Teenmaar Review

What is it about Teenmaar that makes it interesting? Beyond the obvious Pawan Kalyan and Trisha combo that hasn't been seen before, I guess it would be that the two are coming together with Jayant C Paranji for a remake of a film like Love Aaj Kal. An added bonus would have to be Tirivikram penning the screenplay and dialogue and Mani Sharma's hit music. But does a film that was a box office hit in Hindi despite the negative comments on the theme stand a chance as a remake, that too in Telugu where family sentiments dominate films in a larger ratio, a factor present in the negative comments for the original. Is a hit combo enough to pull the family oriented crowd? Is Teenmaar another successful remake for Jayant after Shankar Dada MBBS, a remake of Munnabhai MBBS? And can I really stay away from the original while reviewing Teenmaar? Read on to find out.

Michael Velaiyudham [Pawan Kalyan] is a chef in Cape Town that dreams of working as a banker on Wall Street. Fun and free spirited, life runs smoothly till he meets Meera Shastry [Trisha Krishnan]. A firm believer in enjoying life and with marriage far from her radar, the two hit it off fairly quickly. But with ambitions varying and reasons mounting on how they are doomed to end, Michael and Meera decide to part ways. For Senapati [Paresh Rawal], the issues that Michael and Meera use as reason seem odd after witnessing a love story like his friend Arjun Palvai [Pawan again] and Vasumathi [Kriti Kharbanda] in Varanasi almost 3 decades ago. The ultra-modern love story in front of him seems more out of convenience than love. Michael begs to differ yet forms an unusual friendship with Senapathi as they delve into the tail of Arjun's first love. Slowly but surely the tale takes a toll on Michael and his life. Even as Michael moves on with Michelle [Dana] and Meera with Sudhir[Sonu Sood], both are only a phone call away from each other. When they meet again, they relive the good times, if only as friends. But it becomes obvious things have changed. Yet it takes more than just fun memories and separation for a dillusioned Michael and a confused Meera to understand. When and how forms the crux.

Can I just say Pawan Kalyan is probably the last person that I thought of for this remake and now is the only person that could have pulled these characters off with more flare and charisma than Saif Ali Khan. I say this because I actually liked Saif in LAK and was worried Pawan might come off a little well, old. But trust Pawan to litereally smash any apprehension you have as he plays two distinctly different characters so well and with abundance that each will make you laugh, cry, swoon and get annoyed at on cue. The quiet yet strong emotions of Arjun as pines for Vasumathi remind you of his Tholiprema days and are an eagerly welcomed memory. Michael on the other has to be one of his most charming characters I've seen, a title I personally hold Sanjay Sahu from Jalsa at right now. With these two characters dominating the screen; Trisha Krishnan and Kriti Kharbanda have their work cut out for them to maintain some connection with the audience. Yet out of the females, Kriti Kharbanda leave a bigger impact with Trisha falling behind a bit this time. Although the character of Meera is one I can’t relate to and find confusing towards the end, Trisha’s portrayal was just about ok to a little bland for such a chirpy character. Whats more is much like her character, her stylist seemed a little confused as well. But then again, this is mostly due to high expectations on the actress who has done some amazing work in the recent past. Kriti is back in a full-fledged rôle after Ala Modalaindi and although limited with her lines, she does really well with her expressions and suits the rôle almost to a T, barring a dilemma with make up. Paresh Rawal will always be one helluva an actor with a distinct voice so while his rôle isn't outstanding, he cakewalks through it and makes an impression. Sonu Sood is a little eye candy on the side that you feel sorry for towards the end but like Paresh, he doesn't get much to do. It would have been nice to get a different dubbing artist for these two actors though. Dana is super sexy but that's about it.

Now to the technical side of things.First up has to be the cinematography. After a long break cinematographer Jayanan Vincent returned with Om Sakthi last year and despite the film not doing so well, garned much recognition. With Teenmaar, you witness some of the great work again with Capetown and Varanasi shown in new light. The dialogue definitely has the typical Trivikram touch, working wonders in so many places yet some may find it to be a little squirmish attempt on occasion for the normally family friendly writer. Jayant was smart to change a few scenes to suit the south audience but he is isn't consistent. One of my fav scenes that shows off the duo's capacity if the scene about kissing with Michael asking the question and Arjun answering. Editing by MR Varma only enhances this scene further. Mani Sharma music worked well with the film with Sri Ganga and Chiguru Boniya the pick of the lot with Aale Bhale being infectious.

Yet the remake does have its downfalls. While Jayant's adaptation proved a clearer picture, the director does the same mistake as LAK with a patchy screenplay. Add to that, MR Varma's insufficient use of his scissors and you will find yourself a little confused and bored where the dialogue doesn't save you. However, like the inconsistency, this too is not frequent. It also would have been better if the characters Michelle and Sudhir weren't so 2 dimensional. Yes, they are only there for a short period but the screenplay doesn't allow you to feel for them making the emotional connection a little weak. Another setback is the re-recording is rather poor and sticks out like a sore thumb, taking away from the scenes.

Rating: 3.5/5- All said and done, Pawan makes up for most of the setbacks and is thoroughly enjoyable to watch.