'AAY', produced by GA2 Pictures and presented by Allu Aravind, will be released in theatres on August 16th. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.
Plot:
Karthik (Narne Nithiin) lands in his village to work from home. Initially, he avoids his childhood friends Subbu and Hari because they have never mattered to him much. Karthik's unexpected love affair with Pallavi (Nayan Sarika), who is from another caste, forces Subbu and Hari to take a firm stand in his defence.
Performances:
Narne Nithiin is fortunate to have landed a film like 'AAY' after 'MAD'. In both films, he is supported by comedians who complement his performance. Rajkumar Kasireddy is so good that, in the near future, he could be a very good alternative to Satya. Ankith Koyya is likeable; he won't be limited to serious roles after 'AAY'. Mime Gopi is routine. Vinod Kumar is subtle.
Technical aspects:
Ram Miriyala's 'Sufiyana' is romantic; Sri Mani's lyrics are poetic. 'Ranganayaki', sung by Anurag Kulkarni, is lively as a marriage song. 'Amma Lalo Ram Bhajana' (sung by Penchal Das) is situational. Ajay Arasada's background score is not that smart; some scenes feel over-the-top because the score doesn't know where to pause.
Cinematographer Sameer Kalyani shows his talent, capturing the rain-soaked Godavari village. Editor Kodati Pavan Kalyan and Art Director Kiran Kumar Manne have worked on the movie.
Post-Mortem:
Debutant director Anji K Maniputhra wields the megaphone for this romantic comedy drama that attempts to be a physical comedy involving three outlandish friends. The three friends are so exaggerated and occasionally loud (two of them are permanently so) that they get compared to barking dogs. The background song could well have been 'Bow bow' instead of 'Aay... Aay'.
Karthik is a white-collar employee who is on a visit to his hometown during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. His Work From Home routine involves gaffes-ridden video calls with his boss, played by VTV Ganesh. In one scene, he flashes his privates while on his work call. It helps that the boss is a joker who never realizes that he has been taken for a ride every single time. Karthik also has dad issues waiting for an emotional pay-off.
Hari loses himself whenever his married girlfriend (an aunty with horny eyes) calls him. As for Pallavi, she is caste-conscious because of her father's indoctrination. She is proud of her hairdo, and the thousands of Insta likes she gets for her engagement farming. Kasireddy's character is the most farcical of all, generating the most laughs.
The rain-soaked frames add a feel-good texture to the film. Even an otherwise forced song like 'Diversion Beauty' works because of the upbeat music. The influence of parenting has been shown by blending a social commentary on caste-obsession with entertainment.
On the flip side, the so-called hilarious one-liners rarely land. A character says, "If you can't see me, start wearing glasses". Are we supposed to laugh? Pallavi maintains a WhatsApp group named 'Kulame mana balam'. The way Nayan Sarika mouths it, it is as if the film expects us to break into laughter. Sorry! An old man who is a porn addict annoys for the most part, except in a scene set during a 'Jathara'. The over-used social media meme of 'Aa okka maata tho' (Trivikram's famous speech) is deployed to zero effect.
Closing Remarks:
'AAY' makes for a breezy watch this season.
