'Urvasivo Rakshasivo' hit the screens today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office title.

Story:

Sree Kumar (Allu Sirish) and Sindhu (Anu Emmanuel) are as different as chalk and cheese. If the former is old-fashioned in his thinking, the latter is a Westernized young girl who casually explores sexuality with him. When Sree confesses his love for her, she opposes. Can they have a happy ending?

Analysis:

The Tamil original 'Pyaar Prema Kadhal' (2018) featured Harish Kalyan and Raiza Wilson in the lead. Sirish and Anu, respectively, reprise them in this Telugu remake, which the makers prefer to call an adaptation.

The writing doesn't make exemplary traits out of the Sree-Sindhuja duo. By jettisoning archetypes, the story makes them accessible. In our cinema, the boy- or girl-next-door has long become a stock character. For a change, this film strips them of cinematic fluff and presents them as they are.

An elder who is sensitive to his daughter's mindset has been narrated without much fuss. There is no attempt to make a loud statement about anything. The conservatism of Sree's parents, played by Kedar Shankar and Aamani, is not forced. Neither has it been deployed to generate cliched laughs.

Elements like salsa have also been retained from the Tamil original. The writing doesn't dumb down things. Vennela Kishore's character might be there to occasionally play to the gallery, but it doesn't define the quality of humour at large. Then there are the usual suspects such as Sunil and Posani Krishna Murali. Their humour, at times, is repetitive. But if you are someone who like the Jabardasth-ized entertainment, you will enjoy their humour.

The film is not without its cliches. A pub scene is mandatory when the female lead is thoroughly Westernized and the male lead is small-town type. In this film, though, the binaries don't lead to routine outcomes. The Sree-Sindh duo does crazy things in a pub and the track only builds up their bond.

Sirish better opts for characters that don't demand him to be too serious or intense. As Sree, he is endearing in this film. Anu sheds her starry sparkle and plays a white-collar employee who parties hard and also cries when she is vulnerable.

When two super-talented comedians like Vennela Kishore and Sunil are around, you expect comical sparks to fly. But that doesn't happen. The mock IPL commentary scene might be funny to some. It's also embarrassing that our films never tire out of making fun of the piles' condition. Characters utter a string of lies that even a child can see through. Ananya Nagalla has a meaningless cameo. Babloo Prithiveeraj is impressive as Sindhu's dad. Aamani is not melodramatic. There should have been a little more of what happens to Sree before the climax.

Achu Rjamani's songs (ranging from 'Seethakoka Chiluka' to 'Dheemthanana' and 'Kalisunte') exude a delicious quality. His BGM, Tanveer Mir's cinematography and Karthika Srinivas R's editing are assets.

Verdict:

'Urvasivo Rakshasivo' is a watchable film.