Kanulu Therichinaa Kanulu Moosinaa review: Sai Ronak’s thriller has smart ideas and as many loose ends too

2.5/5

Story:

Puneeth and his friends form a band and are eagerly awaiting opportunities to grow bigger. He’s in quest of an ideal life partner who’ll accept him with all his limitations. He bumps into Aditi during one of his performances; their friendship thickens with time and they decide to move in together soon despite parental opposition. When Aditi’s ex Harsha enters their life, all hell breaks loose.

Review:

Puneeth in Kanulu Therichinaa Kanulu Moosinaa is a lite version of Arjun Reddy - rebellious, perennially angry and someone who drowns himself in love. He has a love-hate relationship with his parents besides a friend - Santosh- who stands by him and is equally critical of his pitfalls.What if the past of Puneeth’s girlfriend comes in the way of their relationship?

The protagonist is a musician by profession and it gives a good license for the director to make way for a handful of breezy, memorable numbers (by Dear Megha-fame Gowra Hari). Music forges a strong bond between the lead pair. The plot that blends music, love, dysfunctional upbringing with psychology in the disguise of a thriller is interesting though the execution loses its bite gradually.

The story takes a dark turn with the arrival of Aditi’s ex Harsha and it should’ve ideally brought more momentum to the proceedings, exploring the grey areas of Puneeth. While the director’s aim is to play around with the insecurity of the protagonist, the narrative gets weirder with time, filled with bizarre conversations and revelations that repulse (and not entertain) the viewer.

The characterisation is inconsistent; the screenplay, packed with several inconsequential, trivial events, is all over the place after the first hour. The portrayal of Puneeth and Aditi’s toxic relationship is baffling. A key climactic twist arrives just in time to salvage the film and helps you look at the story in a different light.

Kanulu Therichinaa Kanulu Moosinaa’s execution needed to be sharper if the director expected the viewer to take it seriously. Time and again, filmmakers ought to understand that there’s more to a feature film beyond a lead protagonist - focusing solely on his character alone isn’t enough to tell a good story. It’s important to transport viewers to a different world.

The storytelling issues apart, the film boasts good performances, appealing music, cinematography (by Damu Narravula) and is mounted on an impressive scale. If only the film delved into Harsha’s story with more care, it could’ve sprung a surprise. While the final twist is impressive, a stronger emotional connect could’ve helped the viewer invest in Puneeth’s character.

This is certainly among Sai Ronak’s best performances in his career and he’s growing with every opportunity. The multi-dimensional role offers good scope to tap into his potential. Devika Satheesh is more than pretty face though her characterisation feels half-balked at times. Theatre actor Arjun Anand, Ushasree Perika, Anish Kuruvilla and Abhilash Bhandari look quite assured with their screen presence and hold the fort well.

Verdict:

Kanulu Therichinaa Kanulu Moosinaa has its fair share of good ideas and loose ends. If you look past a few storytelling issues and cinematic liberties, you may have a reasonably engaging thriller with impressive performances, music and cinematography. It makes for a one-time watch on OTT, but it did have potential to be more fulfilling.

(The film can be watched on ETV WIN )