“The day I become more important to you than cricket, I’ll leave you” just sounds like any other romantic dialogue Bobby aka Vijay Deverakonda tells Lily aka Rashmika Mandanna, but is a key moment in Bharat Kamma’s ‘Dear Comrade’.
While watching this scene, it looks like an aside in the narration. However, Kamma has weaved his movie around the message, no woman should give up on their passion for love. Other than this, ‘Dear Comrade’ is all about drama, anger and passion.
In the opening scene, Bobby is in a fight until his friends come to his rescue, he has turned this way after his romance turns sour. This brings back memories of ‘Arjun Reddy’ as in this movie, the protagonist is also a student who is prone to anger.
Ideally, this film has two halves which feels like different entities as the transition isn’t seamless. The story moves from warm and lively middle-class homes and college campus to the vast outdoors as Bobby solo travels to seek solace in nature and talks about sound therapy. While, Lilly’s healing isn’t that simple, as she is caught between a father who talks about family prestige and a boyfriend who wants her to fight. During one of the most important scenes, in desperation she asks why no one asks about what she wants, here the struggle feels real.
When Bobby meets Lilly for the first time, he’s a hot-headed student union leader. Inspired by his grandfather, Bobby and his friends call each other Comrade, a person who stays with you through thick and thin. If Bobby finds anything remotely unjust, he’s ready to bash people, even if it lands him in trouble. Lilly takes him by surprise as she effortlessly holds herself among these angry men and thrashes them in a game of cricket. But having lost her brother in a university fight, Lilly senses danger looking at Bobby’s violent ways and anger issues. Can she keep him in check or lose him forever?
What works wonderfully is Rashmika and Vijay’s performances, which holds the film together. Vijay shows that he’s not only an angry man or a compulsive flirt, but a complete package. He shines as an actor who is in no hurry to be a star, showcasing fifty shades of Bobby in this movie which will make you empathise with his journey. Rashmika impressed us as Lily, this is one of her most intense roles, shifting from a confident cricketer to someone who is depressed and lost in life. Her acting will make you root for her. Also, the film has supporting actors who fit well into their parts.
The film’s greatest plus is that it never becomes one-dimensional. There are moments when you feel like you can predict what happens next from a mile away, but what follows next takes you by surprise. At each juncture, the story takes a different turn which is for the better. The
excellent background music and terrific cinematography makes it all right.
However, the screenplay’s inconsistency will let you down. ,Even though the performances are powerful, the climax is weak bringing the film a notch down. The director has tried too many arcs in the storyline which doesn’t always work. It’s only at the end that you understand the main idea is that irrespective of our gender, one should be a comrade and be a shoulder for someone, and give them the courage to fight against injustice.
Still, ‘Dear Comrade’ is a good attempt which makes you think, keeps you guessing and plays with your emotions. After the film, there’s a good chance you’ll walk out with your collar up and ready to raise your voice against anything that doesn’t sit right with you. That’s the effect good cinema can have.
And we give it a rating of 3.5 out of five!
