Virata Parvam Review: Unromantic Love Story!

Virata Parvam is the new movie starring Sai Pallavi in the leading role and Rana Daggubati as her male lead. Priyamani, Naveen Chandra, Nandita Das, Banerjee get supporting roles. Venu Udugula after impressive debut with Needhi Naadhi Okate Kadha, took his time to narrate this story, inspired by real life story of Sarala. Let’s discuss how the movie is …

Vennela (Sai Pallavi) takes birth during a Naxal-Police shootout. Saving her and her mother(Eeswari Rao)’s life, a naxal lady (Nivetha Pethuraj) gives her the name. Unfortunately, she gets shot immediately. Vennela is adamant as a kid and doesn’t heed to pressure of her parents from young age. If she desires something she has a habit of getting it even by risking her life. This habit doesn’t leave her even after growing up. Her father (Sai Chand) confirms her marriage with her brother-in-law (Rahul Ramakrishna).

She cancels it and runs away from house in search of her love Ravanna (Rana Daggubati). She meets many people who seem to have connections with Naxals. But wherever she goes, a police operation happens coincidentally. Finally, she meets Teacher (Nandita Das), who helps her in meeting Ravanna. Will he accept her love? Can she convince him? Even if she does, will she have to join his movement? How will she cope up with that? Will their love blossom? Watch movie to know answers…

Sai Pallavi has an actor proved herself in her first movie and now, she reached to a point where she cannot give a bad performance. It has to be director’s fault or lack of depth in writing if we don’t feel the same emotion as her character. Still, she gave her hundred percent. Rana Daggubati has been used to do action and less drama portions. His screen presence is good and he improved in portraying emotions but he still needs a good script. Nandita Das, Eeswari Rao, Sai Chand, Banerjee get few good scenes but their roles and their level of actors seem wasted. Naveen Chandra and Priyamani delivered apt performances to what they have been given.

This movie has been inspired from real life incident and director did not leave it as a secret. Even team went and met Sarala’s family, on whose life this story has been framed. While there are threads that seem good on paper, execution doesn’t really elevate them. Even the writing ignores portions where drama can be elevated. For example, Ravanna and Vennela falling in love or at least Vennela falling more deeply in love with Ravanna after meeting him should have been concentrated on. It cannot just be an adamant obsession of an young girl when you want your love story to be taken seriously. At least, she needs to show how much she is willing to do for Ravanna and his love and what motivates her to do so. Her motivation has been left for audience to fill in as she fell in love for someone’s soul.

Falling in love with an actor or writer due to some fascination has been a common thing. But that cannot be encouraged unless there is a proper motivation behind it or else if that obsession converts into a proper relationship. Here, nothing of that sorts happen. Venu Udugula tried to present what he read in papers as a story rather than creating scenes that give us proper insight into the psychology of the characters. Cinematography needs to be praised and production values are neat too. BGM by Suresh Bobbili doesn’t fit the movie. On paper this might have been good story but as a screenplay it needed much better treatment and it should have been executed more effectively.

Cast: Sai Pallavi, Rana Daggubati, Priyamani, Nandita Das, Naveen Chandra, Eeshwari Rao, Sai Chand, Rao Ramesh, Banerjee, Nivetha Pethuraj (cameo)

Crew:
Cinematography by Dani Sanchez-Lopez
Divakar Mani
Edited by A. Sreekar Prasad
Music by Suresh Bobbili
Written & Directed by Venu Udugula
Produced by Suresh Babu, Sudhakar Cherukuri