Thank You
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and I finished watching the new Telugu film Thank You on Amazon Prime last night(yes two new films in a night). And considering the recent trend of Telugu films being slightly under par, I was skeptical about this film too. Thank You had tanked at the Box Office like many other Telugu films recently. To top it, even the critics weren’t exactly kind to this film. So much was the case that I had almost made up my mind to skip this film altogether. But the film did star Naga Chaitanya and that made me change my mind. With much skepticism and a little hope, I set about to watch Thank You. Expecting another good story ruined by an over the top execution, did the film Thank You manage to surprise me, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Thank You follows the story of a young entrepreneur who reflects on his life choices following a tragedy, and the people who had contributed to his success. The story is really heartwarming and has its heart in the right place. But we have often seen a good story being ruined by a loose screenplay. And I was skeptical about exactly that. But the screenplay springs a surprise despite its simple and cliched treatment. Standing at just above 2 hours, the screenplay does compliment the story really well so much so that I wondered what the fuss was all about regarding this film.
As I have mentioned earlier, the narrative style is simple here with a three act structure. But that is not necessarily a bad thing considering the well intentioned subject at hand. So in the initial few reels itself, you are introduced to the protagonist and his love interest as he makes his way to the top until he begins to self introspect following a tragedy.
What I really liked here was that his journey to the top was shown across on song. And I say this because the heart of the film was not really how he got to the top but the people who helped him out at different junctures of his life. Another good thing about the screenplay is that is remains focused and doesn’t try to cram in too many of the life events of the protagonist.
The first event remains one of favourites where a young looking protagonist has a timid yet cute love story in his teenage years. This entire sequence leading up to the two characters meeting again was simple yet heartwarming and it really resonated well with me. There is a slight stutter in the second hour but the drama stays consistently watchable. The second hour reminded me of the strained relationship of Maddy and Saif from Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein. The college conflict is decently well shown although the writing is slightly cliched and manipulative. This again ends on a heartwarming note making way for a slightly rushed final act. But overall the screenplay might be simple, predictable and cliched but it is grounded and has its heart in the right place. And the messaging at the end is really good too!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but at times poignant as well. The music is really good although the use of songs at a couple of junctures could have been better as they stall the flow of the drama. The BGM is decent. The cinematography is a bit of a mixed bag – it shines it many places but the awkward camera angles in the second half stick out like a sore thumb. Director Vikram K Kumar keeps things simple yet his skills ensure that the drama is effective and it resonates well with the viewer. The amount of emotions which he packs in is really good to witness. The direction is pretty good here.
Performances
The performances are really good here. Prakash Raj is endearing in an extended cameo as Rao Uncle. Malavika Nair as Paru looks so pretty and she does a splendid job. Her track was my favourite in the film. Such a heartwarming performance. Sai Sushant Reddy as Sharwa has a good character arc and he is absolutely first rate. Avika Gor as Sravani is sincere and quietly charming and she does a good job. Raashi Khanna looks pretty and emotes really well through her eyes. This is one of her better performances where she does get an opportunity to shine. Naga Chaitanya as Abhiram is such an endearing actor with a powerful persona onscreen that it is hard not to like him. He really delivers a heartfelt performance here in a gradual character arc which will feel like a warm hug. Next stop – Laal Singh Chaddha!
Conclusion
Thank You is a heartwarming film that has its heart in the right place. It honestly baffled me as to why this film bombed at the Box Office. If good films do bomb then it is a cause of concern. But nevertheless “Thank You” to the makers for this film. Available on Amazon Prime.
