Cast: Udai Kiran, Tejaswi Madivada, Swetaa Varma, Kirthi Kumar and Ravi Kamath
Director: Kiran Rao
Rating: 3 stars
Directed and produced by first timer Kiran Rao, Wish You Happy Breakup is a film about today’s youth. The story in the film begins with a guy who wants to commit suicide because his girlfriend cheated on him. At the same time, he gets a call from his friend Naresh (Udai Kiran) who sends him a video.
Thereon, the story revolves around Naresh (Udai Kiran), an aspiring filmmaker, his break-up with his girlfriend Nithya (Swetaa Varma) and how he goes into depression and wants to commit suicide, but realises his mistake and comes out of it to lead a happy life.
Made by a whole bunch of newcomers including artists and technicians, the film took around two years to make. The coming-of-age film has a message for youngsters but not in a preachy way. The first half is entertaining but the director couldn’t maintain the same tempo post-interval.
While the subject is good, when it comes to the narration, it couldn’t connect with the emotions. In the second half, most of the dialogues are from books and famous quotes. The film doesn’t have a strong story and runs from scene to scene, some of which are hilarious, while some will make you yawn.
A few catchy dialogues targeting women go a bit overboard. The camera work is good, the music is average and the production is decent. The good thing is, it’s an honest attempt. Newcomer Udai Kiran’s performance is commendable and Swetaa Varma is a bit lukewarm as Nitya. Tejaswi Madivada plays a cameo and steals the show in the end.
All in all, Wish You A Happy Breakup is a new approach in the filmmaking and though the basic emotions are missing, one should appreciate the director and his team for coming up with this new generation film.
