Critic’s Rating : (3.0/5)
21 Feb, 2025 | Kannada
2 hrs 11 mins | Drama
Synopsis
Set in a small town in the 1990s, Vishnu (Shreyas Manju) and Balu (Nihal Raj Gowda) have been best friends since childhood. Balu confesses to Vishnu that he is in love with Priya (Priya Prakash Varrier) and seeks his help to propose. But when Vishnu tells Priya about Balu, she in turn tells him that she loves him and not Balu
Plot: Vishnu Priya is a love story between Vishnu and Priya, set in the ’90s, that highlights trust as the cornerstone of love and relationships.
Review: The movie opens with director Yograj Bhat talking about love stories, and how each one is unique in its own. He ends the monologue by introducing the audience to Vishnu Priya as “Pramanika Preethiya Hucchu Prema Kathe”— an honest and reckless love.
Set in a small town in the 1990s, Vishnu (Shreyas Manju) and Balu (Nihal Raj Gowda) have been best friends since childhood. Balu confesses to Vishnu that he is in love with Priya (Priya Prakash Varrier) and seeks his help to propose. But when Vishnu tells Priya about Balu, she in turn tells him that she loves him and not Balu. Torn between friendship and a newly blossoming love, Vishnu decides to follow his heart. Vishnu and Priya get together and this breaks Balu, who takes things personally. Thus begins the journey of Vishnu and Priya—a college romance tested by time, parental expectations, societal pressures, and a friend-turned-foe waiting for an opportunity to end their relationship. Can their love survive it all?
After a couple of action-oriented roles, Shreyas Manju, in director VK Prakash’s Vishnu Priya, steps into the role of an intense lover boy. The movie is set in the 1990s – an era untouched by social media, GPS, or mobile phones, and adds undeniable charm, allowing audiences to experience a love story woven through handwritten letters, landline conversations, phone booths, tea stalls, rather than the modern café culture. Shreyas is honest in his performance as he gets to wear multiple hats; he scores big in action sequences. Emotional sequences aren’t his forte, yet. Priya Varrier delivers an emotionally strong performance and adds gravitas to the role. She is the soul of the film, and with her expressive eyes, she delivers an impeccable performance.
The movie has breathtaking visuals, which add to the intensity of the love story. The use of water elements throughout the film to reflect emotions is commendable. Music, too, plays a role key in creating an impactful love story. Director VK Prakash has put together a predictable love story but is well aided by a technically strong team.
With a love story, which is as old as time, the movie majorly lacks narration, making it difficult to stay connected with the love story, especially because of the pace at which it unfolds. Also, the movie is set in the 90s, but the tea shop Vishnu and Balu hang out in, plays the Kannada songs from the 2000s, making the audience wonder if it is a time-travel film! This aspect should have been taken care of as it is utterly disappointing and disconnects the audience from the believability factor. The movie is shot amid nature, and in a few old-style houses, so the period doesn’t translate on screen.
The film feels like a never-ending love story, despite a short runtime, because of the slow pace. If you want to witness how love stories unfolded before the mobile phone era through love letters and blank calls to landlines, you can give Vishnu Priya a try.
News Credits: Times of India
