Listless Gopi Gopika Godavari

The title Gopi Gopika Godavari, on the face of it, sounds lyrical. But that's just about it.

The Telugu film, which begins on a rather good note does not keep up the pace, and makes for a rather bland and listless watch. It has everything going against it: a weak script, no technical finesse and dull acting from the hero and heroine.

The director Vamsi (who has some good films to his credit) puts up an uninspiring effort that lacks the vigour or vitality, and is hugely predictable. Even the vast expanse of the beautiful river Godavari was not captured well.

The love story Vamsi has penned is slightly different compared to what one generally sees on-screen. Gopika (Kamalinee) is a doctor who runs a river-based mobile clinic, but her medical work receives very little focus. She becomes friends with Gopi (Venu) through a 'wrong number' telephone call. Gopi is an orchestra singer.

Their love blossoms through the mobile phone, without having seen each other -- one is reminded of Ajith's Kadhal Kottai, where love blossoms through letters.

Till now the film is fairly watchable. But soon the twists and turns make you groan in your seat. Gopi suffers from amnesia, after being beaten up and tossed into the waters. He is rescued and treated by Gopika, who is unaware of his identity. He is rechristened as Prabhu. While she pines for Gopi, her mother wants her to marry Shyam Prasad (a foreign-returned doctor). Will Prabhu regain his memory?

The film had all the potential to be a good one but the subject of a mobile clinic on the river was not explored properly. The heroine is shown talking to the hero more than attending to her doctor duties. And the love element supercedes everything else.

The route the love story takes is also so predictable that at the end of it, you wonder why the director made such a film.

The comedy track (Krishna Bhagavan) has many double entendres and sticks out like a sore thumb.

The acting suffers in the process. Venu looks stiff and uninteresting. Kamalinee Mukherjee tries hard but the script does not allow her vivacity to surface.

The limp script apart, the production values of the movie too are not of a high order. The Godavari offers so much to be exploited but unfortunately the camera does not do it. The editing too is not of a good standard.

Gopi Gopika Godavari sounds lyrical only in the title; the film is listless!

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