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18 Pages (2022)
18 PAGE
Audience reviews
18 Pages (2022)
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Always Eshwar
4 days ago
A girl and boy falling in love without ever meeting is an old concept. Ajith's "Prema Lekha" dealt with the same subject. So, how does a hero falling in love with a girl accidentally by reading her diary become a novel plot line? The bare bones of Sukumar's story are interesting, but they don't capture the current times.
The script has some serious problems. If Nikhil Siddharth's character fell in love with Anupama after reading her diary in one sitting (the whole thing is only 18 pages long, hence the title), we could see that happening. However, in the film, he is shown to get excited after every turn of the page, and to react wildly to every incident narrated in the story as if it were happening at that very moment. It's hard to imagine how a 2022 computer whiz like him would respond to events in 2019 dairy.
It's also shown that he reads a page or two a day for a couple of days and then starts doing things like turning off social media apps, etc. That Nandini did in 2019. This doesn't feel like a natural response on the part of the character, but rather like a screenwriter's shortcut.
Aside from this and other logical issues, "18 Pages" captures our attention from the start. The initial events, such as Nikhl's break-up with his girlfriend and his reactions to Anupama's diary, are interesting. The situations preceding the song "Nannayya Raasina" are also enjoyable. Another interesting episode in the film is the tension that the hero feels when he suspects she has married his neighbour.
However, aside from a few episodes, the sluggish narrative and unconvincing kidnap drama are detrimental to the flow. The second half is structured like a thriller, and when the true mystery is revealed, it is completely unconvincing. The reason given for the importance of a "cover" is ridiculous and illogical. The final moments appear to deviate from the main theme. Many implausible events occur.
Fortunately, the film concludes in a more convincing manner.
Overall, "18 Pages" succeeds only intermittently; the drama is underwhelming, and the love story fails to resonate. There are some good songs, and the first half is pretty good, but overall it just doesn't feel very modern.
Sita Ramam (2022)
Sita ramam
Watched the Telugu version that too without much knowledge of the language as neither Malayalam nor Tamil version were available at Surat, Gujarat. As they say music has no language; I will add "beautifully crafted romantic cinema" neither has any language!
After ages, I have witnessed a movie tha ...More
1313 people found this helpful.
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Nidhun Thankachan
4 months ago
Dulquer Salmaan has pretty much exhausted all the lover-boy tropes and cinematic cliches in his short but substantial filmography, from the college kid finding his way in life in films like "Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013)" to the more worldly, commitment-phobe in "OK Kanmani (2015)" a ...More
514 people found this helpful.
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Ganesh pawar
4 months ago
Epic Epic Epic 💞
Golly I'm lost for words as I didn't expect the Hanu Raghavapudi directed DQ, Mrunal and Rashmika starrer Sita Ramam to be such a beautiful and poignant love story. It's better than Ok Kanmani and Charlie combined, take it from me 😁. I think what works for the film beyond the grand scale at which it's mounted is how lovable the central characters are. Their chemistry sizzles and they both sparkle on screen, so everything around them naturally becomes appealing. From the moment Rashmika, who plays an extended cameo, decides to take the plunge and help herself by helping Ram and Sita, we know Sita Ramam could become everything that Radhe Shyam promised. Each frame is like a therapy for sore eyes, such is the brilliant cinematography. Although the songs are just hummable, the BGM is truly soul stirring and there are so many epic moments in both halves that I probably need to watch this film again just to revel in them. Hanu had given a flop in his previous film Padi Padi Lechu Manasu, which although was good, was also a little overdone. So credit to DQ and Mrunal for trusting the maker in him and giving us such a poetic love story. There is also a very intelligently woven subplot featuring the fight against Pak supported Mujhahideen. The cowardice of the countries that decided to ban the film is truly astonishing though. About the lead pair: Mrunal is gorgeous and her costume designer deserves every accolade in the book. She slips into the role of Sita so easily that you really can't take your eyes off her. Dulquer brings his career best performance in the role of soldier Ram and his honest performance will leave many teary eyed. I thought he's going through an identity crisis of sorts but hell no, Sita Ramam is the best decision he's made till date. The fact that its Malayalam version was almost full in a theatre in London and that the film's growing organically among the buffs, show there's something there. Sita Ramam is not just another love story, it's an emotional, epic and eternal tale of unanswered and unfulfilled love that's sure to last the test of times and leave everyone watching, supremely satisfied.