When you’re repeating yourself or rather sticking to play safe as an actor, what’s exactly happening? Is Nithiin substantiating his position as the go-to dude for rom-com after Naga Chaitanya or defeating himself by limiting his skill-set? Such questions can safely stay aside while watching Chinnadana Nee Kosam, which’s strictly made for laughs. The only purpose here is to ensure popcorn entertainment with some lavish outings, some laughs, some teary-eyed flashbacks and equal disappointments. The film is strictly sans emotion and may not even have a great shelf-life. But, wait, does that matter here? Not quite. So, the film serves its purpose, not wholeheartedly, but enough to forgive its flaws.
The film has all indications of Nithiin’s starry aspirations. He is introduced in a shaky action-sequence with a sunrise in the background. The better aspect is that, the film plays with limited characters and doesn’t multiply the confusion. It’s a small-world, a global village, we may label. This comes with a risk of taking too many things for granted. How long can this thin-wire be stretched? Our response for the same will answer this question of either adjusting with it or detesting it.
Mishti Chakraborty is very much Karunakaran’s trademark heroine. She is given a fairy-like treatment, the traces of what we grabbed of Keerthi Reddy and Kaajal previously, wearing white salwar-kames in her first shot. The hero paints her in the form of portrait. She dances, learns music, fools the hero and acts to be cute. For all these reasons, this template works for the genre that the director specializes in. He is at his best during the lighter moments and downright silly when trying to bring together connections and emotions.
As we must have realised the situation, Chinnadana Nee Kosam follows the herd, dumbing it down for an average-watcher. The laughs in generic situations come about naturally during the first hour. Nithiin is very good during this phase as he coasts along the newfound confidence he had regained with Ishq. The desperate effort to stretch the screenplay shows up later though. The abroad-scenic locations, the pub-song, the gay humour, the road-trip is intertwined with a family-bonding stretch that’s as fake as it can get. So, what does a director exactly do here? Packaging the dish in a new flavor. A Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde seems too far off.
The cowboy song sequence integrates into the film well, reminding one of how some little-things manage to bring a smile. The heroine is angry with the guy in the sequence. Some fascination for Pawan Kalyan is interestingly played and the song unfolds. We prepare a list for what works in a romantic comedy and find almost everything in Chinnadana Nee Kosam. But, all these impressive bits aren’t backed by anything soulful or weighty enough. Once again, how wide can you stretch this elastic?
Two and a half stars
Review by Srivathsan N. First published in Cinegoer.net