Review : Kiss – Slow and Stale

Release date : 13 September 2013
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Director : Adivi Sesh
Producer : Saikiran Adivi
Music Director : Sricharan Pakala, Pete Wonder
Starring : Adivi Sesh, Priya Banerjee…

Adivi Sesh and Priya Bannerjee have teamed up for the movie ‘Kiss’. The film has been directed by Sesh himself and Adivi Sai Kiran is the producer. Sricharan Pakala has composed the music. The film is supposed to be a romantic entertainer and it has released today in Andhra Pradesh. Let us see if Kiss is worth a watch.

Story :

Priya (Priya Bannerjee) is a Telugu girl who lives in San Francisco. Her father is a strict and conservative man and he imposes a lot of restrictions on Priya. Despite being unhappy with this, Priya never raises her voice and leads a life of compromise. But when her dad decides to get her married to a brash and headstrong guy called Ravi (Bharat Reddy), Priya is forced to take a desperate step.

She runs out off from home and decides to commit suicide. But she is rescued by a young fellow named Sunny (Adivi Sesh). Sunny is a jovial young fellow who is about to head back to Hyderabad after failing to make a mark in USA.

He convinces Priya to enjoy life and the two of them set out to explore the city of San Francisco, to chill out. Meanwhile, Priya’s parents and fiancee freak out and a search starts to trace the missing girl.

As the two of them go around the city, they start liking each other and romance blossoms. What will Priya do? Will she succeed in going against her father’s wishes? Will she marry Sunny? That forms the story of the film.

Plus Points :

Priya Bannerjee makes a good impression. If she can work on her expressions a little, she will be a promising actress. Adivi Sesh looks smart in a few scenes. Shafi is ok.

There are one or two good romantic moments in the film, where Priya Bannerjee’s bubbly energy livens up the proceedings. The city of San Francisco has been showcased quite beautifully in the film.

Minus Points :

The pace of narration is very slow. This is especially evident in the second half, where things seem to drag on and on and on and… well, on. The editor should have trimmed off a number of scenes in the last 20 minutes. There is no freshness in the plot or in the treatment.

Bad screenplay and some very poor performances make matters worse. The lady who has appeared as Priya’s mom in the film gets on your nerves with over the top histrionics. The guy who comes in as Priya’s Mavayya has no clue about what is going on around him.

The guy who tries to imitate Mahesh Babu’s mannerisms and dialogues is downright irritating. Bharat Reddy has been wasted in a poorly written role.

The film has a very amateurish feel. For romantic comedies to work, sizzling chemistry and witty writing are an absolute must. Sadly, both of them are missing in this movie. Entertainment quotient in the film is near zero.

Technical Aspects :

Cinematography is pretty good for a film of this budget. As I said before, San Francisco has been showcased quite beautifully. Background score is decent, but at times it is out of sync with the dominant emotion of the scene. Editing is bad.

Adivi Sesh is a decent actor, but he fails to make an impression as a director. His handling of the film can only be called amateurish.

Verdict :

Kiss is a romantic comedy that is slow and stale. Bad performances and poor screenplay never let the film take off. Priya Bannerjee’s beauty and good Cinematography are the only positive aspects of this movie. Except for multiplex crowds who are desperate to watch a movie, this film might not find any takers.

123Telugu.com Rating – 2.25/5

Reviewed by Mahesh S Koneru

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