There is a reason why movies still work and entertain such a massive audience, for 2 hours you can get lost in the world created by its crew and listen to a story told to you as it unfolds right in front of your eyes. It's an escapist fantasy that lets you forget your problems and be concerned about someone else's for a while. Director-Writer Anjali Menon's latest ensemble movie is a power house of star studded chemistry between its actors. Often her frames linger around the beauty of a city thriving with a mixture of culture and modern architecture that Bangalore itself becomes a character in the movie. Mixing new generation faces with those of veteran actors, she succeeds in creating a dynamic family tree with emphasis on issues like westernization, generation gap, youth - their struggle and then of course the romance. The three cousins well portrayed by Nivin, Dulquer and Nazriya offer enough to laugh, to think and to be concerned about. Often their acting dips a bit but nonetheless the chemistry keeps it going and interesting. Dulquer is very much the emotional centre of the film, Nivin provides the occasional comic relief and Nazriya is a mixed bag. Isha Talwar also gets enough screen time to showcase her beauty. Parvathi plays an RJ with a charming style and wonderful heart, as for Nithya Menen, she plays a small but pivotal role and last but not the least, Fahadh Faazil is as good as usual, playing a conflicted man with deep secrets. Its a visual treat to see all these actors and big names under one roof and definitely fuels the commercial crowd puller that its intended to be. But overall it all seems to feed into Dulquer's storyline. It's evident that the actors had more fun on set rather than as characters. The trio's chemistry is well written and keeps the audience engaged. The parallel timelines keep you interested to know what's happening with the other characters while you're watching one's story. One of the best moments in the movie is when Nivin and Isha meets for the time and something magical happens. It lights up a part of your heart and hits a nostalgic sweet spot. Equally beautiful is the brilliant cinematography, kudos to Sameer Thahir for the excellent work. Gopi Sunder has done a decent work too. There are no big plot twists here, but Anjali does drop enough narrative curve balls in between to keep things refreshing. There are some narrative glitches and unexplained plot holes, but the one thing I found particularly disturbing was the anti climactic ending to Nivin and Isha's storyline. At times it's similar to Dil Chahta Hai, but overall the performances of the actors make up for it. Watch out for Kalpana and Pravathi who have done a great job with their subtle expressions. It's a celebration of the medium, watching all these actors portray their larger than life roles together makes it a definite treat to watch that we can look past some of its mistakes and narrative contradictions. And it will be a long time from now that we will see such impeccable casting in a movie. All said, the movie ends with a charming "happily ever after" - wrapping up all the story lines. Overall Bangalore Days is a feel good romantic entertainer that's definitely worth the wait and a worthwhile watch.
Overall Rating : 8/10
Overall Rating : 8/10