'Dude' Movie Review

'Dude' Movie Review

Actors: Pradeep Ranganathan, Mamita Baiju, Sarath Kumar, Rohini, Hrudu Haroon, Aishwarya Sharma and others

Music: Sai Abhyankar

Cinematography: Niketh Bommi

Producers: Yelamanchili Ravishankar- Naveen Erneni

Written-Directed by: Keerthiswaran

Young Tamil hero Pradeep Ranganathan has quietly built a solid fan base in Telugu after the success of Love Today and Return of the Dragon. Now he's back again, this time with a film titled Dude, crafted by the popular Tollywood banner Mythri Movie Makers. Directed by Keerthiswaran, who's making his debut, the film has Premalu fame Mamita Baiju joining as the female lead. The pairing feels fresh, and the buzz around it has been strong, especially among Telugu youth who liked Pradeep's earlier work. Dude has finally hit the screens today, and everyone's curious if it really lives up to all that hype or not. Here's how it is.

Story:

Cousins (Bava-Maradalu) Gagan (Pradeep Ranganathan) and Kundana (Mamita Baiju) have known each other since they were kids. They grew up together, shared everything, and ultimately became close friends. Somewhere along the way, Kundana starts liking Gagan. But he pulls back, says he doesn't feel the same. Time passes, and then it hits him, as he falls for her. Just when he's ready to confess, life throws a twist. Kundana's heart is now with someone else. The families, unaware, fix their marriage anyway. Gagan, being the good guy, decides to let her go to the one she truly loves.

But fate doesn't play fair, a few turns later, Gagan ends up marrying Kundana. What happens after that? Do they ever find peace with each other? Or does the past come between them again? The rest of the story unfolds around how their tangled emotions settle or maybe don't.

Analysis:

What if two best friends fall in love without even realizing it? What if one hides their feelings, and the other figures it out too late? This kind of story isn't new. Tarun's Nuvve Kavali did it years ago, then Sukumar's Arya gave a fresh twist, and later came Arya-2. But over time, these stories turned predictable and routine. However, Keerthiswaran, a new director, took that classic vibe and shaped it for today's crowd with Dude. He skipped the usual “hero and heroine finally end up together” ending and threw in some twists that you don't see coming. Some of them might make you go, “Wait… what just happened?” But that's kind of the point. Whether it works for you depends on how much you connect with the emotions on screen.

The movie has its highs. Pradeep Ranganathan keeps things lively, Sai Abhyankar's music sticks in your head, and there are random funny moments sprinkled here and there. The story starts off nicely: the heroine confesses, the hero says no, then realizes he loves her, meanwhile she's into someone else, and suddenly there's a marriage plan in the mix. That confusion makes it entertaining, and the emotional beats hit well, mostly.

But right after the interval, Dude drifts a bit. Some of the emotional moments between the leads feel off, and the story's flow gets shaky. But the ending recovers nicely, giving a satisfying wrap-up. Sure, the plot has its ups and downs, but with Pradeep's performance and a few sparkling moments, Dude is worth a watch. It's messy, fun, and sometimes surprising as it's the kind of movie that doesn't go the way you expect, and maybe that's okay.

Performances:

Honestly, Dude would have fallen flat without Pradeep Ranganathan. The guy owns every scene he's in, and you can't just take your eyes off him. His style strikes differently; his gestures and little habits make you lean in, like, “What's he gonna do next?” He nails the important scenes. At the same time, heroine Mamita Baiju does a good job too and goes well with Pradeep as their chemistry clicks. Malayalam actor Hrudu Haroon? He's just okay. Senior star Sarath Kumar's role is decent. Rohini doesn't get much screen time, but in the few moments she has, she's noticeable. The actor playing the hero's friend and the rest of the cast are okayish. Technicians:

All the hype about young music director Sai Abhyankar is not fake, we have to say. His music actually makes a difference. Even some of the boring scenes feel better, thanks to the background score, and the bit-songs he scored, stick in your head. Niketh Bommi's cinematography looks clean, and the production feels polished. Keerthiswaran, the writer-director, knows what young audiences like and picked Pradeep perfectly for it. However, the screenplay jumps around a bit, and a few scenes can be annoying. On the whole, the director's work is okayish, nothing mind-blowing, but there are moments that do hit.

Verdict: Dude.. It's Pradeep Ranganathan's Show

Rating: 2.75/5