'Miss. Shetty Mr. Polishetty' was released in theatres today (September 7). In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.
Story:
Siddhu Polishetty (Naveen Polishetty) is a white-collar job-holder by the day and an aspiring stand-up comedian by the night. Anvitha Shetty (Anushka Shetty) is a London-based chef who wants to mother a child without entering into a marital relationship. In contrast, Siddhu would prefer to be in a stable, committed relationship if given a chance.
When Anvitha runs into Siddhu at an open mic night, she instantly likes his personality. She befriends him with the unrevealed aim of convincing him to be a sperm donor. Siddhu, like a typical guy, mistakes her interest in him for love. When he realizes what she needs from him, he feels he has been taken for a royal ride. Will he break up with her? Does she convince him to see her perspective? What is the arc of their relationship? That's what the second half, filled with humorous scenes barring the pre-climax and climax, is about.
Performances:
Naveen enters the rom-com space with practiced ease. He retains his effortless capacity to indulge in sharp repartees while showing zero intimidation in the presence of a superstar actress. He is a revelation in the emotional scenes in the third act, revealing a side that he didn't get to in 'Agent Sai Srinivas Athreya' and 'Jathi Ratnalu'.
This one is Anushka Shetty's first full-fledged theatrical release since 'Bhaagamathie' in 2018. Her dynamic with Naveen lacks the punch. Yet, somehow, the emotional arc of her story works when Naveen is around. While she could have been more fluid in the light-veined scenes, she is surely better off in the serious scenes.
Murali Sharma, who was recently seen as a ritualistic religious preacher in 'Kushi', once again proves he is the go-to character artist. Jayasudha plays that elder with a routine yet much-needed perspective. Her Balakrishna fangiri has been deployed for a healthy laugh or two.
Abhinav Gomatam, Sonia Deepti, Nassar and Tulasi are seen in different roles. None of them has been used effectively. It would have helped had Tulasi (as the hero's mother) not been reduced to such a comic prop.
Technical aspects:
'Hathavidi', 'Lady Luck' and 'No No No', all composed by Radhan, somehow work despite their basic musical quality. The song that unfolds during the opening credits, and the climax song are good. Gopi Sundar's background music fulfills its purpose.
Cinematographer Nirav Shah is someone who has worked on big-scale movies like '2.0' and superstar movies like 'Valimai' in the past. His work is compelling enough. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao's editing is average.
Analysis:
Naveen Polishetty is easily the film's biggest asset. The interview scene with Anushka's character in the first half proves that he is here to stay for the next two decades. Even the stand-up comedy set where he cracks not-so-fresh jokes on marriage works because of his rare talent.
Director Mahesh Babu P's writing talent comes to the fore in the scene where Murali Sharma's character discovers his son performing a comedy set for the first time. Unfortunately for Siddhu, who is frustrated with his day job and who is a 'sanskari' son at home, he happens to crack jokes on his parents that night. This is a case of talented writing, where the protagonist's bad luck and the generational gap come together to make the situation worse for him.
The male lead's character has been established well, but better care should have been taken with respect to the heroine's scenes. After a point, the viewer forgets what it means for her to get pregnant. Barring a montage shot in which she is thrilled about the baby bump (she is seen holding a pillow), we don't get to read her atypical mental state.
Whenever the film falls short on the writing front, clean humour does the job. It is commendable that sperm jokes, mast*rbation jokes and suchlike have not been overdone in a below-the-belt fashion. The dignity of Siddhu and Anvitha is not mortgaged in favour of cheap laughs.
Closing Remarks:
Barring the jaded first 10 minutes and the predictable last 20 minutes, 'Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty' is an enjoyable film. Watch it!
