I Love You Review
I Love You Review

I Love You Movie Review: Upendra’s signature style gives a classic touch to this romantic drama

 I Love You, as a film, acts as a reality check on life and love in today’s practical world
Rating:(3 / 5)

Defining love is not as simple as consulting a dictionary. For any human being, love continues to be a mystery, as it is a feeling that can never be expressed in certainty. Even the dictionary has several synonyms, ranging from intimacy or affection to weakness or pure sexual attraction. Chandru’s title card rolls with scenes of some of the best romantic Kannada films to tell the audience what to look forward to.

Director: R Chandru

Cast: Upendra, Rachita Ram, Sonu Gowda

In I Love You, Santhosh Narayan (played by Upendra) is a business tycoon married to Sonu (Sonu Gowda). The couple has a daughter. In one of the strange twists that fate loves to throw our way, he meets his first love Dharmika (Rachita Ram), who asks him to book a hotel room and keep it private. Santhosh’s friends goad him to make it a memorable night and settle dues of his past. The two meet up and through their conversation, the audience is taken into a flashback of their heydays. 

The narration runs back and forth, and in the flashback, Dharmika, as a college student, is doing a Ph.D. on love and for her thesis, she feels Santhosh is the right person to study. While Dharmika believes love is divine, Santhosh believes more in the contemporary version of love and feels physical attraction is a must. However, we see him fall in love with Dharmika, but things don’t work out and they part ways. 

Whether Santhu will get back to his first love and will Dharmika accept him is the story. I Love You, as a film, acts as a reality check on life and love in today’s practical world. Having said that, love always triumphs in the end.

The story is not new and had been told way back by Dr Rajkumar, Manjula, and Kalpana in Eradu Kanasu (Two Dreams), which released in 1974. The film, directed by duo Dorai and S Bhagwan, was based on a novel where the hero, despite being in love with a girl, is forced to marry somebody else. How he still broods over his first love and finds it difficult to get along with his wedded wife makes the story. The film was remade in Telugu too. However, for the Upendra starrer, director R Chandru gives the story a modern makeover, explaining the current approach to love. The director falls back on familiar territory and has come up with a very basic story that has predictable consequences. A love story, that filmmakers across the world have been peddling since time immemorial, interestingly, has a cast that makes this film work.

The director could not have found a better actor than Upendra to talk on love. The actor pulls off both roles, a college student and a business tycoon, with elan and class. Upendra’s signature style gives a classic touch to this romantic drama while making it youthful as well. Of course, his dialogues and dance moves keep the audience connected to the storyline. 

Refreshingly, I Love You is a film that gives equal importance to the heroine, and Rachita Ram shines in a meaty role. Rachita and Upendra bring the script to life and share good onscreen chemistry. Even though Sonu Gowda shares less screen space, she manages to make her presence felt. 

Music for I Love You is scored by Kiran Thotambyle, Indra KM, and Aria Dakshinand, and every song blends into the story. However, in case of the much-talked-about track Maatanaadi Maayavade, the backdrop to the seductive song is to the point and situational. Sugnaan’s cinematography style is noticeable in parts, especially the pleasing picturisation of the greenbelt.

When the film ends with Upendra saying 'I Love You' to his chosen one, the audience, including many Uppi fans, erupt into cheer.

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