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‘Classmates’ Review: A Nostalgic Treat
Film: Classmates
Rating: 3/5
Banner: Sravanthi Movies
Cast: Sumanth, Sada, Kamalini Mukherjee, Sunil, Ravi Varma, Sarvanand, Kota, Tanikella Bharani, Sudha, Giribabu, Uttej etc
Music: Koti
Dialogues: Abburi Ravi
Camera: Hari Anumolu
Editing: Srikar Prasad
Choreography: Noble & Raju
Direction: Vijay Bhaskar K
Producer: Sravanthi Ravi Kishore
Release Date: 20th April 2007
It appears to be a crime story where there are no criminals. It appears to be a love story where there are no races behind the bushes. It appears to be a tragedy where we cannot shed tears. It appears to be a comedy where we cannot laugh fully. It is a blend of uneven facets of emotions. One can go nostalgic and touch the wet memories left behind. Or young students can see the present on screen.
Story:
Ravi (Sumanth) bears leftist thoughts in his college days and leads the students as revolutionary leader. But he settles down as a business man in Mumbai. Raji (Sada) bears arrogance and superiority complex in her college days. And she settles down as a dance teacher. A student Satish (Ravi Varma) becomes an MLA. After 15 years of their college days, they happen to meet in an occasion. They meet at the same college campus. They share many past things. Ravi and Raji will have a ‘love-hate’ relation ship. Satish wishes to settle down a past rivalry with Ravi.
Incidentally, they happen to know a big secret. The story begins then. The secret is something tragic, something thrilling and something sentimental.
The narration takes to the grand finale and culminates at a peaceful point.
Performances:
Sumanth is apt in the role of a 22 year old college guy as well as 35 year old businessman.
Sada looked elderly in saris and aptly suited for the role.
Sunil didn’t do big comedy in the role of Sumanth’s best friend but made his presence felt.
Ravi Varma is good in his crooked role. Tanikella Bharani’s typical role begets little laughs. Kota, Sudha and Giribabu are apt in serious character roles.
Koti’s music is soft and the films of this sort need only such music.
The best part in the film that has to be discussed is the segmentization of screenplay. The scenes those we ignore while watching the film work only in the climax. The points those we forget to underline unleash the suspense in the film. It is a good mass mesmerizing attempt. The film although adopted from Malayalam version, the output in Telugu is also good.
Betterment might have done in the aspects of:
1. Dialogues and
2. Comedy
Analysis:
The film recalls ‘Naa Autograph Sweet Memories’ at a point. But that is the stoy of a single individual and goes like a biography. Classmates, as the title implies, it’s the story of a group of students. The segmented screenplay is the backbone of this film. That holds the suspense element till the end. Suspense cannot be revealed till the climax of the film.
The narration runs in three layers.
Narration of Sunil to Kota
Narration of Sada to Kota
Narration of other character to Kota
The film has no comedy and that may be a minus point to some extent. Repeated audiences may not be expected in big number to this film. Student community should patronage this film to see it with good collections.
The film starts in dull mode with punch-less dialogues. But slowly the tempo starts. First half of the film closes down at right cut. Second half of the film runs with interesting narration.
Suspense also starts on parallel track with an element of crime. The story runs in thrilling way till the climax.
It may not be a commercial success but not the one that has to be ruled out.
(SiraSri can be reached at sirasri@gmail.com)
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