Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam Movie Review: Vishwak Sen's awesome act makes this convenient story watchable

The storyline is not novel by any stretch of the imagination. After a point, the script seems to be screaming this: Beneath Arjun's misfortune lies a blessing in disguise.

By Arvind V

Updated on May 11, 2022 | 04:59 AM IST | 448K

Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam Movie Review: Vishwak Sen's awesome act makes this convenient story watchable

Title: Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam
Cast: Vishwak Sen and others
Director: Vidya Sagar Chinta
Run-Time: 149 minutes
Rating: 2.5/5

Sometimes, in our films, entertainment as an escape from reality is passed off as slice-of-life entertainment. This can be done effortlessly when you set your film in a village. Village-based films don't heighten the audience's expectations. That's why you can get away with platitudes and stock situations if the story involves loud-mouthed uncles, guileless aunties, naughty teens and lower-middle-class characters. You enjoy the small universe until the plot starts throwing up predictable elements. In the least, films like 'Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam' offer 50 percent entertainment.

Arjun Kumar (Vishwak Sen) is greying. He dyes his hair. He is desperate to get married at the age of 33. Madhavi (Rukshar Dhillon) doesn't belong to his caste and yet his parents have okayed the alliance out of no choice. Arjun and his family travel from Telangana's Suryapet to Andhra Pradesh's Godavari for an engagement ceremony. Madhavi's reticence and unease make Arjun Kumar wonder if she really likes him. Maybe, she doesn't. What if she doesn't? What next for Arjun? That's the nub of the story.

The writers (Ravi Kiran Kola and others) do a fine job at making us sympathize with Arjun. Even when he is self-pitying, we don't find him boring. Vishwak Sen's remarkable, nuanced performance is the film's crowning glory. His dialogue delivery and unaffected body language make him one of the most promising talents out there.

The coyness of the bride-to-be, the silent exchanges between Arjun and Madhavi, the noisy relatives, the over-enthusiastic uncle (Kadambari Kiran gets to play a well-etched role after a long time)... these elements are endearing. The script fleshes out Arjun's restrained expression of joy in the presence of Madhavi. The montage songs are enjoyable, thanks to Jay Krish's music and the picturisation.

The cookie crumbles in the second half. Convenient elements such as harassing males are introduced. Superficial emotions take over when a new character starts assuming importance in the story. The payoffs are wafer-thin, and the resolutions are strictly average.

If you are smart enough to pick up clues, you can see the turn the story is going to take pretty much early on. The storyline is not novel by any stretch of the imagination. After a point, the script seems to be screaming this: Beneath Arjun's misfortune lies a blessing in disguise.

The immediate portions post-interval prepare the audience for an utterly convenient plot turn. Look at how Arjun, who is expected to show agony, reacts. He is put in a playful song even.

There are stories and then there is the fantasy zone. This film prefers to be in the latter on the pretext of offering fun and just fun!