The Kannada film, Premigaagi Naa is directed by Snehapriaya with newcomers Shankar and Vandana in the lead. The lyrical title may raise illusions of a good film but sadly that is not the case.
The story does not offer anything new and most of the sequences are what we have already seen in many Kannada and non- Kannada films before.
Director Snehapriya [who also wrote the script] seems to be unsure whether to highlight friendship or love. The story is about the love affair between Ramu and Prema. Ramu is an orphan who stays with his aunt. He loves her daughter, Prema. He has the consent of all the elders in the family. When everything is going right for Ramu and Prema, a mysterious letter arrives that has the photograph of Ramu tying the knot with another lady. Without making any investigations, the elders in the family decide to marry Prema off to another person, who is none other than Ramu's friend. It is a tedious watch to see what happens to the separated lovers in the end.
Right from the very first scene itself, the film tests your patience by moving at snail's pace. Even the songs do not provide any relief.
Both the newcomers -- Shankar and Vandana -- are expressionless even in the most dramatic situations. Appu Venkatesh shows his six pack abs but his fight sequences are picturised badly. Veteran actors Dwarakish and Umashri have brief roles.
It is the hundredth film of music director Rajesh Ramanath but he has not done any great work in the film. Even the re-recording is substandard.
Watch this at your own risk.
Rediff Rating: