'Let's Get Married (LGM)' is produced by a film banner founded by former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The Telugu version of the Tamil-language original was released today in theatres.
Plot:
Gautham (Harish Kalyan) and Meera (Ivana) are corporate employees who have dated for the past two years. When Gautham proposes to Meera, the latter suggests that she needs to test her compatibility with his mother Leela (Nadiya). Gautham, after much reluctance and second thoughts, tricks his mother into joining him and Meera for a Coorg trip. Is there a twist in the tale? None. The rest of the film is about how awkwardly Meera and her future mother-in-law start bonding.
Analysis:
There was a time when Tamil films used to present coming-of-age and novel relationship dramas. For the past few years, though, Tamil directors have become notorious for confusing odd comedy for drama. The humour in their films is barely original. In 'LGM', after a poignant interval scene, you would think that the second half would be profound. Director Ramesh Tamilmani, however, has extremely inane ideas in store.
The writing department believes that 'LGM' is a whacky comedy while its ideas and central performances are simply random. Meera and Leela end up in an 'ashram' where any sensible woman wouldn't want to step in the middle of the night. They dance and eat jalebis offered by drugged devotees. All this surely enhances their relationship, we suppose. Later on, what they are condemned to becomes a terrible watch. A CGI-generated tiger threatens them and comedian Yogi Babu. The ones who are tortured to death are really the audience members.
Amidst all this, you can realize that artificial situations have been conceived instead of realistic situations. Granted that not every relationship drama/rom-com needs to have believable situations. But, at least, the broad trajectory of the story must be involving enough, right?
Harish Kalyan (who might be the Raj Tarun of Kollywood) looks agitated, confused and dull throughout the film. The background music in a family scene is a misfit; it is as if the composer thought the scene was a romantic one. The trip to Coorg is described by the lead man's colleagues as a 'honeymoon trial'. The trip is spoiled by an old man, whose repeated need for urination attributable to diabetes is made fun of by the driver (Yogi Babu). The driver makes fun of himself because his former lover married some other man. The holiday revellers look as if they are bored to death. We can understand why Meera and Gautham look worried all the time (not that it is desirable), but none else in the film takes it upon themselves to look happy.
The male protagonist looks incapable of talking three lines at a stretch. He is always jittery in front of his girlfriend. He is perennially worried in the presence of his mom. Is he socially awkward, much like this film?
Closing Remarks:
'LGM' is a sorry film with silly ideas passing off for coming-of-age drama.
