Ardhambardha Premakathe Kannada (Theatres) 2023★★☆☆☆2/5Director:Aravind KaushikCast:Aravind K P, Divya Uruduga, Sooraj Hugar, Shreya Babu, Abhilash Dwarakish
Ardhambardha Premakathe (half-baked love story) narrates the story of a motor racing enthusiast and an ad film agency staffer.
The duo have just got out of relationships. They accidentally meet, go on a bike ride and have a good time. However, the duo is unable to forget memories of those few hours as they go back to their destinations. Have they fallen in love? Or do they decide to stay friends forever? We get answers to these questions as the climax approaches.
Lead actors Aravind K P and Divya Uruduga were in the limelight after they participated in a television reality show. But, what happens if a filmmaker attempts to cash in on the sudden popularity of such celebrities at the cost of a story? The result is an unconvincing film like ‘Ardhambardha Premakathe’.
Flawed plot and bad screenwriting make the film a unbearable experience. Kaushik defies logic in most scenes. He has added scenes that don’t complement the story, dragging it unnecesarily.
The film gains momentum just before the interval but sags soon after in the second half. Names of the lead characters are not revealed until the end, and only the filmmaker would know the reason for this.
As a pair Aravind and Divya are pleasing. But individually, their performances do not impress.The cinematography by Surya is commendable.
Should an emotion between a young man and a woman be always called love? ‘The film tried to deal with this subject. A strong plot, good characterisation, and an effective screenplay could have made the film better.
(Published 01 December 2023, 19:14 IST)