Cast : Nani, Nithya Menon, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Rohini

Music Director : Kalyani Malik

Story-Screenplay-Direction : Nandini Reddy

It’s no secret that a film critic’s life is like a pendulum which swings between decent to terrible films. Occasionally, you hear a gong so distinct that it reverberates through millions of neurons which lie dormant for thousands of seconds. It’s at this precise moment that you wake up to the new dawn and realize what had just happened. This feeling is no less compared to the first rays of sun on wintry mornings which strike you so gently that you can’t help but conclude that ‘Life is Beautiful’. You know that you feel awesome, yet it’s difficult to point out what has caused this effect on you. And then you wait for the next gong hoping that it inspires you again. It never happens twice. Even more difficult is translating this feeling of awesomeness in words. I am in that state now and that gong happens to be a new Telugu film named ‘Ala Modalaindi’. Here’s how it all began….

Nani stars as Gautham, who works at a TV channel. When he’s away from directing a la ‘Crime Watch’ programmes, he’s busy partying with his friends and living a great life with his family. His doting mother is his best friend and they share a great relationship marked with unflinching love. Gautham thinks he’s in love with Simran, but destiny has different plans for him and he bumps into Nithya (Nithya Menon) on several occasions. Both of them know that they are in love with each other, but never express it. This reluctance leads to several awkward situations, misunderstandings and comedy of errors which culminate into one brilliant climax.

Yes, the narrative is based on a charming film, When Harry Met Sally but the comparison ends there. There have been very very few instances in the past where the fact that a film isn’t inspired or remake of another hit. Yet, Ala Modalaindi, despite all its theoretic similarities with When Harry Met Sally and Hum Tum (which in turn was inspired from When Harry Met Sally), stands out thanks to a remarkable script and more than that it’s the brilliant performances from the lead actors who make sure that you won’t forget the film anytime soon.

In a lot of ways, Ala Modalaindi is a triumph of great writing and what a good cast can do to an equally good script. The film has one of the best cast ensembles seen in recent times. What’s endearing to see is that none of the actors are caricatures. They are incredibly funny and have an element of truth about themselves. The depth in their characterization is complimented by wonderfully written dialogues and Nani, Nithya, Hemanth, Rohini, Ashish Vidyarthi and others pull it off with great élan.

Calling Ala Modalaindi a good romcom would be an understatement. How do you define “good” when you know that you haven’t laughed so much or felt good about watching a film in a long long time? Moreover, it’s not everyday that you come across a Telugu film which compels you to watch twice before writing a word about it. I knew I fell in love with the film, the first time I saw it but I was at loss of words. After having seen it twice, it’s not difficult to point out that the film works on a subconscious level. Take the example of Nani. He’s so natural in the film that he gets into the shoes of his character in no time. His comic timing is splendid and he’s equally good in the emotional & romantic scenes as well. There’s a scene in the film which takes place between Gautham & Kavya (Sneha Ullal). The duo, after being separated, has nothing to talk about after a moment. This scene lasts a mere seconds but the awkwardness of the moment is blatant. Nani’s interaction with his friends is laced with great humour. Ashish Vidyarthi , Rohini, as Nani’s mother and all the other supporting characters do a commendable job. The guy who played the role of a drunkard in the climax was hilarious. If all these characters are on hand, then on the other we have Nithya Menon.

She hits the bull’s eye in her (Telugu) debut film making it one of the best performances from a lead actress in a long time. While her characterization is strong, she brings in a lot of more her personality in her role. Nithya (in the film) is fiercely independent, full of life and knows what she’s doing & what she likes and hates. Her expressive eyes add impetus to her body language. Quite frankly, I was smitten by her performance and she’s incredibly beautiful. I can’t remember any other actress making this amount of impression right in the debut film. Several critics have compared her debut to Samantha’s debut in Gautham Menon’s Ye Maya Chesave. I will leave it to your discretion to decide whose debut performance was better. At the end of the day, it will be a huge disappointment if we don’t lap up Nithya Menon for whatever reason there might be. She’s a fine actress. Oh, by the way she has dubbed herself and has also sung two songs in the film. Bravo! Bravo! I have met someone who’s exactly like her in her real life…the connect is stronger, for me!

Beneath the comedy lies a poignant love story what doesn’t turn out to be mushy at any point. It grows on you during those little moments of unspoken love between the two leads. Nandini Reddy, the director of the film scores high in everything – directing, writing and screenplay. It’s hard to believe that it’s her debut film as a director. It’s a matter of great delight that she shines in an industry where there’s a serious dearth of women who are at the helm of affairs. I believe she’s one of the reasons why Ala Modalaindi turns out to be a sensitive portrayal of two mature people in love who are reluctant to confess it.  Kalyani Malik’s music is soothing and two of my favourite songs – Ammamo Ammo, Innallu Naa Kallu were sung by him along with Nithya Menon and Geetha Madhuri respectively.

I laughed so hard while watching this film that I forgot that this film didn’t have 99% of the regular faces we often see in our films. Films like these are proof enough that all you need is a good script and a cast which can bring out their best to carry a story forward. And films like these are a critic’s delight. It turned me into this little kid who has tasted the best chocolate in town and he would leave no stone unturned to recommend to all his friends to try it. Quite rarely does a film makes you go buy a ticket for the next possible show as soon as you walk out after watching it. This was one such film. Now for the million dollar question – Is the film perfect in all aspects? Can’t I spot one reason which would throw people in a dilemma if they should watch the film or not? The answer lies in what you believe in. And I believe that this is one of the finest Telugu films I have seen in the recent few months. If there are any shortcomings, then I can assure you that I couldn’t spot one. Maybe I was too engrossed in the film and didn’t really bother about what could have been better. Go watch it…fall in love. Two big thumbs up for everyone associated with the film especially to NNN – Nandini, Nani and Nithya. Thanks for proving that love stories still have some magic left in them. I bow to thee…thanks for striking the gong so well that I can’t stop raving about it.

P.S: I am not associated with anyone in the film, nor have I been approached to write good things about the film. When you see something good (film), you feel the responsibility to do what you can to let others know about it. If this essay does in fact make you buy that movie ticket, then I recommend and plead that you forward this essay to as many friends/family as you can and ask them to in turn do the same. It’s not everyday that you have an opportunity like this…:-)

By,

Hemanth

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