Banaras

Banaras

The film moves on highly predictable lines. Actually there's a storyline with lots of twists and turns in director Nemom Pushparaj's Banaras, but is disjointed and lacks clarity.

The basic premise is that of a young man, who is moving out of his village and from an innocent Murappennu, to pursue his studies at the Banaras Hindu University.

He becomes friendly with another girl there and what happens next is what the film is all about. The performances of the actors involved do not help to get matters right as well.

The protagonist, Hari (Vineeth), is going to Banaras not just for his research but to find more about his mother who died there. He leaves behind Devu (Navya), who is madly in love with him. In Banaras, Hari meets Amrita (Kavya), a half-Malayali girl and they become good friends. Things take unexpected turns in their lives from then on.

It is the fractured screenplay and its unimaginative narrative style that is the major flaw with this love triangle. The viewer gets the feeling that the makers of the film had too much to tell, but they just didn't know how to do it, in a gripping way.

What happens as a result is a mangled mess that is clich?d to the core. It has been announced as a musical, and there are some nice compositions by M.Jayachandran, though it is unnoticed.

The actors generally share cold vibes and zero chemistry even during the romantic scenes, especially Vineeth and Kavya. Though a major part of the events are happening in Banaras, the visuals are limited to a few locations there.

The dialogues are contrived and most of the situations are evidently weak. The comic department that involves Suraj Venjarammood, Jagathy Sreekumar and Harisree Asokan falls flaton its face.

The film is at best, is a wasted opportunity. The careless approach and lack of passion ruin its chances, though there are some nice aspects like the music, costumes and a talented cast.

If you're looking for the feel of holy Banaras, well, it's completely lacking here!

Verdict: Disappointing