Chennai
Film: Geetha Govindam
Language: Telugu
Director: Parasuram
Cast: Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: ****(4 stars)
Some movie experiences take us on a romantic joyride while offering us an insight into human nature but without hammering the "message" in like a rough Thai massage.
"Geetha Govindam" is a surprisingly low-key libido-teaser. It whips up a frothy fun ambience through a chance encounter between a virginal college lecturer and a rather stiff upper-lipped Miss Hoity-toity.
That the two roles are played by Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna is a dash of destiny doing its devilish bit to add spice to this honeyed, though never over-sweetened confection of love during times of wedding festivities and carnal urges.
Besides the very likeable leading man, what I really like about "Geetha Govinda" is its feisty take on gender equations that are played out in this film in a spirit of pukish irony.
Think. The guileless guy Vijay Govinda (Deverakonda) and the uppity girl Geetha (Rashmika Mandanna) get close during a bus journey to a wedding that will change their destiny. But that's later.
Back in the bus, the buck and the 'bak-bak' never stops. The pair creates some interesting moments of travel intimacy. She makes him stand guard outside a shady loo. He gets down to eat while she snoozes in the bus... All this while, Vijay, a stranger to female attention, whisper-shares with his friends on the phone about his growing closeness to the stranger.
And then all hell breaks loose. A moment of monstrous miscommunication and the haplessness, virgin-man is exposed to be a lecher and predator, which he is not.
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