Nabha Natesh, who gained popularity as a glamorous heroine, took a break from films due to personal reasons.
After this hiatus, she made a comeback with the movie “Darling,” where she stars opposite Priyadarshi. The film, which hit theaters on July 19th, is now available for streaming on Hotstar. Let’s take a look at how the movie fares.
The story is set in Hyderabad and follows Raghav (Priyadarshi), a middle-class young man. During his school days, Raghav expresses his disinterest in academics.
His parents tell him that if he studies well, he can get a good job, marry a beautiful girl, and go on a honeymoon to Paris. These words leave a deep impact on him, and he focuses on his studies to make them come true.
As Raghav grows up, he secures a job at a private company. However, when life doesn’t turn out as he imagined, he decides to end his life.
At that moment, he meets Aanandi (Nabha Natesh), whose words give him new hope. He becomes attracted to her, and after she agrees, they get married and he brings her home.
However, Raghav finds it hard to believe that such a beautiful woman has easily entered his life as his wife. On their first night, he faces a shocking experience.
Aanandi, who initially shows affection, suddenly starts hitting him. Raghav is puzzled by her behavior. He consults Dr. Nandini (Ananya Nagalla) in Aanandi’s presence.
Dr. Nandini explains that Aanandi suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder and has five distinct personalities within her—Aadi, Srisri, Jhansi, Maya, and Baby.
She explains that the Aadi personality hates men and behaves as if her mission is to protect Aanandi from them.
Nandini tells Raghav that to make Aanandi normal, they need to carefully bring out each personality. Any mistake could result in the Maya personality taking over, causing them to lose Aanandi forever.
What will Raghav do next? How will this unfold? Will his dream of a honeymoon in Paris come true? These questions form the rest of the story.
Viewers might expect “Darling” to be a romantic comedy based on the title, especially knowing Priyadarshi’s reputation for such genres.
However, the story starts somewhere and meanders aimlessly. With Aanandi having five personalities, her behavior is unpredictable. As a result, the director eliminates the possibility of any love or romance between the hero and heroine.
The story, lacking love and romance, requires strong comedic elements, but those are absent. The film reaffirms that just having comedians doesn’t guarantee humor.
Nabha Natesh, who has done few films, struggles with portraying a character with Multiple Personality Disorder in a comedic way, which makes her performance and the film uncomfortable to watch.
As the story reaches its climax, the character Meera (Niharika) is introduced. She reveals that Aanandi is just another personality and that her real name is Priya. This twist frustrates both the hero and the audience.
The director attempts to add an emotional touch in the climax, but due to weak scenes and dialogues, it fails to connect with the viewers.
It’s strange how the heroine’s background, including where she comes from or who her parents are, is completely unclear, yet the hero marries her and brings her home.
The idea that studying well will lead to a good job, which will allow one to marry a good girl and go on a honeymoon to Paris, is another odd aspect that drives the hero’s life choices.
Due to a weak storyline, lack of interesting scenes, and no surprising twists, the film fails to engage the audience. As the content isn’t compelling, the cinematography by Naresh Ramadurai, background score by Vivek Sagar, and editing by Pradeep Raghav all seem mediocre. Those looking for Priyadarshi’s trademark comedy on screen will be disappointed.
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