<i>Notebook</i> Review

Friday, February 02, 2007
Another love story with tragic end

After making a successful debut as director with 10th Class, Chandu had launched his own banner 10th Class Productions with Vellampally Prasad as producer. He launched his second project Notebook, to introduce Rajiv, son of noted music director Koti, as hero and Gayatri as heroine. Gayatri had already faced the camera as a child artiste for a popular tele-serial 'Nagamma'. Though the film is said to be the launch pad for Rajiv, it is Gayatri who took away the honours with a major footage. Raju (Rajiv) is an orphan. After the death of his mother (Surekhavani), the village elder and his wife take him away with them, where he settles as the right hand of the landlord. He continued to stay in the hut where his mother lived but used to work with the landlord. He was brought up with the landlord's daughter Nandini (Gayatri) and he remains a good friend right from her childhood. After Nandini attains puberty, she realizes that her relationship with Raju is not just friendship but love. Once, she reveals her love to Raju, but he politely refuses it saying that there was a lot of distance between him and Nandini, as she is very rich and he is just a labourer in their house. She teases Raju in various ways but he silently escapes from her every attempt. One day, Nandini goes to the nearby city to write a competitive examination, where some students try to tease her and Raju teaches them a fitting lesson. Though Nandini's father did not want to marry her and continue her in education, changes his mind after the incident and looks for an alliance for Nandini. Though Nandini reveals to her father that she is not interested to marry the boy of his choice as she already in love with someone, he did not accept it in the name of his name and prestige. Nandini goes to Raju's hut and gives her notebook, in which she noted down all her thoughts on him and asks him to write his opinion on her before the sunrise next day as Nandini's father fixes her engagement with some other boy the next day. Though Raju writes down all his love and affection in his heart towards her, he could not give it before the said time. Unable to share her life with someone other than Raju, Nandini commits suicide. After Nandini's father lit the fire to the pyre, Raju jumps into it and he too ends his life. Nandini's father comes to know their love and curses his fate for failing to acknowledge their love. The film ends on a tragic note with the death of Raju and Nandini.

Plus:
Nandini's performance is the highlight of the film. She looked gorgeous as a village belle and the director proved that there is no need to expose a girl to show her glamorously. The comedy by the hero's sidekicks is also worth watching and kept the audiences in good humour. Tunes by Mickey J Meyer for the songs are melodious and their choreography is also good. Cinematographer V Jayaram was able to capture the greenery in a village excellently and at one stage, he made the viewers to return to their native villages away from the concrete jungles and spend their time amidst the greenery.

Minus:
Rajiv, though introduced as hero, looked too tender. Moreover, he had not got any chance to perform. As the film is in village backdrop and the subject is a love story, he had no scope to show any of his abilities. Though he tried to excel in the only action scene in the film, it looked quite cinematic as he is like a small boy and not as a hero. However, the last half-an-hour had given him the opportunity to perform, but the director kept a song to suit the scene, which spoiled his chance then also.

Remarks:
The first half of the film is an admixture of 'Gangotri and Chanti' films. The audiences get bored to watch the film as several scenes remind them of these two movies. However, the director changed the track in the second half and the story picks up momentum. The screenplay and direction are very old fashioned and the film could not attract the mass audiences in the absence of any masala or action scenes. Though it is good to watch for youth, the first half of the film kills their mood and the tragic end may also play spoilsport for the success of the film as the Telugu audiences never like a story which ends with a tragedy.

Cast : Rajiv, Gayatri, Ganapati, Sudarshan, Surekhavani, Deepanjali, Srinu and others.

Credits :
Camera - V Jayaram
Music - Mickey J Meyer
Editing - Gouthamraju
Lyrics - Veturi, Vanamali
Presents - S Shankar Reddy
Producer - Vellampally Prasad
Screenplay and Direction - Chandu

Banner : Tenth Class Productions

Released on : February 2, 2007

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