Selvaraghavan, one of the most talented and successful directors in the Tamil film industry, tries a typical romance with his second Telugu venture Adavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (AMAV).

He casts superstar Venkatesh, an actor who has been hugely successful in love stories, in the lead role along with Trisha. Selva emerges with a film which tugs at the heartstrings when necessary and entertains largely. To top it, Venkatesh and Trisha add the icing on the cake by delivering brilliant performances which boosts the film.

The storyline is akin to any love story. Boy meets girl, cupid strikes and creates a turnaround in his life. Ganesh (Venkatesh) has been unemployed for quite some time. He is dependent on his father for his daily expenses. So he is invariably at the receiving end from his father and others.

One day he sees Keerti (Trisha) and follows her to the software office she works in. So he works hard to get a job in that office. And he does so with Keerti's help (she is his trainer). Venkatesh is smitten by Keerthi but when he confesses his love for her she tells him she is engaged to her cousin (Sriram) who is incidentally Ganesh's friend.

By quirk of fate, Ganesh is forced to visit Sriram and Keerti in their village where they live in a huge joint family presided over by the conservative and strict patriarch (grandfather played by K.Vishwanath). Keerti does not realise her feelings for Ganesh. Will she, in the course, of time?

On the surface, the film looks like any love story. However, Selva adds his touch by making the characters real and relatable especially in the scenes between Ganesh and his father (played by Kota) in the first half.

Selva infuses quite a bit of humour and sentiment in the film, which accounts for the entertainment quotient. The story is neither sad nor slightly offbeat. In that sense, this venture is purely within the mainstream paradigm. The introduction of certain bucolic scenes and imagery, particularly the stern patriarch, may go down well with the audience especially in the rural areas.

The city images too have a realistic and authentic feel. Although the narration is a bit slow in the beginning, the second half is packed with quite a bit of emotions and the usual drama. Some of the scenes may give you a sense of deja vu.

Besides injecting newness in some scenes and bringing out the nuances of love, Selva's forte lies in bringing the best out of his actors. The way Venkatesh and Trisha have brought out the subtlety of expression is commendable. Selva ensures every emotion and reaction is almost perfect. The canvas is huge in the second half given the large number of family members, but Selva has ensured that almost each member including children have a role to play.

Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score is quite effective in highlighting certain important and emotional sequences. His songs may not sound like chartbusters but seem to be in sync.

The performances by the lead actors are the film's highlight. Both are natural, understated, subtle and complement each other perfectly -- they are very much the characters they essay. Coupled with Selva's touch, their vitality will go a long way in ensuring the success of the film.

However, the ending suddenly seemed to be hurried up a bit and the denouement of the story seemed rather abrupt, though the sequences at the end have some original flavour. Mumait Khan adds commercial value with her item number.

On the whole, Selva treads the safe path in AMAV, and is most likely to emerge with a winner.

Rediff rating: