'Darling', produced by Niranjan Reddy and Chaitanya Reddy, is heading for a theatrical release this Friday. In this section, we are going to review the latest BO release.
Plot:
Raghava (Priyadarshi) works as a travel advisor. Right from childhood, his only dream has been to marry a loving woman and honeymoon in Paris. When his wedding with Nandini (Ananya Nagalla) ends in a disaster because of the bride's elopement, he decides to die by suicide. In the process, he accidentally comes across a fun-loving woman named Anandhi (Nabha Natesh), who motivates him to live his life on his terms. Love happens in no time and they get married, only for Raghava to realize that she is suffering from a multiple split personality disorder. Each personality within Anandhi needs a closure. Will Raghava have a happy ending?
Performances:
Priyadarshi, his onscreen father Muralidhar Goud and his colleague Vishnu Oi are the only three male actors who don't go overboard in this mess. Priyardarshi's comic timing is a shade inferior compared to his ability to look somber in emotional scenes. Nabha Natesh plays the most performance-oriented role in her career. Since her character has been designed to deliver comedy, she should have done way better.
Ananya Nagalla has an extended cameo, while Brahmanandham (as Raghava's boss with just 1.5 scenes), Niharika Konidela (as a woman incapable of smiling) Moin, Jeevan (as an auto driver), Krishna Teja (as the other colleague of Raghava), and Raghu Babu (as Raghava's uncle) don't make much impact.
Technical aspects:
Vivek Sagar's uninspiring background score makes the idiosyncratic treatment look loud. The songs hardly stay with you. Cinematographer Naresh Ramadurai's work is average. Editor Pradeep E Raghav should have advised to purge at least two songs. At 160 minutes, the film is a tad lengthy.
Post-Mortem:
Writer-director Aswin Raam designs the marriage drama as an oddball comedy that relies on the acting chops of its lead pair. The split personality angle was introduced through the Trailer. Three parts of the first half are just a lead-up to the arrival of Anandhi's multiple personalities.
The film's identity crisis is evident. In one scene, it wants to be a coming-of-age relationship comedy. In another scene, it wants to be a madcap comedy that knows no logic. In yet another scene, it wants to be an excuse to indulge in wife jokes. With Sai Hemanth's lifeless lines, the jokes just don't land.
The first half is watchable (mostly) despite the obviously derivative nature of the humour. Raghava's scenes with his colleagues, his early conversations with Anandhi, and the humorous way in which he ends up marrying her all of a sudden make for a decent watch. Right from the pre-interval block, though, the narrative nosedives completely. The second half is directionless. 'Darling' finally plunges into a pre-climax and climax whose trajectory (complete with a teary cameo) is laughable.
'Darling' could have done with some sensitive portrayal of mental health issues. It could have done away with wife humour that feels so 'F2'. It could have done with better personalities inside Anandhi (one of the personalities is Sri Sri, a spiritual guru. For God's sake, why is this film so random?).
Closing Remarks:
'Darling' is directionless and meandering. While the first 40 minutes engage, the rest of the film is chaotic and random.
