Mee Sreyobhilashi

I believe this film was a moderate success and got a lot of critical (assuming all our reviewers can be called critics) acclaim. I am compelled to write about this overrated film as it has apparently won the Nandi award for the Best Film (2007). Among other lame selections at the Nandi awards this year, this one caught my eye.

The plot revolves around a bunch of strangers making a pact to die together through a suicide that is made to look like an accident. The reasons for their decisions and the outcome of their attempt is what the film is about.

The theme was apparently inspired from a Japanese film called Ikinai and writer-director Eshwar Reddy manages to weave a social message into the plot. That is the primary reason for the accolades garnered by this film. Sure, I understand it. After having to watch essentially the same action film rehashed and released twice every month, this “offbeat” “message” film could feel like a masterpiece.

I was put off by the amateurish direction with repeated attempts (unsuccessful, in my case) at overselling the emotions through intentional hamming by the obedient actors, accompanied by the loud and annoying background score (not to mention the repeated use of the depressing song in the background). And all this from the beginning of the film when you don’t really know the characters and aren’t ready to feel sorry (or feel anything at all) for them. As the movie progresses, you get to know the characters who don’t really have compelling reasons for suicide and you are left feeling sorry for this moronic bunch for entirely different reasons.

To its credit, the film moves along well, has some moderately humorous moments and a happy ending. Watch this only if you don’t mind emotional manipulation and can tolerate the inept execution.