Thank You, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a misfire partly salvaged by Naga Chaitanya

After Manam, actor Naga Chaitanya and director Vikram K Kumar had teamed up again for Thank You. Post its poor run at the theatres, the Vikram K Kumar directorial premiered on Amazon Prime Video the previous weekend. Raashi Khanna, Avika Gor, Malvika Nair played the female leads in the film which had cinematography by PC Sreeram and music by S Thaman. The film was bankrolled by Dil Raju and Shirish under Sri Venkateswara Creations.

Abhiram (Naga Chaitanya), in the film, is introduced as a successful businessman settled in the US. But his self-centered and egoistic approach to life distances him from everyone including his peers and girlfriend(Raashi Khanna). One day, a dramatic incident triggers him to express gratitude to those who helped him during his thick and thin. So, he embarks on a journey and meets all those, who changed his life, good or bad, and thanks them individually. This forms the crux of Thank You.

The story of Thank You is simple with no twists and turns. It’s all about the life of a transformed businessman and Naga Chaitanya showcases solid progress as an actor. He is effortless in depicting the various phases of Abhiram’s life and deserves praise for getting the body language, looks and highlighting the character’s psychological transformation. Raashii Khanna looks beautiful and also performs well in a mature role.

Other leading ladies Malvika Nair and Avika Gor make a mark while they last. Malavika and Chaitanya’s track is fleshed out well. Despite playing brief roles, Prakash Raj and Sampath register a strong impact. Vikram K Kumar and PC Sreeram make for a solid director-cinematographer duo yet again, bringing the best out of one another in terms of framing and capturing the soul of a scene to perfection. Cinematography is the film’s major highlight.

The main issue of Thank You is with the story. Audiences are rather familiar with the narrative pattern of coming-of-age stories in recent times and the film has nothing new to offer. Thank You is an emotional journey of a businessman but the emotions in his story don’t reflect on the screen. The flashback episodes of the school and college are mundane and boring at best. The screenplay is a huge letdown, going by Vikram Kumar’s standards.

The drama could have been more effective and the impact is reduced due to the predictability as well. The narrative is old school and follows a beaten to death formula. The romance segments between Naga Chaitanya and Raashii Khanna hardly make an impact. The second half is a key drawback, filled with scenes that prolong beyond necessity and aren’t in tune with the times. The editing doesn’t pass muster, given the film doesn’t warrant your attention at any point.

Thank You is devoid of the staple ingredients of a mass-appealing film - fight sequences, good music and an engaging film – and also lacks soul. Prior to its release, the film was promoted with Mahesh Babu’s references; they aren’t exactly impressive either. This is an old school, outdated coming of age drama sans any novelty. The pace is slow, the sequences are dull and fails to strike a chord on the emotional front. If you need a reason to watch it, it is for Naga Chaitanya’s performance.