Vijay Deverakonda is one of the most happening actors in Tollywood today. With two back-to-back hits in the form of Pelli Choopulu and Arjun Reddy, it is natural to expect another crackling film from Vijay.
This time though, Vijay surprises us with a light-hearted rom-com, indicating that he's quite unpredictable with his choices. Geetha Govindam doesn't have a one-of-a-kind script. It is just another romantic comedy but with clever writing.
Vijay Govind (played Vijay Deverakonda) is an innocent lecturer who fantasises about finding a traditional girl as his wife. He, along with his friends, tries to woo girls by creating fake incidents. Even though the thought of it is quite misogynistic, Vijay backs off and apologises if he learns the girl is married or committed.
The minute he meets Geetha (Rashmika Mandanna), he realises that she is his soulmate. The two meet again on a bus, and what follows, projects Vijay as a womaniser. Geetha hates Vijay and there comes a point they have to spend time with each other on a daily basis. Somehow Vijay is often misunderstood, thanks to the circumstances etched by director Parasuram.
Geetha Govindam does not have an exceptional story that will make you say 'wow' from the word go. It's the same boy-meets-girl-and-how-they-fall-in-love-with-each-other story. But director Parasuram makes Geetha Govindam interesting with his clever writing.
There are a few problematic scenes in Geetha Govindam that reek of misogyny. At the same time, Parasuram has also crafted scenes that respect women. It is this inconsistency that makes the second half of the film predictable.
If you manage to look past a few incidents (that are illogical), Geetha Govindam is a fun outing. Throughout the course of the film, the audience will end up laughing, thanks to brilliantly-etched sequences featuring Vijay and his friends.
Kudos to director Parasuram for etching a headstrong character for Rashmika Mandanna. In a dialogue towards the climax, she says, "A wife can never be a mother to her husband." The scene tells you how brilliant Parasuram is.
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Seeing Vijay Deverakonda so innocent was tough to digest because of his intensive performance in Arjun Reddy. But he eases into his character and makes you fall in love with Govind and his performance.
Apart from the lead cast, it is Vijay's friends who steal the show throughout the film. Rahul Ramakrishna and Abhay Bethigandi make you laugh with their situational comedies. Vennala Kishore with his limited screen time makes the second half quite enjoyable.
Geetha Govindam goes on to prove, yet again, how a simple love story can be endured on the big screen if it has the right doses of love, comedy and drama.