‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ movie review: Pooja Hegde and Akhil Akkineni prop up a part-fun, part-preachy romantic comedy

The movie’s title is much less of an announcement and extra of a query, and thereby hangs a story. In standard societal norms, Harsha (Akhil Akkineni) would tick all of the containers to qualify as probably the most eligible bachelor. He has a well-paying job within the US, invests in a brand new home and units up all the things to maneuver in along with his soulmate. He even turns down a live-in overture as a result of he’s the quintessential good man who doesn’t need to do one thing that his household again in India, wouldn’t approve of. Candy, isn’t it?

However does Harsha actually know what he needs from marriage? The story throws this query at Harsha by pitting him in opposition to a extra worldly sensible girl, Vibha (Pooja Hegde). The self-love within the strategy of Harsha’s giant, doting household is clear in the best way they make preparations for his marriage ceremony, even though he’s but to decide on his bride. Harsha arrives in India on a 20-day trip and each he and his household are assured that issues will fall in place. In spite of everything, he’s probably the most eligible bachelor.

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Many ladies who’ve gone by way of the rigours of matchmaking may need come throughout NRI grooms visiting India barely for just a few days and eager to discover a life companion in that interval. That kind of entitlement from a groom’s household is likely to be accepted by some, however there might be girls like Vibha who will query it.

It’s a related and fascinating premise for a rom-com. Harsha’s conferences with potential brides, interspersed with the comedy of errors when he runs into Vibha’s father (Murali Sharma) are enjoyable to observe. What occurs when Harsha, who doesn’t know the world exterior his cocoon, is keen about Vibha and begins absorbing each line she says, is narrated hilariously.

To present Vibha’s character an additional edge, she is portrayed as a stand-up comedian. Her jokes are nearly all the time on marriages and relationships however the traces are slightly bland. Because the story progresses, we perceive what gnaws at her and the way she turns her agony into jokes.

To date so good. However after posing the query of what Harsha needs from marriage, the story falters. In actual life, had Harsha returned from the US the second time, pushed by the eagerness to satisfy Vibha and mend issues after a spat, he may need gone and had a chat together with her. However it is a rom-com with out a lot creativeness. Within the garb of including humour and drama, the narrative exhibits Harsha shadowing Vibha. He isn’t a creepy stalker nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t really feel like the suitable solution to do it. Certainly there are higher methods by which the story may have proven how they start to bond.

Within the means of Harsha and Vibha discovering their soulmates in one another, the story finally ends up portray all different {couples} round them as individuals caught in sad marriages. Marriage is all about changes, characters preserve reiterating. Director Bhaskar says it doesn’t need to be so, by way of a story that will get preachy. One of many tropes in the direction of the top, due to which Vibha finds a security web in Harsha, additionally comes throughout as manipulative.

A significant portion of the story is narrated within the presence of real-life couple Rahul Ravindran and Chinmayi Sripada who’re adored for standing by one another in occasions of turmoil. This story finally ends up portray even their characters as individuals who undergo their marriage with compromises and changes. Sigh. It may well’t be that solely Harsha and Vibha are decided to guide their life with ever-lasting romance, isn’t it?

Most Eligible Bachelor has technical finesse, a lovely lead pair, provides just a few laughs and hummable songs, however doesn’t sweep you off your ft. Pooja Hegde is beautiful as Vibha and exhibits that she has extra appearing potential ready to be tapped. Akhil Akkineni exhibits a whole lot of enchancment as an actor and is sweet as Harsha. Among the many melee of supporting actors, solely Murali Sharma stands out.

Someplace in the course of the movie, Harsha tells one other character that she has seen the size and breadth of a difficulty however not its depth. The identical goes for this movie. Its understanding of what makes relationships click on stays at a floor degree.