Everybody has a love story to tell, however modest their trade. Ask your newspaper delivery boy, milkman, the lady selling soppu.... ‘Colors’ narrates one such story. It follows the romance brewing between a delivery boy, Shashi (Chethan Kumar), and a sales girl, Nayana (Ashwitha Hegde). Shashi is colour blind, and can only see shades of grey, black and white. And Nayana loves colours. The series showcases their innocence, juxtaposing it against some harsh urban realities.
What makes ‘Colors’ special is the nostalgia it evokes. It walks you through the streets of old Bengaluru. The maggas (looms) of Cubbonpete, the wholesale clothing stores on Avenue Road, the flower stalls in the heritage K R Market, and the many parks across the city are captured in all their charm by Sanjay L Channappa. Not many young Bengalureans have visited these vibrant places, and this is an invitation to discover them.
In the movies, we are so used to watching couples meet in cafés. ‘Colors’ moves away from this convention, showing less posh and more evocative spaces. The couple in this series meet in a park. The girl asks the boy for a balloon. An exploration of such simple pleasures makes the series a feel-good romance. The frames are a beautiful blend of black and white and colour. To add to it is Nachiketa Sharma Miganakallu’s soothing music.
Filmmakers in Kananda are experimenting with new narratives, but web series makers have a long way to go. This recently released mini-series (six episodes of 10 minutes each), directed by Shreekara Bhat and produced by Rishab Shetty, is a feel-good love story exploring colour blindness, pitting it against the many colourful sights of Bengaluru.
Ashwitha Hegde impresses with her performance as a timid and naive Nayana. Chethan Kumar is brilliant in portraying his character’s insecurities as he embraces the girl he is in love with. Some of the best scenes are between Shashi and his friend (played by A S G). Shashi goes home every day to his friend and talks about his encounters with Nayana.
The team could have, however, worked on the script a little more to make it a more interesting watch. But this is a heartwarming story that keeps the viewer engaged.
Published 08 June 2024, 03:56 IST