Kushi Review: Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu shine in this passable family drama

3/5

Story

Viplav(Vijay Deverakonda) is a government employee who gets posted in Kashmir. He falls in love with Aradhya(Samantha Ruth Prabhu) thinking she is from Pakistan. When he comes to know that she is from a traditional Brahmin family in Hyderabad, he gets the shock of life as his family does not believe in God. The couple makes a bold decision and marries against their parent's wishes. The twist in the tale arises when Aradhya suffers a miscarriage and this creates a rift in the relationship. The rest of the story is about how the couple copes with their internal issues and leads a happy life.

Review

Kushi is director Shiva Nirvana's fourth film after Ninnu Kori, Majili, and Tuck Jagadish. As Tuck Jagadish failed at the box office, Shiva Nirvana returned to the romantic genre and penned the story of a couple whose parents come from different religious beliefs. The backdrop of the film is neat and has scope for a lot of emotional drama. But one can say that Shiva Nirvana did not utilize it to the fullest. There was a lot of scope to elevate the emotions in the second half but the director chose not to make the scenes overdramatic and ended the film on a happy note.

The first half of Kushi is all about love, comedy, and falling for each other. The superb music score by Hesham Abdul Wahab, Vennela Kishore's comedy, and beautiful visuals keep the audience engaged. The key conflict point is also brought out on a very sober note without going overboard. Shiva Nirvana picks up things in the second half with a very beautiful conflict between the couple. The scenes of distress and how the family drama unfolds are showcased quite well.

In all this, the chemistry between Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha makes things breezy for the audience. The couple looks fresh on screen and carries the film on their shoulders. Such characters are a piece of cake for Vijay Deverakonda and he does well as the lover boy and a frustrated husband. Samantha gets a meaty part and delivers a commendable performance. She looks beautiful in the first half and emotes superbly when it comes to the emotional second half. Her character drives the latter part of the film and Samantha steals the show.

The supporting cast led by Mirali Sharma and Sachin Khedekar cast well and brought depth to the film. Senior actress, Lakshmi is wasted in her role. Rahul Ramakrishna evoked a few laughs but Vennela Kishore held the attention with his comedy in the second half. One of the biggest advantages of Kushi is the amazing music of Hesham Abdul Wahab. Each song is a gem and nicely fits into the narrative. But one gets a feeling that they could have been shot even more beautifully.

Also Read: Interview: Director Shiva Nirvana on Kushi 

The production design is decent but the camera work is average. Despite being shot in Kashmir, the visuals do not highlight the poetic beauty of the region. The editing could have been better in the first half as a fight and a few routine scenes could have been trimmed to make the runtime shorter. Kushi has a very predictable narration but the conflict is strong. A stronger screenplay would have made matters even better. The logic behind the couple fighting for silly reasons looks a bit weird.

In a way, Kushi does not have those over-dramatic moments but the last pre-climax is neat and holds our attention. The climax looks rushed but the conflict is given a proper ending and the icing on the cake is the screen presence of Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The film has predictable scenes but they do not bore you. One gets a feeling that the drama should have been more arresting especially the manner in which the realization of the parents is showcased. But still, Vijay and Sam's chemistry in the climax ends the film on a positive note.

Verdict

On the whole, Kushi has a very interesting backdrop but the emotions could have been stronger in the second half. The film had scope to elevate gripping drama but that does not happen as the director Shiva Nirvana, keeps things simple and narrates the film on just a passable note. However, Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu hold our attention with their sincere performances. The icing on the cake is the fabulous music by Hesham Abdul Wahab which steals the show.

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