Movie Review : Ram And Leela
Raghuram ( Rio Raj) finds it impossible to a get suitable girlfriend while all his colleagues are successful. But one day luck strikes when he meets the beautiful Leela (Vartika), who falls for him.
But despite dating her for a year, and both sets of parents knowing about their love, she never allows him to come home nor go out together after 6pm.
Determined to find the reason, Ram visits her home one day, meeting her mom, and other family members. Imagine his shock when he discovers that they are in fact, aliens!
But a bigger shock is more in store when Ram discovers the crucial reason why he can't see Leela after 6pm!
What happens to their love? Do the duo ever get married? How do Ram's parents react?
The film is a fantasy rom -com and so naturally logic cannot be expected. Its a ' sit back and enjoy the comedy' ethos the director aims to convey. But when jokes dont land and scenes get repetitive, the film begins to test one's patience.
The base of the main concept has been explored already in Double Occupancy recently so the novelty factor doesn't come as a surprise. However to give the actors credit, the way Vartika carries the role of Leela, displaying vulnerability yet conviction of her love for Ram, adds value and credibilty. She speaks volumes with her expressive eyes though few more facial expressions in the first half would have enhanced her performance. A neat Kollywood debut for the actor.
Rio Raj brings the requisite boisterous energy required for his role (and for the rom- com genre) in the first half. The template office humor about not finding the right girl, is in place though many jokes get tedious to watch after a while. Rio Raj however does well in the scenes of his reaction to the shocking discovery about Leela, and in the second half where he is in a quandry making tough choices, and carries the film ably on his shoulders.
More is always expected from Chetan's roles, as the actor is on a roll these days ( Anbe Diana, Modha Rathiri) and one wishes the director could have written more for him. Thaafiya debuting as Ram's sister leaves a mark while Munishkanth's brief but significant cameo adds to the film. Deepa Venkat does a neat job as Leela's mom with dignity and the right dose of humor.
The visuals and production values are good.
Though the fantasy factor brings a novelty to some extent, the effect wears off when the comedy doesn't land, scenes seem repetitive and characters confused far too long with no solution in sight. A little more in depth writing would have helped.
A fantasy rom-com with a solid cast, and a family entertainer which has its moments.
Rating 2.5 /5
*RAM AND LEELA Movie Cast and Crew Details:*
RIO
VARTIKA
CHETAN
MUNISHKANTH
MALAVIKA AVINASH
DEEPA VENKAT
MAKAPA ANAND
BALAJI THIYAGARAJAN DAYALAN
THAAFIA ABU (INTRODUCING)
KAVINN GT
Banners – Trident arts & Eywa entertainment
Producers – R Ravindran, Sudharsan
Written & directed by - Ramachandrran kannan
Creative Producer – Sanjay Vijayraghavan
Cinematographer – Mallaikarjun
Music – Ankit Menon
Editor – YNC Shiva
Sound Designer – Arun s Mani
Choreographer – Abi & chals
Sound Mixing – vishnu Sujathan
DI – kowsi ( Studio space monk)
VFX Supervisor – V arunraj
Publicity Designer – Viyaki
Marketing – AKD (LINQ) & TOOFAN X WRM
PRO – Sathish Kumar, S2 Media
