‘Romanchakam’ movie review: A comedy-drama that is more frustrating than fun

In the final portions of Romanchakam, written and directed by Venu Gopal Reddy, the comedy of errors is in full swing. The narrative wants us to root for the lead pair, Anvesh (Sumanth Prabhas) and Mythili (Ananthika Sanilkumar). However, what lands better is the commotion created by Anvesh’s friends as they try to salvage the situation. Despite being consistently silly and overly talkative, their bond feels more convincing than the romance at the centre of the story.

For a love story to work, the female protagonist needs to be well written. Perhaps in an attempt to keep the narrative breezy and humorous, the writing holds back from establishing who Mythili is. We know little about her background, aspirations or what stands in the way of her getting what she wants. A passing scene hints at differences between her and her parents, but the idea is not explored further. There are also sporadic references to suicide, but these remain vague and are never treated with much sincerity. At one point, an incident involving a suicide attempt is even played for humour. This imbalance between comedy and emotional depth makes it difficult to fully invest in the love story.

Romanchakam tries to be a Gen Z story, throwing in references to the generation’s happy-go-lucky tendencies that might seem confusing to others. But does it truly mirror the generation? Far from it.

Produced by Pranay Reddy Vanga and presented by his brother and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film is clearly an attempt to explore new territory and tap into the interests of a younger audience.

Considerable time is spent establishing Anvesh and his equation with his friends. He wants to launch a dating app and, coincidentally, his romance with Mythili also begins through an app. The film also follows the recent trend of exploring a love story between characters from Hyderabad and Chennai, with smatterings of Tamil and the beach adding to the texture.

The banter between Anvesh and his friends becomes tiresome and repetitive after a point. It feels like being stuck with a group where everyone talks too much, too often. Barring the occasional funny line, there isn’t much to hold interest in these conversations.

The film gains momentum when it moves into thriller territory, but fails to sustain it. The writing relies on familiar devices: key characters not communicating, cryptic phone calls and vague statements that fuel misunderstandings. Had they simply sat down and spoken to each other, the film would have been shorter and less frustrating. The introduction of new characters, such as the police officer, briefly perks things up.

In the pre-climax, when the incessant chatter gives way to some quiet and Anvesh becomes reflective, the film finds room for emotional gravitas. The narrative also attempts to look at the situation from the girl’s point of view. Had Mythili’s character been fleshed out better, this portion could have had greater impact.

Ananthika has a striking screen presence and makes the best of the material she is given. After her author-backed role in 8 Vasanthalu, she once again shows herself to be a promising talent. Sumanth Prabhas is convincing as someone yet to find his purpose in life. Upendra Limaye, Narendra Ravi, Venkatesh Kakumanu and others provide able support. Vasuki Vaibhav’s music keeps things peppy even when the momentum dips.

Had the writing been sharper, Romanchakam could have worked as a coming-of-age friendship tale and a new-age love story. As it stands, it delivers sporadic laughs, but neither the humour nor the romance lingers.