'Kushi' review: Regular love story with its share of flaws
What's the story
After several delays in its release, Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu-led Kushi finally made its way to the theaters on Friday (September 1).
The Telugu romantic drama, helmed by Shiva Nirvana, is not a love story that you haven't seen before.
Despite good performances by a stellar cast, Kushi is nothing but an average love story that loses its plot on multiple occasions.
Plot
A love story that comes with its battle of egos
Viplav (Deverakonda), an engineer with BSNL, decides to take his job posting in Kashmir. There, he bumps into Aara/Aradhya (Prabhu) who initially pretends to be a Muslim. He falls in love with her while she takes time to reciprocate.
When they eventually elope to be together, they have more than one issue to deal with, including their fathers who are religiously poles apart.
Performance
Deverakonda and Prabhu's chemistry is worth watching
The lead actors have delivered power-packed performances. Their chemistry sure seems to have worked wonders on the screens.
Among the two, Deverakonda had a stronger performance- whether it was about playing a man so madly in love, pulling off the humor in a few scenes, or simply with the scenes where he's fighting with Prabhu.
Watch out for Deverakonda's Arjun Reddy reference.
Cinematography and music
'Kushi' is a visual treat
The film has been largely shot in Kashmir where the romance between Prabhu and Deverakonda unfolds. The visuals of the snow-capped mountains of the Valley are breathtakingly beautiful.
When it comes to cinematography, Kushi has surely won a few extra points.
Adding to the experience is the film's music along with its songs, and, of course, the background score.
Weak writing
Nirvana has done an average writing job
Writing is the weakness here. While the first half is filled with romance, the rest of it is about drama that happens in the couple's lives. Several factors didn't make sense, especially Jayaram and Rohini's characters as Viplav's mentors.
Also, the screen space has been given more to Deverakonda than Prabhu as the latter almost disappears from the scenes after their separation.
Expectations
Film may not do wonders in the Hindi belt
Kushi's release is important to all three - Deverakonda, Prabhu, and Nirvana as the last outings for them weren't a commercial success. Though there was excitement around the film, it may not be able to churn the numbers in the Hindi belt.
Kushi's plot seemed very similar to classics like Saathiya and Chalte Chalte, providing nothing fresh to the audience.
Verdict
Skip it or wait for the OTT release
Also starring Sachin Khedekar, Murali Sharma, Lakshmi, Vennela Kishore, and Saranya Ponvannan, Kushi is good when it comes to performances by its cast, especially Kishore's comedy, but the film fails to deliver anything new.
Although there are very few shows for its Hindi version, it only makes sense to wait for the film's premiere on OTT.
Verdict: 2 out of 5 stars.