Manmadhudu (2002) :
Brief Review -
A typical formulaic rom-com done right with additional drama. K. Vijaya Bhaskar's "Nuvvu Naaku Nachchav" (2001) with Venkatesha was simply adorable, and it's a timeless family entertainer. With Manmadhudu, I was expecting a similar kind of film, but it was a bit lower than expected. I am not saying that it's a bad film; it's just that it isn't as great as NNN. It's a formulaic rom-com done right for mainstream cinema lovers, with an additional dose of drama. Firstly, who is that duffer who wrote that Manmadhudu is inspired by the Hollywood flick, "What Women Want" (2000)? Did he really see these two films or just write it for fun, and how the hell Wikipedia hasn't erased it yet? Let me make it clear that Manmadhudu has nothing to do with What Women Want. The film is about Abhiram, a mysogynist who has a lot of girls in his office and is forced to travel with his new lady boss, Harika. Harika learns about his past and why he hates girls/women so much, and she begins to feel affection for him. Abhiram, too, starts getting attracted to her during the Paris trip. His sweet dreams are shattered soon after learning that Harika is already engaged to be married soon. Will these two dare to accept their love and come together? There are two love stories in the film, and both begin without any proper theories. That's modern love, I guess. It's a predictable story for anyone who has seen at least 50 rom-coms from old Hollywood, Bollywood, and Tollywood. There is nothing new. The comedy and songs work just fine enough to keep you hooked, and the performances are fairly okay. Bhaskar's direction offers everything that you expect from a contemporary rom-com, and that's quite engaging too. Overall, it's a pretty good watch for couples and families, but 8+ user ratings at IMDb? I'll not bet on that, even for free.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
