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FINAL EFFECT
Ante.. Chooseyandi
OUR RATING
2.75/5
CENSOR
2h 56m, ‘U’ certified.
What is the film about?
Sundar (Nani) and Leela (Nazriya) are childhood friends despite belonging to different religions. Sundar has had a crush on Leela from the start but is afraid to tell her.
Years later, Sundar and Leela grow up and eventually fall in love. However, they are afraid of the respective families and hatch a plan of lies to convince them. What was the plan and how did it change the relationship between the two families? If Sundar and Leela have a happy ending, that’s the basic plot of the film.
performances
A role like Sundar is home territory for Nani and his Boy Next Door “Natural Star” persona. When we see Ante Sundaraniki we know why. He hits it out of the park with this one.
The nervousness of a youth from a chaste Brahmin family and the fears coupled with innocence and frustration are brilliantly worked out by Nani. The writing style and smoothness of execution further add to its appeal. It makes it a memorable outing for him as a star and actor.
Nazriya compliments Nani, courtesy of her liveliness and swing. Her sheer personality works for character rather than any achievement. It’s fair to say that they’re both “natural” in a way. All in all, the actress picked the right project to bring her back. It makes good use of their talents and also brings them to a new audience.
analysis
Vivek Athreya, the new-gen director with a fresh voice, directs Ante Sundaraniki. He has done Mental Madhilo and Brochevarevarura in the past.
If anyone has seen Vivek Athreya’s previous two films, it would be easy to set an expectation for Ante Sundaraniki. The young director does not disappoint in this regard.
Vivek Athreya again chooses a simple but identifiable theme with a razor-thin plot. What makes it work is the world he creates and the characters he populates it with. In Ante Sundaraniki we have two families belonging to two different religions.
The focus is mostly on the hero’s Hindu family, and this is where Vivek Athreya kicks things off perfectly. The small details regarding the characters and characterizations are well worked out. The downside is that it takes him a lot of time to establish the “world”; it’s almost an hour.
Another critical thing is the leadership couple Nani and Nazriya. It’s not a typical pairing in a commercial sense. The roles require actors and so both fit the roles. But it takes time to get used to the pairing, especially from the heroine’s side.
Once those issues related to the world and the heroine are sorted out, the second half of Ante Sundaraniki is a smooth ride. The comedy and emotions work beautifully. Vivek Athreya plants and executes the payoff cleanly without looking formulaic anywhere. The script is neat and consists of a mix of fresh, funny situations written with a high dose of elegance.
The climax culminates all arcs beautifully in a well packaged manner. It leaves us with the warmth and happiness of a satisfying watch.
Overall, Ante Sundaraniki takes time to take off, but it never comes down when it happens. The writing and the performances elevate the proceedings, making it a smooth and airy watch. If you like a fun, heartwarming rom-com, Ante Sundaraniki is the ideal watch.
appearances of other actors
Aside from Nani and Nazriya, there is a large cast in Ante Sundaraniki playing the supporting roles. It includes names like Naresh, Nadiya, Rohini, Azhagam Perumal etc. They play the parents of the respective actors. Among them, Naresh gets the lion’s share of presence, and he delivers. A few blocks with him and Nani in the second half is hilarious. Nadiya and Rohini do well in the emotional moments.
Anupama Parameshwaran has a special role and is doing well. Harsha Vardhan features in a decent game after a gap and converts well. Rahul Ramakrishna appears in one scene and is fine. The rest of the actors have small roles and they’re fine.
Music and other departments?
Vivek Sagar provides the music for the film. Considering the genre and its commercial appeal, the songs play a crucial role in boosting the proceedings. Unfortunately, the young musician failed. There are no memorable songs in the film. However, when it comes to the background music, it’s great. We’ve seen Vivek Sagar do the same in the past, and Ante Sundaraniki is no different. The score for situational comedy and emotion in the second hour is excellent and adds to the action.
Visually, Ante Sundaraniki wears a classy and sleek look. Niketh Bommi did a good job as a cinematographer, as did the production values. The editing could have been better from Ravi Teja Girijala, especially in the first half. As already mentioned, the writing style is excellent.
highlights?
nani
Write
performances
background music
Disadvantages?
length
parts of the first half
music (songs)
Alternate take
Better songs and a tighter first half would have taken Ante Sundaraniki to the next level. Story-wise, the childhood track could be further shortened.
Did I enjoy it?
Yes, for the most part
Will you recommend it?
Yes, but with slight caveats
Ante Sundaraniki film review by Mirchi9
final report:
After falling significantly behind in the first half, Ante Sundaraniki more than made up for it in the second half. Situation comedy and emotion work because of the writing, the timing, and the performances. It increases the procedure and makes the whole thing clickable. Pay attention to our rating.
— Both families develop a bond after some circumstances. The film is now heading towards its climax.
— The long block of conversation in which Sundar tries to reveal his problem to his father is hilarious and shows Nani’s excellent comic side.
— The second half of Ante Sundaraniki began. Sundar and Leela are back in India.
First half report:
The first half of Ante Sundaraniki deals with predictable emotions but in the unique style (written) of Vivek Athreya. However, he takes his own sweet time to get to the point and stretch the simple line.
Entertainment is key, and much depends on Ante Sundaraniki’s second half to set it apart from a merely passable watch.
— Both Sundar and Leela eventually decided to tell their parents. Interval.
— Now it’s time for the introduction of Leela Thomas (Nazriya). Laeela and Sundar’s childhood memories along with his one-sided love struggle are shown through portions of flashback episodes.
— Sundar is trying his best to convince his father and manager of his longtime US dream. His colleague Anupama Parameswaran tries to help him.
— Sundar (Nani) had to deal with the most superstitious father Naresh since childhood.
— Ante Sundaraniki’s show began with a childhood setting.
– Unlike his recent outings, a simple boy-next-door introduction for Natural Star Nani.
Ante Sundaraniki US Premiere updates will begin shortly. Stay tuned.
Ante Sundaraniki marks the return of Natural Star Nani to boy-next-door territory after a long gap. For this he teams up with Vivek Athreya, the director of Mental Madhilo and Brochevarevarura.
The combination and genre make Ante Sundariki a highly anticipated film. Aside from the Nani and Vivek combo, the film also marks the comeback of bubbly actress Nazriya Nazim to the big screen. And last but not least, there is a large production house behind it, Mythri Movie Makers.
The long wait for a “funny” Nani film in a romance-comedy genre is Ante Sundaraniki’s biggest USP. The teaser and trailer highlighted it aptly. Vivek’s writing style brings freshness to the whole.
Given the current mood for serious movies, a really popular rom-com could become the youngsters’ go-to choice if done well. Nani also catches up with the families. Ante Sundaraniki is therefore a deadly combination on paper. If it gets the right talk, there will be no theatrical looking back.
Nani recently hit back with the success of Shyam Singha Roy. Still, he wouldn’t mind a big blockbuster hit and Ante Sundaraniki looks like the perfect outing. Vivek Athreya could also move on to the next phase as a director.
Mirchi9 brings you the ‘First-On-Net’ Ante Sundaraniki review sincere and honest as always. Check out this space for our updates.