What’s it about?
Sreekumar (Allu Sirish) and Sindhu (Anu Emmanuel) work together in an IT firm. It doesn’t take them long to go from being acquaintances to spending the night together. He proposes marriage after their first date due to his middle-class upbringing, but she declines.
Sindhu dreams of launching a restaurant in Paris. She believes that marriage and the responsibilities that come with it will stymie her ambitions. She would prefer a no-strings-attached relationship.
In the hopes that she will reconsider, he agrees to a live-in relationship and conceals it from his parents, who are arranging an alliance for him. Will she ever agree to a marriage proposal? Or will he have to marry the girl chosen by his parents?
Analysis
Rakesh Sashii’s ‘Urvasivo Rakshasivo’ is said to be based on the 2018 Tamil film ‘Pyaar Prema Kaadhal.’ I don’t know how much of this one is similar to the original because I haven’t seen it. However, this Telugu film adds a new twist to the traditional rom-com genre.
Despite dealing with the concept of a “live-in” relationship, the film goes beyond the stereotypes. It reversals the typical characterizations of a hero and heroine in live-in relationship dramas. Unlike in other romantic comedies, the hero is guilty of having sex and desires marriage, while the girl is unapologetic. In some ways, it’s a new take on the rom-com.
The film begins in a regular rom-com drama – the boy trying all tricks to impress the girl. But after the first act, the drama takes a U-turn, they make love and he proposes to her and she rejects. That is a big twist and furthermore, it goes in a different way beyond the conventions of rom-com. The first half of the film offers lot of fun.
As expected, the film suffers from inconsistency in the second half. Lack of conciseness is the major issue in the later portions. Thankfully, the freshness comes afore once again in the climax portions. The climax sequence is a new take.
Vennela Kishore is portrayed as someone who consumes a lot of OTT content and discusses Alt-Balaji dramas (known for adult content). Similarly, ‘Urvasivo Rakshasivo’ has some daring scenes for a Telugu film, particularly the lengthy lip lock sequences, adult jokes, and unfiltered conversation. Rakesh Sashii, the director of films such as ‘Jatha Kalise’ and ‘Vijetha,’ has handled the subject fairly and well. However, he should have written a stronger second half.
Allu Sirish has grown in confidence as an actor. He has the appearance and personality of a young IT professional. Anu Emmanuel plays her part well. The chemistry between them is palpable. The film is a step up for them. Vennela Kishore’s comedy has mostly succeeded. Sunil is fine.
Two songs are pleasant. The music is appropriate to the theme. The cinematography is cool.
Bottom-line: ‘Urvasivo Rakshasivo’ goes beyond the clichés of the rom-com genre to give it a fresh spin. Despite the inconsistent second half, the film is worth watch because of the chemistry between the lead pair and some comedic moments. A youthful drama!
Rating: 2.75/5
By Jalapathy Gudelli
Film: Urvasivo Rakshasivo
Cast: Allu Sirish, Anu Emmanuel, Vennela Kishore, Sunil, Aamani and others
Music: Achu Rjamani and Anup Rubens
DOP: Tanveer Mir
Editor: Karthika Srinivas R
Art Director: Srinagendra Tangala
Producers: Dheeraj Mogilineni, Tammareddy Bharadwaj, Vijay M
Directed by: Rakesh Sashii
Release Date: Nov 04, 2022
