Thank you review: No, Thank You, Naga Chaitanya!

Being in a relationship requires people to constantly make an effort to keep it going, even to rediscover or reinvent themselves if needed. It requires them to recreate happy moments and get past bad experiences, every possible day.

Being in a relationship requires people to get to know and appreciate each other; not take one another for granted. In a nutshell, a relationship is not a destination but a journey.

Needless to say, we meet new people and make more friends, as part of our professional and daily life. But, in the process, we tend to stop renewing existing relationships; let alone expressing gratitude for one another’s efforts.

This is the premise of Thank You, which hit the screens on Friday, 22 July.

Starring Naga Chaitanya, Raashi Khanna, Malavika Nair, and Avika Gor in lead roles, the film is directed by Vikram K Kumar and produced by Dil Raju.

The story

Naga Chaitanya plays Abhiram aka Abhi, an app developer-turned-businessman who has carved a niche for himself in the US. Initially a humble person from a poor family in India, he eventually grows into an egoistic and arrogant person.

Thanks to his hurtful behaviour, his girlfriend (Raashi Khanna) — one of the persons behind his success — leaves him for good.

After a lot of introspection, Abhi realises that he never acknowledged the people who helped him grow in life. That’s when he begins his journey to meet them all and express his gratitude. That’s Thank You.

Routine and predictable

The scene introducing Naga Chaitanya is one of the best in the film. Playing a character that portrays different variations and shades of life, he essays the role with ease, and it’s no surprise. He improved as an actor and impresses us throughout this journey.

The ‘Majili’ actor lost a lot of weight to fit into the shoes of a college-goer, and he nailed it.

You will fall in love with Raashi Khanna. This is certainly one of the best performances in her career. She looks gorgeous, too. Malavika Nair and Avika Gor do a decent job in their respective roles.

This film is pretty simple, without any twists and turns. The plot is quite routine and predictable.

Vikram should have reworked the story. Unlike his previous films, Thank You doesn’t carry his trademark.

We’ve seen many movies in the past, with the same and/or similar storyline. For example, Chay’s Premam is one of those man-child journeys that tugged at our heartstrings for obvious reasons. But this is an exception.

Some scenes are so boring that, after a point, you will thank the makers for the film’s short runtime — just two hours. Crisp editing would have done the job.

PC Sreeram’s camera work is breathtakingly delightful. He elevates the beauty of every scene. The scenes shot abroad are a visual treat.

The music, however, is a huge drawback. You will not see the usual Thaman working his charm anywhere. Production values are high and good, though.

The pace is slow, the scenes are dull and the emotions have little impact on you. Thank You is less than a commercial movie and a lot more than a feature film.

If you were looking forward to watching this film, then go ahead. Because you may not want to miss Raashi Khanna and Naga Chaitanya in perhaps their career-best performances.

Otherwise, wait till it is released on an OTT platform.