“True Lover”, the Telugu dubbed version of Tamil movie “Lover”, is the maiden work of director Prabhuram Vyas. The film has a straightforward and concise plot: Divya starts to consider whether she truly wants to marry Arun after six years of dating him or end this toxic relationship but Arun responds differently to her proposal to break up.
In the beginning, the new director demonstrates a strong mastery of his craft. With such a thin plot, he retains our attention for about an hour. Arun and Divya’s makeup and breakup circle, as well as their relationship, are established within minutes. Though Arun and Divya are truly in love, the girl feels stifled by his possessive behavior. Aside from that, Arun is stubborn and has old-school ideas; he believes she should inform him about her activities and whereabouts regularly, and he is jealous if she is friendly with the new team leader at her office.
On the flip side, Divya grows uncomfortable with his nagging attitude and asks him to stop drinking, lest he become an alcoholic like his father. The director, with a series of unique events interspersed with humor, romance, and tense situations, creates a riveting watch in the first half. The interval bang is apt.
However, much like Arun and Divya’s relationship, the film appears to be stuck in the middle and not moving forward. We see the same make-up/break-up scenes throughout the second half. Whether deliberate or not, the repetition adds a little monotony. Plus, toward the end of the film, you get the impression that Arun, despite his own motives, has a toxic mindset. The climax, while pragmatic, leaves us wondering who the “true lover” is.
The performances, particularly the lead pair of Manikandan and Sri Gouri Priya, are natural. They act less and behave more, providing us with a realistic feeling. Both are excellent in their roles. Kanna Ravi as Madan is equally impressive.
Sean Roldan’s music is fantastic, and it enhances the mood of the film. The cinematography is beautiful.
Bottom line: “True Lover,” a.k.a. “Lover,” captures the joyful peaks and depressing troughs of the lead couple’s relationship effectively and keeps our interest for the most part. But after a point, the movie seems to have stuck. The later portions are repetitive and create the impression of unnecessary elongation. Still, it’s a contemporary love story with plenty of relatable moments and takes a pragmatic approach.
Rating: 2.5/5
Film: True Lover (Dub)
Cast: Manikandan, Sri Gouri Priya, Kanna Ravi, Geetha Kailasam, Harish Kumar, Saravanan
Music: Sean Roldan
DOP: Shreyaas Krishna
Editor: Barath Vikraman
Art: Raj Kamal
Written and Directed by: Prabhuram Vyas
Release Date: Feb 10, 2024
