beautiful girl invariably comes with attendant complications.
Before long, the talkative girl and the reluctant boy are friends. For the rest of the film, you will find the two spending time (every time after much planning and much ado, even though Tanvi believes, like most girls, that conversations happen without being planned), knowing more about each other (the big goal they have tasked themselves with), at times confronted with questions about each other's suitability to the other, bonding automatically in unexpected circumstances, so on and so forth.
The positives are there for all the fun-loving, college-going youngsters out there to fete themselves with. Be it the scene where Sanju is funnily belittled by Tanvi's family, the self-important behavior of Tulasi, the toilet humour involving Tulasi and co, the Jungle Mein Mangal episode, Vennela Kishore, they all entertains. The icing on the cake is Tagubothu Ramesh's 'marchipo' humour; however, showing him as a handicapped person was insensitive.
All performances are convincing. Rezina is much better than all others; she has matured as an actress since SMS. Though her role doesn't require a seasoned actress to pull it off, yet she brings the much-needed dignity to her character, a girl-next-door, confident, prudish one.
Sundeep gets his first ever mainstream role, and he does it with aplomb. His diction is good, though his ability to make wide-ranging expressions seems to be limited. Snigdha is her usual self; despite being similar film after film, one doesn't feel she needs to change her template. The rest of the bunch are all enjoyable. MS, Ralla Palli, Jhansi and others are good to watch.
Mickey's BG score adds to the breezy feel; his songs are nice. Cinematography and editing are apt.
All in all, RLS makes a beautiful movie watching experience for laic as well as discerning audiences.
Released on: 23rd Nov, 2012
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