Manamey review: Flashy setting, familiar narrative

What’s it about?

Vikram, a doctoral student at a university in London, has a flamboyant nature and reputation as a notorious flirt. Tragically, Anurag, his dear friend, and his wife Shanthi, while traveling to India to participate in a family event, met with a fatal accident, resulting in their untimely demise. They left behind their two-year-old son, Kushi.

Subadra (Krithi Shetty), a friend of Shanthi, has volunteered to look after Kushi since she is also residing in the UK. According to the regulations of the UK Child Services, Vikram and Subadra are required to reside together in Anurag’s residence and provide care for the child. Failure to comply will result in the government relocating Kushi to an orphanage.

Subadra, who is already betrothed to Karthik (Shiva Kandukuri), and Vikram commence cohabitation. Will their new life together present any challenges or will a romantic relationship develop between them?

Analysis

Sharwanand returned to the big screen after a gap of two years with the film “Manamey,” helmed by Sriram Adittya. Although the film falls under the genre of rom-com, its primary focus lies on emphasizing the significance of parenting. “Manamey” revolves around a previously unfamiliar girl and boy who are compelled to cohabit in order to care for a young child, gradually developing romantic feelings as they yield to their instincts.

The story, set in the United Kingdom, allowed the director to film in a lavish manner, using opulent aesthetics and vibrant colors. Although the scenes and narrative are entirely predictable, the visuals are captivating. Indeed, the luminous ambiance has rendered the film somewhat watchable.

Director Sriram Aditya has not crafted any captivating sequences; instead, he has simply recycled numerous sequences from previous successful films in Tollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood (the asic plot seems to have inspired by 2010 Hollywood movie “Life as We Know It”) to align with his central storyline. The first half of the film provides some fun moments, a melodious music score and a dynamic and stylish presence from Sharwanand. However, after the interval bang, it goes downhill.

Director Sriram Adittya consistently incorporates elements from popular movies like “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Manmadhudu” in order to advance the plot. Everything becomes formulaic and predictable.

As previously mentioned, the film’s most notable aspects are its rich setting, impressive production values, Sharwanand’s enjoyable demeanor, and Hesham Abudul’s musical score. The remaining aspects, particularly the storytelling provided by Sriram Adittya, are recycled content.

Regarding the actors, Sharwanand bears the responsibility of carrying the movie. Not only does he possess a stylish appearance, but he also delivers a matured performance in the latter portion of the film. Krithi Shetty exhibits stunning beauty and shares a compelling on-screen rapport with Sharwanand. Shiva Kandukuri portrays the role of the conventional fiancé of the heroine. Rahul Ravindran and Seerat Kapoor are assigned inconsequential roles. Director Sriram Aditya’s son Vikram Aditya looks cute in the role of Kushi.

The film features a total of three complete songs, along with over a dozen shorter songs that Hesham Abdul Wahab has integrated into the narrative, effectively creating a background score that functions as a consistent and integral part of the story. The background songs have achieved a certain degree of effectiveness, but eventually, it becomes difficult to discern the starting and ending points of each song.

The movie’s main attractions are not only its music, but also its cinematography and production design, which showcase the high production values of People Media Factory. Both cinematographers Jnana Sekhar and Vishnu Sharma have contributed valuable frameworks.

Bottom line: “Manamey” boasts a vibrant setting adorned with opulent production design and visually striking frames. But beneath this dazzling facade, the film presents a familiar story with a regular narrative. Sharwanand’s performance and banter provide some fun moments in the film, but it fails to captivate due to a lack of emotional depth and a predictable narration. Nevertheless, it may resonate with family audiences due to its content and message.

Rating: 2.5/5

Film: Manamey
Cast: Sharwanand, Krithi Shetty, Vikram Adittya, Seerat Kapoor, Ayesha Khan, Vennela Kishore, Rahul Ravindran, Rahul Ramakrishna, Shiva Kandhukuri, and others
Dialogues: Arjun – Carthyk, Tagore, Venkat D Pati
Music: Hesham Abdul Wahab
Cinematography: Gnana Shekar V.S, Vishnu Sarma,
Editor: Prawin Pudi
Art: Jonny Shaik
Action: Real Satish, KNR Nikhil
Co-Producer: Vivek Kuchibhotla
Producer: T.G. Vishwa Prasad
Story, Screenplay and Direction: Sriram Adittya T
Release Date: June 07, 2024