Film: Premante
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Priyadarshi, Anandhi, Suma Kanakala, Vennela Kishore, Hyper Adi, Ram Prasad, Meka Venkateswara Rao, EI Padmaja etc
Cinematography: Vishwanath Reddy Ch
Editing: Raghavendra Tirun
Music: Leon James
Director: Navaneeth Sriram
Release Date: 21 Nov 2025
Priyadarshi, who scored a big hit with The Court this year and later delivered Sarangapani Jathakam, and has recently come with Mithra Mandali and now this film, Premante. He is indeed keeping himself busy with continuous projects, and this time he has paired up with Anandhi, a good-looking and talented native Telugu actress.
Let us see what this film has to offer.
Story:
Madhu, also known as Madhusudhan Rao (Priyadarshi), and Ramya (Anandhi) meet at a wedding event and develop a mutual liking for each other. By a pleasant coincidence, the parents on both sides also find the match suitable, and the two get married. Madhu runs a small firm named Sujatha Security Agency. Everything goes well for some time.
However, Ramya suddenly discovers a shocking truth that Madhusudhan is actually a thief, only pretending to be a businessman on the surface. This becomes the main conflict point. How Ramya reacts to this revelation and how it changes the lives of both Madhu and Ramya forms the rest of the story. This is the major crux of the film.
Meanwhile, Asha Mary (Suma Kanakala), a head constable, is assigned to crack the series of thefts happening in the city by her senior officer Sampath (Vennela Kishore). What happens eventually and how everything concludes forms the narrative.
Artistes’ Performances:
Priyadarshi has good recognition among the youth, but without the right scripts, there is not much he can do. He does not have the stamina to carry an entire film regardless of the story or narration. He is an actor who depends heavily on strong writing and dialogue. Since both are missing here, his efforts still do not translate into results.
Anandhi has good screen presence and can portray emotions effectively. However, her role is written in a way that starts positively, turns negative and eventually becomes confusing. Because of this inconsistency, the audience finds it difficult to connect with or care for her character.
Suma Kanakala, as the lady constable, performs steadily but does not generate the expected laughs. Her comedic timing and dialogue delivery usually shine on public stages, where she uses her own script. Here, since she sticks strictly to the film's writing, the usual spark is missing. Her character is boring.
Vennela Kishore, despite very limited scope, manages to evoke a laugh or two with a couple of situational dialogues-"Kashtaalu povaalani gudikelte, unna cheppulu kooda poyaayata." and "Nuvvu thanks cheppaalsindi niluvugaa nee cutout pettina naaku kaadu, addangaa dorikipoyina ee iddarike."
Ravi Prakash, Meka Venkateswara Rao, E. I. Padamaja and others are adequate. An interesting bit of trivia is that E. I. Padamaja, who plays Anandhi’s mother, also has a natural mole on her chin. Should we call it "method casting" just like "method acting"?
Hyper Aadi and Ram Prasad's presence is hardly felt, and the director does not utilize them efficiently. The dialogues given to them are also insipid.
Technical Excellence:
The music is pretty average, and both the songs and the background score fail to create any strong impact. "Daachaave Nanne..." is pleasant while watching the film, but its mundane tune does not linger afterwards.
Editing is fine and the cinematography is neat. There is nothing much to criticize in the technical departments, and the problems are seen in the script itself.
Highlights:
Lead characters
Drawbacks:
Heroine’s characterization
No emotional impact
Weak climax
Analysis:
The title is "Premante..." and the caption is "Thrill Praptirastu". But the pity is that it is not clear what “Premante” actually means from the director’s point of view. He might have intended to say that being partners in crime is the true meaning of love, but that neither convinces the mind nor pleases the heart.
Moreover, although the caption says “Thrill Praptirastu,” there is not much thrill as expected. A couple of robbery-related scenes create a little intrigue about whether the thieves will get caught, but that feeling fades quickly.
Generally, in films like Drushyam, the audience wants the protagonist to escape punishment even though he is technically committing a crime, because his motives feel justified. But here, in Premante, the actions of the leads make the audience feel that they should actually be caught and punished. What they do does not feel right, even though the film tries to justify it.
One moment that brought some smirks was when the protagonists decide to loot only high-profile houses, and the name boards displayed were “Konidela Nilayam”, “Daggubati Nilayam”, and so on.
The major issue lies in the way the heroine is written. On one hand, she is portrayed as a devotional, soft-spoken young woman who prays sincerely, carries a calm aura, and appears morally grounded. Her introduction suggests purity, sensitivity, and an inherent goodness that usually aligns with a character who would discourage wrongdoing. Yet, soon after, she actively supports and even pushes the hero toward theft. This abrupt shift in her moral compass feels jarring, not only because it contradicts the personality traits initially established, but also because the film does very little to justify her transformation. As a result, viewers struggle to understand her motivations or empathize with her decisions. This inconsistency in characterization breaks the emotional rhythm of the narrative and disrupts the overall mood of the film.
On the whole, the film’s central theme had enough potential to be shaped into a quirky, humorous and even engaging narrative. With better writing, it could have been a fun crime-comedy that resonated with Gen-Z audiences who enjoy offbeat storytelling. Unfortunately, the screenplay fails to tap into that potential, leaving the script disconnected from contemporary viewer expectations. The title “Premante…” does not clearly convey its interpretation of love, and while the caption promises thrill, the execution delivers very little of it.
Bottom Line: No love, Nil thrill
