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★★★★★
Written & Directed by: #DeepakReddy
Starring: #VirajAshwin, #DrishikaChander, #SriValliRaghavender, #PrithviSharma
A young man muses on the nature of love, recounting three relationships from his past. The girls in his life resemble three different seasons, namely Chaitra (Spring), Varsha (Monsoon) and Seeta (Winter).
Sometimes the most simple of ideas can achieve so much, and with Deepak Reddy’s short film Manasanamaha, that is most definitely the case. Taking place across three seasons, each with a tale of a young man’s relationship with three different girls, this ravishing romantic comedy spins backwards in time, displaying vibrant scenes of love, heartbreak and, well, life.
I think most of the charm holds heavily in the choice to present the film in reverse order, not just chronologically, but in literal reverse time. It shakes up the temporal standard and places viewers into a vast exploration of a dramatic relationship with importance placed on camera work. Several scenes shift from a point-of-view perspective, back to the usual ‘fourth wall.’ It’s these shifts, paired with the reverse effect that makes Manasanamaha so inviting and engaging. There’s a lot of creativity oozing from every frame, not only visually but musically, too.
The acting from all is wonderful, Viraj Ashwin performs well across from the three beautiful actresses (Drishika Chander, SriValli Raghavender and Prithvi Sharma), each bringing their own alluring aura. Less attention is placed on dialogue, however, and more on emotion. Each season springs by in a rapid pace, but never once feels like a rush. The music by Syed Kamran, a decorous addition to the film, leads you through each scene with finesse. In fact, with it featuring some songs, it almost comes across as a hefty, more high-budget music video, which is pretty refreshing to see. Every key moment is hit accurately and sharply. There are seamless transitions placed throughout and the changing of the seasons was a nice touch, as it really feels like Reddy got to explore various tones and in doing so, got to flex his skills as a filmmaker.
Manasanamaha is a perfect display of the greatness of world cinema, and how talented these filmmakers are. In terms of concept, it’s fairly straightforward. But on a technical level, this short film raised the bar. Manasanamaha is a fantastic, stunning, colourful and uplifting film, not to be missed.
Watch the trailer for Manasanamaha below.
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