Darling review: Oh darling, Telugu cinema deserves better

Movies By Srivathsan Nadadhur Jul 19, 2024 Read the article

Darling represents everything that’s wrong with Telugu cinema. It believes marriage is the ultimate goal in life.

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The dramedy borrows its premise from Aparichutudu (2005) and other similar films where the protagonist tolerates a partner with a peculiar condition.

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While in most films, it’s the woman who tolerates the man’s problems, Darling is about a man who stands up for his emotionally vulnerable partner, come what may.

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However, unlike the latter, Aswin Raam is no expert at comedy and struggles to handle the change of tonality in the treatment after the intermission.

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Darling is superficial at every level, giving little time to establish the characters and their interpersonal relationships.

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Darling could’ve left you with a better aftertaste if the director at least made a sincere effort to explore Anandi’s backstory.

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It’s natural to expect something promising from Priyadarshi after Mallesham (2019), Balagam (2023), and Om Bheem Bush (2024), but Darling misses the bus by a wide margin.

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