BOTTOM LINE
Needlessly Bold Irritating Youthful Rom-Com
OUR RATING
1.25/5
CENSOR
2h 49m, ‘A’ Certified.
What Is the Film About?
Karthik falls in love with Uma at first sight, albeit in a drunken state. They believe if there is true love they will meet again and fall in love and marry.
How Karthik and Uma meet again? What is the problem in their relationship? Where does Karthik’s father Faneendra Bhoopati (Jagapathi Babu) and Chitti (an infant baby) fits into the scheme of things the movie is all about?
How Is Ram Karthik’s Performance?
Karthikk, now as Ram Karthik (or it’s the other way around) plays the lead in FCUK. The character is right down the terrain for him. He has done similar parts in the past, yet he comes very placidly most of the time. In the moments where it’s required to be dramatic, he overdoes.
Coming to the combination scenes with a veteran, Ram Karthik is alright. He does pale in comparison, but there are scenes where he is okay. It suggests he put in an effort, but ultimately that is not enough. There is a lot to work for Ram Karthik regarding the screen presence, essentially. Later, he could move to the performance part.
Direction by Vidya Sagar?
Vidyasagar Raju not only does the director but also provides the story, screenplay, and choreography. FCUK is a routine story in its essence, but what is done to overcome it is both its strength and weakness.
A boy falls in love with a girl. He has a problem and how he overcomes it is a very-very routine love story. One can garnish it with trendy characterisations, but the core story doesn’t change. Here, the director adds a fresh angle by bringing a single parent-modern father character. It disrupts the whole flow of the film and makes the narrative convoluted and uneven.
Not just the beginning, the entire first half is boring and dull with repetitive sequences. The character intros are over the top, and nothing is exciting or interesting happening story-wise. The interval, after all that has happened until that point, feels so redundant.
The characterisation of the heroine is to blame for it. She sprouts all the feminist dialogues, but when it comes to reality, she is the same old naïve female cliché. The ‘childish’ behaviour and the interval are so annoying with that in mind.
Many scenes contain bold content, but they are not in sync with the movie’s core content. Many issues are touched, and they deliver an important message, but everything else is predictable and routine outside those scenes.
Things do get better post interval where the actual story kicks off. But, it takes a long time again for things to get going. In fact, the gap is so long that when a key twist in the tale happens, one imagines the movie to be over at that point. There is still a lot to happen post that point, which is both frustrating and agonising for a viewer.
The pre-climax is again decent regarding the emotions. But, by that point, one has lost interest. One might, therefore, find it ‘decent’ if one stays until that point. The ending is on predictable lines and is long due.
Overall, FCUK tries to be bold, youthful rom-com with a balances message. The end result is that it is neither bold nor engaging. It is a confusing product that leaves the viewer’s scratching their heads if they venture to the cinemas.
Ammu Abhirami and Others?
Ammu Abhirami plays the heroine. She has got an annoying character. The lack of clarity with her role is where the movie fails initially. She looks good in parts, and that’s the best thing about her.
Jagapathi Babu is superb and easily towers everyone else. His characterisation looks like an extension of his role from Ra Randoi Veduka Chuddam. He is fine but seems force-fitted into the narrative to give the familiar story a fresh twist. The rest of the actors don’t make an impression.
Music and Other Departments?
Bheems Ciciroleo provides the music for the film. It is okay, overall. The background score is by JB. It goes with the flow. The cinematography by Shiva G could have been better, and so is the editing by Kishore Maddali. The writing is either a rehash of many heard before dialogues or generic.
Highlights?
Basic Idea
Message
Pre-climax
Drawbacks?
Convoluted Narrative
Length
First Half
Romantic Track
Alternative Take
A cohesive narrative cutting down needlessly ‘bold’ scenes like the one’s on virginity, sex and others and keeping a focussed view on the core issues involving the father would have been better.
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
FCUK Telugu Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
