Heads and Tales Review: The parts work better than the whole
Created by Sandeep Raj, the web film is helmed by Sai Krishna Enreddy and stars Divya Sripada, Sri Vidya, Chandni Rao and Sunil in key roles,,
3.0/5
Oct 22, 2021
Heads & Tales
Story:
Alivelu Manga, Shruthi and Anisha are three women with identical destinies and need to confront more or less similar situations with their partners. Shruthi is an innocent girl who trusts people easily, has an awkward equation with her stepfather and has fallen in love with a new acquaintance Praveen. Alivelu Manga is a good-at-heart constable whose better half Venkatesu works at a small-time bar and constantly tortures her for money, taking jibes at her profession. Anisha is a budding actress on the cusp of marriage and has made up her mind to sign a new web show, despite the groom's threats to cancel their alliance. How will the trio move past these conflicts?
Analysis:
Head and Tales, coming from the core team of the OTT success Colour Photo, is a smartly written tale, without a speck of doubt. Directed by Sai Krishna Enreddy, the film wins your curiosity right from the first frame, where a no non-sense God, in a modern-day avatar, is in an interview with a curious journalist. The walls pay an ode to film celebrities who're no more, right from SPB to Soundarya to ANR to NTR and Tagore.
From the COVID-19 pandemic to Instagram videos of pups, cats and destiny, God and the journalist debate on several issues and take a sneak peek at the lives of three women who need to confront a similar fate. God even tells, 'Do I look a fool to you writing different fates for everyone? The story is the same, it's the screenplay that changes.' In what would have been a regular premise surrounding three women dealing with similar situations, the show creator Sandeep Raaj brings in an interesting socio-fantasy element that keeps you hooked to the plot.
Misogyny is the common link to the lives of these women. While Shruthi's acquaintance Praveen tries to judge her by her past, Anisha's partner is insecure about her 'role' as a prostitute in an upcoming film. Manga's husband is plunging to newer lows day after day, is in debt and attacks his wife's profession repeatedly. The story brings forth the inner strength of women, sisterhood and stresses the importance of self-respect.
The situations that bring together Anisha and Manga are quite engaging. It's interesting to watch two women from different walks of life forging a unique bond over a night. From their midnight biryani to a confrontation with a creep to discussing their innermost fears while wearing their VR gears, they find solace in each other's company in an unusual situation. It's also relieving that Suhas, a male friend of Anisha, motivates her to fight her own battles and doesn't try to be a saviour.
The free-flowing screenplay, sparkling dialogues and effortless performances by Divya Sripada, Sri Vidya are both humourous and progressive. The weakling in the film is Shruthi's thread. Although it deals with relevant issues like slut-shaming and abuse within households, the sub-plot struggles to create the desired impact. The unaffecting performance of Chandni Rao could probably be one of the reasons.
Just when you expect a strong conflict to liven up the narrative and tie up the threads, the convenient resolution feels quite underwhelming. However, the twist, where you realise how the destinies of the three pivotal characters are interconnected, is an instance of good screen-writing. The pre-climax scene, where Venkatesu sells the ring to an affluent family, is a superb effort at discussing domestic violence without being verbose.
The cliffhanger ending, hinting at a second season, isn't something you'll be prepared for. Heads and Tales is a film where the parts work better than the whole. It is one of the rare films where the team does a credible job of writing 'everyday women' and complex female characters from different socio-economic backgrounds, who embrace their flaws and have a unique sense of humour. The story never lets the men hijack their narrative and gives the women enough space to fight their battles.
Sunil and Suhas' special appearances are utilised quite efficiently by the show creators. It's good to see a veteran like Mani Sharma adapting to newer storytelling mediums seamlessly.
Verdict:
Heads and Tales is a brilliant experiment at giving a socio-fantasy spin to the anthology genre. Addressing patriarchy and misogyny at various levels, there are bursts of sparkling screen-writing in the plot that could have come together more effectively. Divya Sripada, Sri Vidya Maharishi walk away with the top honours, with Sunil and Suhas almost stealing the thunder from them in their cameos. A one-time watch for sure!
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