Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga made a mark with films like Arjun Reddy and Animal, and has now come up with a small film titled Romanchakam. Along with his brother Pranay Reddy, he produced the film under their Bhadrakali Pictures banner, with Sumanth Prabhas and Ananthika playing the lead pair. The film generated curiosity as it was promoted by none other than top actor Prabhas. Vijay Deverakonda also promoted the film, while superstar Mahesh Babu later gave his review of it. The Reddy brothers introduced Venu Gopal Reddy as a director with this film. There are several upcoming actors in Romanchakam, and the makers have promoted it as a complete entertainer.
Director: Venu Gopal Reddy
Cast: Sumanth Prabhas, Ananthika, Narendra Ravi, Venkatesh Kakumanu, Mani Aegurla, Sai Sohan and others
Anvesh (Sumanth Prabhas) has completed his graduation and wants to start a company with his friends. He plans to launch a dating application called Romanchakam, mainly aimed at youngsters. He meets Mythili (Ananthika), who lives in Chennai, through the app, and the two eventually become good friends. On Mythili’s birthday, Anvesh wants to surprise her, so he travels from Hyderabad to Chennai and calls her, asking her to come to a hotel. She says she will come and meet him, but surprisingly, she switches off her phone and blocks Anvesh’s number as well as his accounts on other apps. A few days later, Mythili comes to Hyderabad and surprises Anvesh, who accommodates her at his friend’s apartment. But suddenly, Mythili disappears from the apartment. Anvesh and his friends become worried and start searching for her across Hyderabad. What actually happened to Mythili? Why did she disappear? Will their love story succeed? You have to watch the film to find out.
Venu Gopal Reddy has not only directed the film but has also written the story, dialogues, screenplay and handled the editing. The caption of the film says Prema, Hasyam and Utkanta, but there is hardly any love or suspense in it. Instead, the director completely relies on comedy. The film starts by showing how Anvesh wants to start the dating application Romanchakam and introduces his friends. Anvesh meets Mythili, and from there, the film moves forward with comic scenes involving the friends and the lead pair. The film has a wafer-thin story, and it moves ahead mainly with punch dialogues and comic scenes.
The first half revolves around Anvesh and Mythili and how they connect with each other through the app on their phones. The story starts with the protagonist planning a startup, but that aspect never really appears in the story or gets discussed later. Just before the interval, Mythili disappears from the apartment, and the friends start searching for her. Upendra Limaye, who plays a police officer, then questions the friends about the missing girl. One scene stands out, but the director stretches the cop-and-friends sequences a little too much.
Once again, the focus shifts to the lead pair, Anvesh and Mythili, and the reason behind her disappearance. The climax too comes out hilariously, and the last 20 minutes of the film are simply entertaining, with the entire marriage episode turning into a complete laugh riot. Director Venu Gopal Reddy’s strong point is his writing, and he comes up with superb dialogues and hilarious punch lines. Especially his writing for Narendra Ravi, who impressed with his earlier film The Great Pre-Wedding Show, works very well, and the actor once again steals the show with his punch lines.
If you look at this film as a serious story or expect suspense or emotion, you will not find much of any of them. The only thing the film does is entertain you from start to finish, with one comic scene after another. Sandeep Reddy Vanga and his Bhadrakali Pictures have previously produced films like Arjun Reddy in Telugu and Hindi, followed by Animal, which were quite bold, violent and packed with adult content. Romanchakam is completely opposite to those films, as the makers have attempted to offer a light-hearted roller coaster ride with this buddy comedy.
Sumanth Prabhas comes out with flying colours as Anvesh, and he is far better than his earlier two films, Mem Famous and Godari Gattupaina. He justifies his role as an engineering graduate, and his performance is natural. Ananthika delivers another commendable performance as Mythili, but her role is limited, especially in the second half.
The highlight of the film is definitely Narendra Ravi, who steals the show with his punch lines, body language and dialogue delivery. He is simply superb and provides much-needed laughs throughout the film. The other friends, Venkatesh Kakumanu, Mani Aegurla and Sai Sohan, also deliver natural performances as friends and provide plenty of laughs. Upendra Limaye is a big miscast, and the makers could have opted for a Telugu actor instead. The music is good, with two songs coming out nicely. The cinematography is excellent, while the editing could have been crisper.
Romanchakam is a contemporary film, with the story revolving around a gang of friends. If you put aside all the logic and do not take it too seriously, this film will entertain you in a hilarious way for more than two hours. The one-liners and punch dialogues are too good to miss if you simply want to have some fun.
