After many postponements and release issues, Atharvaa's debut production Semma Botha Aagathey directed by Badri Venkatesh finally released today. The film has music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography by Gopi Amarnath, and is edited by Praveen KL. It stars Atharvaa in the lead role with Anaika Soti and Mishti playing the supporting characters. Read ahead to find out how the film has fared.
Ramesh (Atharvaa), after breaking up with his girlfriend, gets drunk and decides to call in a sex worker (Anaika Soti) and gets tangled between a host of problems that exist in her life. How he traces back to the root cause of all the issues and works his way out of the issue is what SBA is all about.
The initial 20 minutes of the film attracts some attention as the plot-line projected seems gripping. But from there, it is a downfall as the screenplay doesn't create any curiosity thereon. There are some unnecessary song sequences in the first half which act as speed breakers in the screenplay. Many dialogues seem force-fitted and out of context. Actor Karunakaran plays Nandhu, Atharvaa's best friend and manages to gather a few laughs here and there. Certain comedy sequences seem very outdated and might excite a very small section of the audience.
There's a love track in the film, which takes a completely different tangent from the crux of the movie. There is a total deviation from the plot of the film caused by the romantic angle and the comical scenes that take place between Karunakaran, Manobala, Devadarshini & Chetan. The villains also don't add any interest to the screenplay. The performances from the majority of actors seem very superficial and do not help the engagement much.
When the screenplay fails to engage much, the music is expected to take the driver's seat, but in this case, it doesn't work in favor of the story. Praveen KL's editing is not fresh and the transitions seem desperate, which fail to compliment the cinematography. Overall, though the pace picks up in the second half, the use of cinematic liberties and illogical sequences makes Semma Botha Aagathey an unappealing watch.