It’s always the love stories that are the most relatable because we might not have been in a fight with somebody in real life (as is the case for action films) or encountered a ghostly figure (as in horror films), but love is something that happens to anybody and everybody. And to be specific, one-sided love is the most common of all. That’s the premise of Girish A.D’s ‘Premalu’.
A generic story to say, as a confused boy ‘Sachin’ falls for a super-focus career-driven girl ‘Reenu’ and does everything in his power to win her love back. The premise might be generic and age-old. Girish A.D‘s approach in making ‘Premalu’ is genuine, humorous, and resonant, particularly for the generation that wants to settle in metro cities due to their education or job aspirations.
Super-Relatable Characters:
One thing is guaranteed: you will resonate with the characters of ‘Premalu’; they are the people we encounter in our everyday lives, and we may even see some aspects of ourselves in them. Sachin (Naslen), who, after facing rejection from a girl in college, intends to go to the UK because one of his friends is relocating there. Even when his visa is denied, he encounters a friend who persuades him to accompany him to Hyderabad and prepare for competitive exams.
On the exact opposite side of the spectrum is Reenu (Mamitha Baiju), a career-driven woman who has planned everything until the age of 30. We first met her when she gets her first job in an IT company.
The film’s most comical and most interesting character comes from Shyam Mohan, who plays the role of ‘Aadhi’, an achiever with an overly positive attitude that comes out so positive that it becomes toxic in his ways. Yet, his saying ‘JK’ short for just kidding will definitely give you laughter.
Looking At ‘Hyderabad’ with a Different Lens:
The director’s treatment of Hyderabad is a feat in itself, it is visually stunning and sparkles with super likable characters. A big shout out to Ajmal Sabu, a young cinematographer of ‘Premalu’ who is from Kerala but he captures everyday Hyderabad with a fresh lens which might have only come for a visitor’s eyes, as the native loses or gets accustomed to the freshness in a city. What Anjali Menon’s ‘Bangalore Days’ did for Bangalore, this film does it for Hyderabad.
In one instance Sachin says it is Reenu’s Hyderabad, I find it relatable because, at some point in time, we all have started to know a city from a person that we know. And Probably ‘Reenu’ is the perfect metaphor for the city too as she is free-spirited and career-driven at the same time.
But, even with its comic or romantic tone, the film always reminds you that this is not set in an alternate reality, still, the problem of the real world exists, the engineering students are having a hard time getting a job or the language discrimination that the people face when they move to a different state.
Naslen and Mamitha Baiju portray their roles with convictions that can easily pass off as they might have lived them. Sangeeth Prathap’s Amal Davis and Shyam Mohan’s Aadhi also deserve their share of appreciation as they make the film what it is.
‘Premalu’ has all the traits that make an entraining rom-com, from long-distance car drive to running to catch the train sequences. I believe writers have done their homework very well and have not left any stone unturned to tell a story that is as old as time yet fresh and modern simultaneously. Girish A.D’s ‘Premalu’ ticks all the boxes that make a relatable Rom-Com, and proves that this Malayam Filmmaker has a lot to offer and has a promising career ahead of him.
‘Premalu’ is available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar.
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