Mem Famous review: Sumanth Prabhas’ coming-of-age saga is familiar but jolly good fun!

3/5

Story:

Mahesh, Balakrishna and Durga are inseparable yet aimless friends who notoriously find ways to get in trouble for petty issues. Before the situation spirals out of control, the trio decides to take charge of their life and set up tents in their village for a living. However, an unfortunate mishap wreaks havoc on their ambitions. To what length will they go to settle their debts?

Review:

In an ideal scenario when rooted, slice-of-life sagas are making merry at the box office, Mem Famous couldn’t have timed its release better to grab eyeballs. The story isn’t the deal-breaker in this space - the ploy is to make full use of the small-town backdrop, its eccentricities, charms, slang, culture, soundscape with a mishmash of stereotypes and novel packaging.

While Mem Famous ticks all the boxes in the checklist, the storytelling is still organic and brims with innocence. The tale revolves around three youngsters in their early 20s with no lofty aims - all they want is to have a jolly-good time with their near and dear. When life happens, adulthood beckons, they can’t afford to be the happy-go-lucky, aimless lot anymore.

The story and the storytelling is by no means original (sometimes all over the place) but the genre works like comfort food - it reminds one of their native towns, lost innocence, carefree days of boyhood and heartfelt friendships. Mem Famous is full of endearing, quirky characters across various age groups, the interpersonal relationships are sincere and you root for them despite their goof-ups.

In films like Mem Famous where the setup is familiar and the ambience drives the film more than the story, there’s very little room for error. Sumanth Prabhas, for a first-timer, exercises good control over the narrative, keeps it lively, eventful and entertaining. He uses the romance element as a good hook to motivate the youngsters and help them be more responsible. Humour is his primary strength but the gags get slightly tiring in the latter half.

While capturing a small town’s tryst with technology, digital storytelling and the Youtube era, Mem Famous borrows its grammar from many films - Pelli Choopulu, Mail, Cinemapuram, to name a few. The inspiration is most likely subconscious than intentional here because in a lot of places, the film comes from a place of truth and hence, you don’t find yourself complaining much.

The idea to incorporate a Goreti Venkanna number in the trio’s Youtube journey works like a dream. The singer depicts the truths of the village like a bitter-sweet pill; the impact within a four-minute track is so strong and contributes to the authenticity. Mem Famous wins you over when it captures the sweet-little moments of bonhomie between its pivotal characters but once it’s conscious of its plot (more so in the second hour), the magic of the film is on the wane.

At times, Sumanth Prabhas is desperate to retain the feel-good factor, especially with how a key character deals with heartbreak and the small town-big city disconnect. There are inconsistencies with the writing, the flow is amiss at places and the film exhibits a hurry to capture the Youtube success story. The subplot around the rural politics in the final act is only half-convincing. The trick with Mem Famous is the originality in the performances of the newcomers - they remain true to the characters and don’t ape popular actors.

Sumanth Prabhas exhibits an unpretentious vibe as an actor and displays a good knack for comedy, though he’s certainly a more capable writer-director. Mani Aegurla excels with his raw appeal and organic performance while Mourya Chowdary gets ample scope to shine. The supporting cast is the glue that holds the film together - Kiran Macha, Anji Mama, Narendra Ravi, Muralidhar Goud, Shiva Nandan get roles with distinct identities and they make the most of it.

Both Siri Raasi and Aarya are capable, enthusiastic performers but their characters could’ve been fleshed out better. This holds true for the most female actors in Mem Famous. The attempt to use sync-sound for this setup proves to be a dampener - the dialogues aren’t even audible at a few crucial junctures and they affect the way you view the film. Shyam Dupati lends a vibrant touch to rural Telangana with his cinematography.

Kalyan Nayak’s songs are more impactful than the background score. There could’ve been a better effort to bring crispness to the proceedings post intermission - the makers take the viewer for granted and rely too much on the humour to keep you invested.

Verdict:

Mem Famous merits a theatrical viewing for its carefree, happy-go-lucky vibe - the dialogues, although marred by sync sound issues, are sparkling for a major part. The bonhomie between the lead characters, their innocence and the freshness in the performances keep you invested in the proceedings. The film loses steam post the intermission, but the storytelling is heartfelt. Sumanth Prabhas is a talent to watch out for, more as a writer-director.