Film name: 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela
Cast: Pradeep Macharaju, Amritha Aiyer and Posani Krishna
Director: Munna
Rating: 1/5
30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela is set in the pre-independence era. Abbayi (Pradeep) is a boxer who falls in love with Ammayi (Amritha Aiyer). As fate would have it, they wouldn’t live through those turbulent times. They end their lives to be born in the present time albeit as arch rivals.
Cut to the present-day. Arjun (Pradeep) is a typical Telugu ‘hero’ and back-bencher, while Amritha (Amritha Aiyer) is the brilliant front-bencher with enough to capture even the stoic at heart. And here starts the first cliché picked out for a hundred Bollywood and Tollywood movies of the yesteryears—our hero and heroine are always at loggerheads. Then perhaps pole-vaulting with the favourite trope of ideas from the film industry, including a lesser-known 2005-Bollywood-film, Mr Ya Miss; the 2003-Hollywood hit, Freaky Friday; and the 1992-Telugu-film Jamba Lakidi Pamba, Arjun and Amritha end up swapping each other’s bodies.
As the plot unfolds, the characters come back to their original state, understanding (surprise–surprise!) how they’re connected across lifetimes and destinations.
Incidentally, one of the plots that re-emerge frequently in Telugu cinema is the concept of reincarnation. And it’s served excitedly by filmmakers using well-rehearsed fantasy elements to an equally enthralled audience. But unfortunately for Pradeep, who chose 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela as his first big-screen vehicle as a lead actor, the film, which rides high on the reincarnation saga, wobbles all through the journey and breaks down before reaching its destination.
Lack of novelty in the storyline and absence of stimulating incidents pull the plug from what could have been a rustic drama. Weak narration adds more bumps to the ride. Though there are a couple of timely twists, the ecosystem around them doesn’t make them exciting. As a viewer, you can predict the flow of events much before and can take a (frustrating) pat on your back as your predictions unfold on screen. The blockbuster number Neeli Neeli Aakasm comes early into the film, but there’s nothing else the film has to offer later. A couple of emotional scenes click here and there, but the movie fails to bring love and pain to the fore, at least in a way that’s relatable to the audiences.
While one might forgive the clichéd inspirations of reincarnation and gender-swapping in 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela, the lack of surprise elements in the outdated scenes seem inexcusable.
To his credit, director Munna picked a tried-and-tested template for his first film and laced it with heavy doses of comedy from comedians Viva Harsha, Bhadram and Hyper Aadi. While they work in parts and manage to bring in chuckles, even the trio cannot help the film in its organic growth.
Pradeep pulls off both his roles effortlessly; however, it’s tad difficult to accept him in the role of a boxer. Amritha Aiyer, on the other hand, looks good in parts but there’s hardly anything in the script to help her weave her charm. The technical departments shine at places. The film’s background is an asset and seeps into the mood of the film. However, cinematography is mediocre and editing is borderline bad.
Predominantly, for any love story, emotion is the USP, but this film lacks that; instead it is loaded with immature and weak writing and a mundane plot line. In the end, you’re just left with a weighted yet infuriating and unwelcome feeling of déjà vu.
