'Uyyala Jampala' Review: A predictable love story narrated well

Cast: Raj Tarun, Avika Gor, Ravi Varma and Anita Chowdhary
Director: Virinchi Varma
Rating: Three stars

Directed by debutante Virinchi Varma, 'Uyyala Jampala' is an earnest love story without unnecessary embellishments. There are no big action scenes, no vulgar dialogues, no unpredictable twists and turns; the story, told in flashback, unfolds simply.

The film is about bava maradallu (cousins) Suri (Raj Tarun) and Uma Devi (Avika Gor) growing up in Konnavaram village in Godavari district. Silly tiffs resulting from their opposite natures, friendly banter and a strong bond deep down, make their growing-up years near idyllic. Cupid, however, strikes rather late and through a rather unsavoury twist in Uma’s life.

She falls for Suri, only after getting her heart broken by another man and is subsequently rescued by him from being cheated by her lover. Unable to express her feelings for him to anyone, she soon finds her marriage arranged to an NRI by her parents. Rest of the story is about how both of them come together.

Full marks to director Virinchi Varma for telling such a touching tale of delicate romance set against a beautiful rural backdrop, with debutante actor Raj Tarun and Avika Gor of 'Balika Badhu' fame. Of the two, Raj Tarun proves himself an ace actor. His mouths his dialogues effortlessly in the Godavari accent and emotes equally well. A bright future sure does await him. Avika Gor, however, does not quite match his performance despite having acted in the popular Hindi serial 'Balika Badhu' before. She looks artificial in many scenes. Punarnavi, who plays Avika’s friend has also carried off her part with confidence and conviction. Other prominent characters, Anita Chowdhary and Ravi Varma, are effective.

All in all, the movie impresses despite having a predictable plot with good dialogues, a reasonable length — thanks to clever editing — and amazing cinematography. A much better fare than your staple masala flick – go for it.