Movie Review : 'Prasanna Vadannam'
Cast: Suhas, Payal Radhakrishna, Raashi Singh, Nithin Prasanna, Nandu, Viva Harsha and others.
Music: Vijay Bulganin
Cinematography: S Chandrasekharan
Producer: Manikanta
Writer - Director: Arjun YK
Suhas is picking interesting subjects and making a name for himself in the industry. His movies offer quality content within the limited budget. He has arrived with ‘Prasanna Vadanam’ and the promotional content impressed everyone. With Sukumar’s student being the director, the expectations have raised over this flick. Let us dive into the review to find more about this film.
Story:
Surya (Suhas) is an RJ on a radio channel. He loses his parents in a road accident and he too gets seriously injured. He has a strange health problem which is not being able to recognise faces and voices. He makes sure that no one knows about it except his close friend. Adya (Payal) who enters Surya’s life likes him and understands his problem too. While his life goes on smoothly, he witnesses a murder. He goes to the police station to file a complaint but ends up in big trouble. What is that trouble? How did Surya get out of it? Answers to these questions form the rest of the story.
Analysis:
In the midst of all the routine content, when we see a teaser or trailer with a new concept, we get extremely excited. But the promising idea is not used fully and directors usually fail to convert it into an engaging film. But Sukumar’s student Arjun YK penned an interesting screenplay around a new idea and managed to engage people for more than two hours. The idea itself sounds interesting as it is about a guy who cannot see faces and recognize voices but ends up in the midst of a murder case. In movies by Maruthi, we have seen heroes having defects and the director treated it in a comedic manner. But ‘Prasanna Vadanam’ makers used the problem to thrill the audience rather than entertain them. With the hero’s problem being new, every scene related to it looks fresh. He wrote a template murder mystery around a new idea and engaged the audience well. It kept the audience invested from beginning to the end.
The main thing that attracted people in the trailer of ‘Prasanna Vadanam’ was the hero’s problem. The director used such a character as the main point and wrote everything around him. We don’t know if this problem exists in real life or not but the director used it quite well. He effectively showcased how the hero hides his problem from everyone and goes through the day. The romantic track between hero and heroine too was interesting. Scenes revolving around them are a bit exaggerated but they generate good entertainment. The first hour runs smoothly with good fun and romance. It then turns into a crime thriller. He made sure that the movie is thrilling till the end. He revealed the villain midway which is liked by many. The villain’s strategies and the hero’s troubles make the situation even worse. The audience will be quite invested in what happens next.
From here on starts the ups and downs. The speed of thriller movies went missing in the second half. The way the hero comes out of tough situations is not that engaging. There are some loose ends as the hero solves one problem after another quickly. The firm grip shown by the director has gone missing since then and the logic goes for a toss too. The movie becomes way too slow in the second half and people wait for the climax twist to arrive. The climax too ends on a predictable note. The drama around the heroine’s character was supposed to make you thrill but bring out the laughter. The hero, new idea and engaging screenplay are the biggest plus points of ‘Prasanna Vadanam’. But the movie loses its grip midway through the second half. The movie doesn’t bore you at all and it is a different attempt from the makers and people who love refreshing thrillers are going to like it.
Performances:
There are no faults in the acting of Suhas. He was very convincing in this role. He lifted the film in certain scenes and brought out good emotions when needed. Above all that, he should be appreciated for showcasing variety and picking up good scripts. Despite his average looks, he is winning over people with his script selection and performances.
Payal Radhakrishna looks good onscreen and her acting was ok as well. Raashi Singh is fine in a major role. Nithin Prasanna impressed the audience once again in a negative role. Nandu gets a limited role and Viva Harsha excels in the hero’s friend role. Goparaju Ramana and others did a decent job.
Technicians:
‘Baby’ fame Vijay Bulganin’s music is good. Two songs will impress you and his background score suited the flow of the movie. The cinematography by Chandrasekharan is amazing as well. He provided what was necessary for a thriller flick. The limitations in production values are evident. But we don’t mind them as the major focus is on story and screenplay. Arjun YK showed his mark with this movie. It is quite risky to make his debut with such a movie. He dealt it quite well and it would have been perfect if the movie is a bit quicker. But the director gets good marks nonetheless.
Verdict: Prasanna Vadanam - Old Thriller with A New Color
Rating: 2.75/5