Dulquer Salmaan has pretty much exhausted all the lover-boy tropes and cinematic cliches in his short but substantial filmography, from the college kid finding his way in life in films like “Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013)” to the more worldly, commitment-phobe in “OK Kanmani (2015)” and it has seemed like he is playing the same characters over and over again in recent projects. So it is with much trepidation and lack of any expectation that I heard the announcement of yet another romance drama with the young scion of Mollywood in the lead, that too in Telugu.
The man, however, seems to thrive on throwing conventions and expectations to the wind, combining forces with director Hanu Raghavapudi and two charming leading ladies to deliver one of the most gut-wrenching romantic tales of the year, that is sure to tug at your heartstrings. The period story set against the backdrop of war and terrorism, immaculate production design, colorful costumes, combined with an intrepid lead romantic pairing make “Sita Ramam” the perfect concoction of romance that the box office has been missing for some time.
Rashmika Mandanna stars as “Afreen” a cynical, rebellious Pakistani teenager in 1980s London, tasked by her grandfather on his deathbed to return a mysterious letter to an Indian lady who he was never able to locate during his dying days. As the stubborn youngster starts her search for the peculiar person named “Sita Mahalakshmi” (Mrunal Thakur) addressed in the letter, she uncovers more clues that unravel her story as well as that of her dashing lover, “Luitenant Ram” (Dulquer) and their star-crossed romance during the war-ravaged 1960s in Kashmir. While the first half gets sluggish and boring in places, the second half reveals that these initial set-up scenes were crucial to complete the intricate character arcs of our three principal protagonists.
Trio of superb performances
Director Hari Raghavapudi and cinematographer PS Vinod spare no detail in capturing the scenic beauty and natural aesthetic of Kashmir and the stirring songs rendered by Vishal Chandrasekhar become the cherry on top, propelling the love story to another plane altogether. Dulquer Salmaan’s natural disarming charm and Mrunal Thakur’s grace and elegance make a devastating pairing, one you will instinctively find yourself rooting for from their first scene together. I am especially glad that the capable actor in Rashmika Mandanna finally got a fully-fleshed out role that showcased her undeniable talent, that of the stubborn, ambitious but flawed “Afreen”.
“Sita Ramam” is the epic love story the industry has been desperately missing for a long time and it is curious that it is Tollywood that keeps churning out these innovative romance flicks, at least recently, be it the heartwarming musical “Love Story (2021)” or the more grandiose “Shyam Singha Roy (2021)”. Take a bow Hanu Raghavapudi and team for mounting a project of such scale, vision, production value, and strong writing and for telling us a universally appealing story in such an emotionally touching way. Embrace this magnum-opus in theatres to experience the emotion that is Sita Ramam. This movie will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended!
