Sumanth Ashwin, the saving grace

Sumanth Ashwin is the one bright spot in the lacklustre Tollywood mood in the midst of the festival season. Whatever colour and vibes you are looking for is not in the theatres. Add to these theatre owners who behave as if they own the country and the scenario is getting decimal. More on that later and elsewhere.

‘Columbus’ is the tale of a desperate lover, an obsessive lover who is willing to do anything— even go to jail to ensure he wins his lady love. Does he? Wait to find out till the very end of a not very long film. 131 minutes and filmmaker ensures that he does not retain the audience for too long but falters in presenting a tale largely due to its predictable treatment and storyline. Ashwin (Sumanth Ashwin) is in jail but seems to be enjoying his sojourn—playing kabaddi and winning like a true hero.

He would, however, not choose to say kabaddi kabaddi but Indu, Indu and their lies the tale and the cause for being in jail. However, he is soon out of jail and his parents try hard to wean him from the lady love of his life. Indu (Mishti Chakraborthy,) however, has put on the disappearing trick and our jail returned is on the roads searching for her.

Now he runs into Neeraja (Seerat Kapoor) who has just thrown matrimony out of the window and has agreed to help the lover in distress. Snatches of the past will reveal that there is other guy in the pic who is Mr Evil (Roshan Basheer) who takes an instant dislike for our laid back hero who hitherto has been a looser. We are also informed that love got the better of his academics and Lady Love walked out clean and clear and gave him the boot.

Ashwin now has to break the brewing relationship between Mr Evil and Indu, sustain his relationship with Neeraja at a strictly platonic level, get himself a job and win back loyalty bonus with lady who lost interest the other day. Since he is part of the script, he surely is focused, since we are the audience we find it difficult.

What disappoints with the film is the manner in which it swings from seeming comedy to dance and romance and then to seeming serious storytelling. The contours of the story are two constricted for such adventurous swing. Resultantly the end product does not gel enough as one single narration. The cast and crew too do not help. While the love story dealing with Mishti shows no chemistry in the lead pair, the relationship with Seerat is woefully mismatched.

There is tired humour in the shape of Saptagiri. The one person who holds together the film is Sumanth Ashwin. The guy to begin with has looks which is endearing and homely. Unlike most Tollywood stars, he is nearer to reality and truth. He is not the guy who arrives with his foot dusting the earth, nor the guy with enough muscle to beat up an army of goons. He looks genuinely lost in love and yet carries the tale with tremendous responsibility. Not the film that keeps the festival spirit but it at least ensures you do not go home with a headache.

Film Name : Columbus

Cast : Sumanth Ashwin, Mishti Chakraborthy and Seerat Kapoor

Direction : R Samala

Genre : Romance- drama

Likes : Sumanth Ashwin

Dislikes : Treatment

Rating : 21/2

By L Ravichander