| Director | Girish A.D. |
| Writers | Girish A.D., Kiran Josey |
| Cast | Naslen, Mamitha Baiju, Shyam Mohan, Althaf Salim, Akhila Bhargavan, Meenakshi Raveendran |
| Runtime | 156 minutes |
| Genre | Drama, Comedy |
– No Spoilers –
Sachin and Reenu soaring high to achieve their dreams and ambitions find affection and love in each other. However, as chaos and mishaps from both their lives collide into a mess, will the two of them be able to overcome these obstacles and stay with each other forever?
Ah to be young and feel all of life’s possibilities swirling in front of us! This light-hearted comedy about love and young dreams is a heartfelt watch from start to end and leaves us laughing for most of its runtime. The story follows Sachin as he tries to follow his dreams, only to be met with resistance on every path, as well as his attempts to find love, which also doesn’t always work out in his favour.
It’s a movie that we have watched many times before, but none quite in this way because the general vibe of the movie is so sweet that it’s difficult to ignore the chaotic humour all around. Sachin, our protagonist, feels like a warm and mostly innocent kid who doesn’t have much of an idea about what he’s doing, which makes him thoroughly relatable because we have all been there. On the other hand, Reenu is more sorted and is absolutely adorable to follow. Regardless of their flaws, all the characters in this movie are cute as a button and thoroughly relatable in every scene.
Thus, it’s the characters that make Premalu such an endearing watch. It may be the most generic movie out there, but the characters set it apart from other movies. Also, the fact that the movie is extremely self-aware and doesn’t try to be anything more than its generic storyline. However, there’s depth in the story as well as the characters that give the generic story many different colours. Thus, at a whopping 156 minutes, the movie feels like a riot to watch and is thoroughly enjoyable.
Not one minute is boring and the fun background score just adds to the fun and light vibe. Plus, the fact that the movie’s love story moves at an acceptable pace and people don’t just jump into love is so refreshing. Although the characters do develop crushes and start to like each other (as they usually do), the relationship part takes time and develops with time, which is great to watch.
Reenu and Sachin’s relationship is also an interesting part of the story. Although the situations are hilarious, it’s the subtext that matters here, with Sachin being a man-child with wild dreams that don’t realistically make sense and Reenu being the wiser realist who is clear about what she wants in life. The film doesn’t try to change either of them to be something more than two people in love so it’s refreshing that Reenu doesn’t have to dumb herself down to match Sachin or he doesn’t have to become something that he is not – it’s okay for them to exist in their own planes while being together because sometimes it just works.
And then we have Aadhi, a man we love to hate – he’s the toxic masculine type who never goes to the extremes but doesn’t miss out on making our skin crawl with his “good guy” vibes. Don’t get me wrong – he’s absolutely hilarious with his annoying b*llsh*t and makes for some of the most entertaining moments in the movie. His interactions with Reenu and Sachin are also hilarious as he tries his best to get it on with Reenu but just can’t find a way into her heart.
Naslen and Mamitha Baiju as Sachin and Reenu are just so cute that it’s difficult to look away from their earnest performances. Both of them play their roles to the point, so much so that you can’t help but root for them. Shyam Mohan as Aadhi is also so hilariously earnest as the hyper-masculine man with a mansplaining problem that you will hate to love him and love to hate him.
Premalu Review: Final Thoughts
Premalu is the perfect watch for everyone who wants to have a light and fun time. It’s warm, funny and fuzzy and a total hoot to watch and the reliability just makes things every more watchable. Throughout the runtime, the push and pull between Sachin and Reenu make for a chaotic watch that makes us root for them even more. With great performances from everyone, this rom-com will definitely create a space in your heart.
Premalu is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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