“Himse, himseno...(torture, it is torture)” is a song picturised on Shubha Poonja and Vivek Raj, but keenly felt by the audience. Preethi Hungama’s production values are almost impeccable, considering it’s a debutant’s film. Still, it fails to create any kind of hungama because of a weak screenplay.
The director makes heavy weather of a readymade script (How to lose a guy in 10 days (2003)-Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey). The film makes a promising start only to deceive once Shubha slaps the hero and starts talking. Inexperience, incompetence or just plain arrogance all deserve credit for this excuse of a film.
Unable to go beyond a few expressions Vivek is also incapable of reining in wild horse Shubha who is allowed to do her own thing. It requires Anant Nag in the second half to firmly anchor the proceedings.
But Raj Kiran has done a fantastic job. Chandrashekhar’s camera complements the songs. Vivek relies upon seasoned actors (Nag, Urvashi, Padmaja Rao, Avinash and Malathi Sardeshpande) to bail him out but that is not enough.
Shubha should have avoided the mocking tone where not necessary. Urvashi is set to lose some of her fans mainly to an atrocious appearance and an equally appalling performance. Vivek would do better to enrol in a film school. Time the film chamber acted on it’s promise requiring newbies to be trained before setting them loose among the unsuspecting audience.