Directed by Maresh Shivan, and featuring Dinesh Tej, Hebah Patel, and Payal Radhakrishna in the lead roles, Ala Ninnu Cheri has been released today. The film’s pre-release event was graced by director Sai Rajesh of Baby movie fame, who said that the film would strike a chord with everyone. While the trailer of the film was interesting, let’s see how the film has turned out to be.
Story:
Dinesh is seen as a middle-class boy with high ambition in Ala Ninnu Cheri, who falls in love with a girl from an affluent and rich family, played by Payal. While everything seems to be going fine, Dinesh’s character is often torn between pursuing his ambition and love. Things get complicated when he moves to the city to pursue his dreams, where he meets another girl, played by Hebah Patel. The rest of the story is about who that girl is, how she impacts his life, and what happens in the end.
On-Screen Performances:
Dinesh Tej is commendable in his performance in the lead role, bringing much-needed depth and complexity to his character. He embodies every nuance of his character very well, guiding the audience very well through his character’s inner turmoil and journey. He is seen in two avatars in the film, and he has managed to fit into both these avatars pretty well.
Hebah Patel has been seen on the big screen in a meaningful role after a really long time, and she has once again given her best in her character. As an urban, independent girl, the actress has showcased the various intricacies of what it means to be her, in this particular story.
Payal Radhakrishna doesn’t have a lot to do when compared to the other two leads. Despite that, she does her best in what she has been given. Her scenes with Dinesh have turned out to be pretty good and convincing.
The remaining supporting cast, including Jhansi, Mahesh Achanta, Chammak Chandra and others have done well in what they have been given.
Off-Screen Talents:
Director Maresh Shivan, who has also written the script of the film, has not come up with a new concept. The concept has been seen in various forms in several films so far. However, it is the way he treats this concept that makes the difference. There are a lot of commendable scenes in the film when it comes to exploring the characters that the director has written. The emotional payoff between Hebah and Dinesh’s characters is good. Having said that, it is also to be noted that the director takes up too much time establishing stuff, so much so that the screenplay feels very dragged. The film, on the whole, feels like a drag, with several scenes being melodramatic and over-welcoming their stay.
The cinematography of the film is quite good and proves to be an asset for the film. The locations and emotions are perfectly captured on screen.
The background music of the film is alright and good in places, but the songs of the film do not make much of an impact. Considering how songs play a major part in a film’s success, it could be said that the songs of this film are one of its weakest factors.
The production design of the film is good, and the editing could have been better.
Plus Points:
- Lead performances
- Cinematography
Minus Points:
- Screenplay
- Lagged scenes
- Songs
Verdict: Ala Ninnu Cheri is a rom-com that does not have a lot of twists or turns. It sticks to its formula. While the performances are good, there’s nothing that stands out and makes an impression. Watch the film if you’re into rom-coms, otherwise, you can skip it.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.25/5