First it was Souryam, then it was Chintakayala Ravi and now it is Kotha Bangaru Lokam. No, I do not mean to say that the films are all alike. What I want to say is that Souryam was a safe ‘Gopichand’ film, Chintakayala Ravi was a safe ‘Venkatesh’ film and Kotha Bangaru Lokam is a safe ‘Dil Raju’ film. Romance, comedy and a strong emotional climax – voila! A Dil Raju film is ready.

What is it about:Kotha Bangaru Lokam tells the story of teenage love. Balu (Varun Sandesh) and Swapna (Swetha Prasad) are two regular college going kids who join a residential college like thousands of others. Fate brings them closer and they decide that what they feel is not attraction, but love. They give up the world, are ready to forget everything for each other and the usual stuff. So, is it love? Will it stand the test of time? Will they find the Kotha Bangaru Lokam they are looking for?

What is Good: As mentioned earlier, Kotha Bangaru Lokam bears the stamp of a Dil Raju film. The producer knows that a strong emotional connect is required to sustain the interest levels of the audience and keeps that thread intact. So to speak, it is just another love story, this time set in an Intermediate college, but the emotional factor sets it apart. Prakash Raj and Jayasudha as Varun Sandesh’s parents put in stellar performances. Ahuti Prasad excels as the over-protective father. Varun Sandesh and Swetha Prasad come up with good performances. Rao Gopal Rao’s son Rao Ramesh comes up with a strong performance as the Physics lecturer, though his role does seem a bit over the top at times. The music plays a big role and the film has some good tunes by Mickey J Meyer. Chota K Naidu’s lens make even a residential college look good. Brahmanandam is not completely utilized. Director Srikanth weaves a good yarn and but for some abrupt twists keeps the film going at a fair pace.

What is bad:Both the interval bang and the climax seemed abrupt. Also, there will be some objection about a love story made about Intermediate students. The moral police is surely going to be out in full force. Swetha Prasad’s initial scenes are pretty awkward. The second half drags ever so slightly, but then that is almost necessary in such a film.

Me Thinks: Another safe ‘Dil’ Raju stamp film. The teenybopper romance can be enjoyed once in the theaters and residential college students might find a good connect. Good one time watch with a quarter of a point extra for the performances.

Tailpiece: Comparisons with Bommarillu are inevitable for the film and this would pale in comparison. But afterall, not every film is a Bommarillu and even if it does not match up the film is still enjoyable fare.

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