Entha Manchivaadavura Review

A movie is a medium where a group of fictional characters come together to create a connection between the movie and the viewer. That connection is formed through the emotions that the characters go through. It's these emotions that make it convenient for the viewer to ignore the line between reality and fiction. But here we have Entha Machivaadavura, where the viewers are aware that the characters are aware that the viewers are aware that the emotions are fake. It would have been great if this were a case of breaking the fourth wall, but sadly, it isn't.

Balu (Kalyan Ram), who loves people (that's the only thing mentioned on his CV), is orphaned as a kid when his parents die in an accident. Although he has abundant love for his relatives, they don't reciprocate that, and his father's friend (Naresh) takes care of him.

Naresh's wife doesn't appreciate that, and so Naresh has Balu admitted to a boys' hostel, where Balu starts fantasizing about having one large family. He sort of realizes that dream when he starts building relations with people, whose lives are filled with the voids created by the absence of their loved ones. He is basically networking with people without expecting them to give him a job, and this goes on to prove that he is not an IIM grad.

His friends are initially suspicious about what exactly he is doing, and spy on him. But when they eventually get to know what is really afoot, they just all look at each other and go, "Entha manchivaadu ra!" And along with Balu, they start an organization named "All Is Well Emotional Suppliers." And soon, you have people constantly contacting these guys, asking them to send people to fill the emptiness in their lives.

Things go well until one day Balu goes to an elderly man (Tanikella Bharani) as his son who went missing years ago. However, there are consequences here, and that forms the rest of the story.

The movie has three parts. In the first, you wonder what is wrong with the protagonist. In the second, you wonder what is wrong with the director. And in the third, you wonder what is wrong with you because you are still watching it. The first half is at least bearable because you are more focused on processing the idea of renting emotions, but the second half leaves you with a splitting headache. It is so slow that by the time the film reaches its climax you feel that you've aged a few more years.

On the one hand you have fake emotions, and on the other you have an overdose of sentimental scenes and preachiness, and it doesn't take someone bright to figure out how well they intertwine with each other. Vennela Kishore makes the second half slightly tolerable, but his character is limited in scope. You also have a backstory of Suhasini and Sarath Babu in the second half, because why be just bored when you can be bored to death?

When you have a mediocre script at your disposal, it's impossible to generate performances that set the screen on fire. The music too never elevates the movie, and is mostly relegated to the background. The visuals are the only good thing about Entha Machivaadavura, but unfortunately aren't anywhere near enough to salvage a lacklustre script.

Watch this movie only if you enjoy either Indian soap operas or torturing yourself. You may be able to rent almost any emotion from All Is Well Emotion Suppliers except peace of mind.