'Baby', produced by SKN on Mass Movie Makers, hits the cinemas this Friday (July 14).
Plot:
Vaishnavi (Vaishnavi Chaitanya) and Anand (Anand Deverakonda), who hail from the same basthi, are classmates in a school. Vaishanvi's liking for Anand evolves into feelings of love. Slowly, Anand starts falling for her. Soon, they are neck-deep in love with each other. Vaishnavi goes on to secure a seat in a city college, while Anand flunks SSC and becomes an autorickshaw driver. Once in the city college, Vaishnavi gets attracted to fashion and party culture. Her blossoming friendship with Viraj (Viraj Ashwin), a rich brat, leads to life-altering consequences for herself and Anand.
Performances:
Despite a sputtering start, Anand Deverakonda slips into the emotionally exhausting role comfortably. In the scenes where he must bring out the churning within, the actor is not only commendable but also delivers an unforgettable performance in the second half. His acting in the foot-over bridge scene in the climax, and in a scene with Harsha Chemudu, are top-notch.
Debutante Vaishnavi Chaitanya delivers an A-class performance. The Telugu-speaking heroine from Hyderabad's Old City is sincere throughout. As a shy school-goer, a basthi girl among rich classmates in the city expressing low self-esteem, and as a rebelling girlfriend, she is flawless.
Viraj Ashwin is okayish. Naga Babu as Vaishnavi's father and Kusma Degalamarri as her friend are good.
Technical aspects:
'O Rendu Prema Meghaalila' and 'Premisthunna' are poetic; the latter gets a narratively beautiful depiction in the context of the story. Vijay Bulganin's music and background score adds to the texture of the love story. Although the composition and RR do appear influenced, they work exceptionally in the context of the involving drama.
MN Bal Reddy's cinematography is not-so-remarkable. Viplav Nyshadam's editing does a balancing act. Despite the longish run-time (of nearly 170 minutes), the scenes don't overstay their welcome.
Analysis:
The first 45 minutes throw enough hints that help us understand Vaishnavi's psyche. She loves surprise gifts and that weakness comes back to play a spoilsport in unsavoury ways. She is somewhat greedy and insensitive but naive and childlike at the same time. That's what pulls us to her character and keeps us from overtly judging her. What she says on Instagram after Anand gifts her a smartphone defines the thinking of a lot of girls of her generation. They yearn for attention - which means they have to be given more expensive gifts.
Vaishnavi's mother is money-minded and subconsciously wishes for her daughter to climb the economic ladder. Her father is a liberal-minded drunkard who might not have discharged his duties as a patriarch when he was young. Probably, that's what emboldened Vaishnavi later in life to do things that she does.
Anand, on the other hand, is that old-fashioned guy who almost worships his girlfriend. He begs for her attention and can't comprehend it when she asks him to give her "space". Modern concepts are not for him, for he knows only poetic love. The evolution of his character is affecting; after a point, we start seeing the story from his perspective and the film never looks the same.
The second half is where most of the best scenes are in store. The dialogues are hard-hitting, the language dares to be raw, and the conversations are unsanitized for good.
A complaint is that the bad girl in the college should have been portrayed realistically. She comes across as a vamp more than your typical friend who you won't believe has a hidden agenda.
Closing Remarks:
'Baby' is a must-watch love story with a poignant ending. The second half is involving throughout. The first half is somewhat slow-paced but you won't mind the pace if you keep looking for hints to where Vaishnavi's thinking is headed. Awesome lead performances, excellent dialogues and a heart-rending climax make it a superb outing.
