Premante (2025) Review

In just five minutes, a group of part-time thieves break into a massive bank, effortlessly dodging security cameras and personnel, navigating their way into the locker room, cracking passwords, and escaping without leaving a trace. Meanwhile, in another scene, a man in a police lockup is shown to be so thin that he can slip out between the grill bars. He casually takes the dozing constable's phone, heads back inside, watches a few reels, returns the phone, and then re-enters the lockup. The constable is still dozing.

Both scenarios are wildly implausible. Modern banking systems are not so fragile that anyone can waltz in and out with such ease. And if a detainee is slender enough to walk out of the lockup, why would he limit his adventure to watching reels and then voluntarily return instead of simply escaping? The movie offers no explanation for these bizarre choices, expecting the audience to simply accept them and move on. Welcome to Premante.

Madhusudhan Rao aka Madhu (Priyadarshi) meets Ramya (Anandhi) at a wedding. They hit it off quickly, sharing similar tastes, attitudes and views. Their parents approve too, and the couple get married. Madhu runs a small business called Sujatha Security Agency. For a while, life goes smoothly - until Ramya discovers that Madhu is actually a thief, and the agency is just a cover for his crimes.

Madhu explains that he turned to theft because of his sick parents, rising debts, and a failing business. He promises to do just one last job and quit. Surprisingly, Ramya agrees - but only if she can join him. The heist fails, but Ramya finds the thrill addictive. Instead of stopping, she pushes Madhu to commit more thefts, insisting on being part of every one.

The film explores two themes: financial struggle and a couple's craving for excitement. Their use of theft and heists as their shortcut to both relief and thrill is a valid narrative choice. Such a premise can be handled in one of two ways - either by going all out and turning it into a comedy, or by keeping it grounded and steering it toward tragedy, since theft is neither noble nor sustainable, and often ends badly.

But this movie avoids both paths. Instead of confronting the moral weight of crime or embracing the absurdity of it, the makers try to justify the couple's actions with poetic loopholes. They even go a step further and suggest that the duo discovers their "true talent" through their crimes - ironically, a talent that has nothing to do with stealing at all. The result is decent entertainment throughout the movie, though it feels disconnected from the very premise the film sets up.

One interesting aspect is the "crime ethics" the couple follows - their self-made list of dos and don'ts while committing thefts. These rules add a layer of fun to the narrative and eventually play a key role in their downfall, but that's something better experienced on screen.

The film also runs a parallel track featuring inspector Sampath (Vennela Kishore) and head constable Asha Mary (Suma Kanakala) from the Banjara Hills police station, who are assigned to crack the string of thefts. Beyond a single front shot of the station, everything about their world is deliberately exaggerated and unreal. Their constant bickering generates plenty of laughs - not through authentic police work, but through silly, over-the-top personal jabs that drive their comedy.

The movie's most jarring flaw is the characterisation of Ramya. She is introduced as a God-fearing, soft-spoken, obedient woman - but after participating in just one failed heist, she undergoes an abrupt, almost 360-degree transformation. Suddenly, she is eager to do everything she once avoided and everything she once begged her husband not to do. The shift feels like a rumble on the road. Her arc seems like the "risk-addiction" theme seen in Basic Instinct movies. However, unlike those films, this movie doesn't build the psychological groundwork needed to justify such a drastic change.

Priyadarshi, Anandhi, Vennela Kishore and Suma Kanakala share most of the screen time, almost in equal measure. The humour in the film stays clean - no double entendres. Not every joke lands perfectly, but none crosses the line or feels uncomfortable.

While all four get plenty of comedic moments, Priyadarshi and Anandhi also shoulder a wider emotional range: thrill, guilt, embarrassment and romance. They feel refreshingly real, like the couple next door - honest emotions, simple charm and believable chemistry. Yes, they indulge in some outlandish behaviour, but the film makes it clear why they step outside their natural selves, which helps you stay connected to their journey.

There isn't much to say about the movie's technical aspects. Everything is simply functional - enough to move the story along, but never crafted to elevate its emotional highs or lows. The cinematography and background score are serviceable, and the songs are forgettable the moment you step out of the theatre.

Despite its unconvincing and farcical story, Premante manages to stay engaging in its own odd way. The quirky characters, the deliberately exaggerated situations, and the comic timing of the actors keep the film afloat. It doesn't redefine the crime-comedy genre, but it still offers a light, wholesome watch that the entire family can enjoy.