TWO IN A TWISTED, TANGLED TANGO OF ROMANCE

Poet Carroll Bryant said metaphorically, “Love is a two-way street constantly under construction.” The quote no doubt has the ring of truth. Often though, one has to move heaven and earth to get the construction started on that street.

“ಹೂಮಳೆ” (‘Hoomale’, which translates to “Rain of Flowers) is a 1998 Kannada film, which won a bunch of state and national awards and earned a ton of accolades from movie buffs. The romantic comedy was a winner at the box-office too.  

The male protagonist, Santosh (Ramesh Aravind) works as a creative director in an advertising agency. An eligible bachelor living blissfully with his extended family, Santosh is indecisive about the merits of tying the matrimonial knot. But that is only till he sees Subhashini (Suman Nagarkar) speak eloquently during a television talk show.

Besotted with love at first virtual sight, Santosh sets out in search of Subhashini, a resident of Assam. So does he find his true love in Assam, a state plagued by a terrorist movement?

Based on a story penned by Ramesh Aravind, this romantic comedy is directed by maestro, Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar. While the script stitches together several moments of levity, the scenes lean heavily into dialogues that are sweetly light, albeit slightly over-the-top.

Screenplay could have perhaps been a notch better. The climax is abrupt– an anti-climax really! Nonetheless, the flick is a formulaic rom-com, a cute one, Mills-‘n-Boon-like at that. After all, people like to watch people fall in love, for it gives a vicarious ‘feel-good’ high. Background music of genius Ilaiyaraaja is top-class, as always. The camerawork is just about alright; so also the editing.

Ramesh Aravind is FABULOUS in the lead role. His comic timing is excellent; the vivacious exuberance is endearing. Suman Nagarkar is all poise and elegance; subtle in her rendition, she lends a traditional touch to the romantic magic that unfolds on screen. The supporting cast, which has veterans like HG Dattatreya, HG Somashekhar, et al, too has put in commendable performances.

I rate this romantic comedy (some may pigeon-hole it in the romantic drama genre): 7.5 on 10!

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