#BFF review: This urban comedy is partly relatable, mostly superficial

Siri Hanumanth, Ramya Pasupuleti are aptly cast for the lead roles though the writing lacks meat

Siri Hanumanth and Ramya Pasupuleti

#BFF

Story:

Nithya Kotari, an Eluru-based girl, lands a software job in Hyderabad and is in search of a place to stay. Tara Yadav, who's finding it difficult to commute to her house every day from her office, is also on a room-hunting mission. What if they finalise the same house and plan to stay together? What forges a strong connection between Nithya and Tara, who're as different as chalk and cheese? While dealing with the highs and lows of adulting, and struggling to find a balance between their personal and professional lives, all they have is each other's back.

Review:

Adaptations have become commonplace in the Telugu webspace over the last few years but when one is retelling a story for a different audience, it's important to give filmmakers the license to lend their spin to it. #BFF is the Telugu remake of the popular Hindi show Adulting, revolving around two contrasting women navigating past the highs and lows of adulthood in a metropolis after college life. It's after all, refreshing to move past the stereotypical male gaze for once.

The premise offers great scope to understand the travails of single women in their early 20s, exhausted by the demands of adult life, from dealing with pressures at work to the challenges of running a household and being morally policed by their near and dear. Owner-interference, lack of recognition at work, being broke at the end of the month, coming to terms with day-to-day challenges of running a house - the material has universal appeal and various layers to tap into, but most scenarios appear like fictional fantasies. 

#BFF touches upon a lot of dimensions in the lives of Nithya and Tara, though it only offers a ringside view of their existence from a distance and never gives us a chance to take a deep dive into their minds. The sisterhood between the women is warm and also has its bitter-sweet moments but the show doesn't quite strike a chord. The writing is largely superficial despite apt casting and commendable performances; the show strives to be breezy and light-hearted, compromising on depth.

It's tiring to see that shows need to depict a woman smoking, and getting drunk at a bar in the night to establish the stereotype of a modern-day city-bred woman. Of course, the show doesn't judge Tara for her habits but reduces her to a formula, as seen in most mainstream films. Nithya's character, who has to deal with the small town-big city clash and gradually adapts to the ways of Hyderabad, works better.

The show is at its hilarious best when Nithya and Tara need to deal with warnings from her over-curious owner to vacate the house and find vague excuses to extend their stay. Equally impressive is the episode where Nithya's mom stays with the girls for a weekend and has a gala time with them, being fully aware of their notorious adventures. The mom being a Chiranjeevi fan and the daughter being a Pawan Kalyan fan ensures a few fun moments in the show.

A major limitation in the episodes is the length - before you want to know more, the episode shifts its focus to another chapter in their lives. Among aspects that could've been established better is the workplace atmosphere of the characters - the attempt to generate humour out of Nithya and Tara's awkward encounters with their bosses doesn't work the way one expects it to. The episode where Nithya and Tara challenge each other about staying away from Instagram and eating healthy is a certain patience-tester.

The finale that draws a parallel between the equation of Tara and Nithya at different phases of their lives is smartly edited. These minor sparkles apart, #BFF could've invested more thought into the adaptation and understood its target audiences better. There's a certain disconnect between the comfy house the characters stay in, the salaries they earn, the words they speak and their actions. The lesser said about the abrupt, awkward brand plug-ins, the better. Show creators need to find a smarter way than this to cater to their sponsors. 

It's hard to put a finger on the performances. Siri Hanumanth fits the bill perfectly as Nithya and has a good knack for humour. She carries herself well on the screen, be it her screen presence or dialogue delivery. Ramya Pasupuleti is impressive in most parts though her performance looks casual on occasions. The surprises in the show, even more than its leads, are Praneeta Patnaik and (iDream) Anjali, who pack a punch in their brief appearances.

The director Bhargav Macharla, who made a mark with dark, edgy thrillers like Kailasapuram and Net, needed more wings to prove his worth in a light-hearted show like #BFF. There's some struggle in striking a balance between bringing his own spin to the material and staying true to the original. Cinematographer Abhiraj Nair does a fine job of building the right visual mood for a feel-good show. 

Verdict:

#BFF is a strictly average fare redeemed by the performances of Siri Hanumanth, Praneeta Patnaik and Anjali and entertains only briefly. Watch it only if you've nothing better to do this weekend.

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