Music & Lyrics / Anukokunda Oka Roju

Music & Lyrics


Hollywood romantic comedies are completely predictable. Boy meets girl; boy and girl fall in love and sleep together; they have a fight; boy and/or girl realize they still love each other and get back together to live happily ever after. So how much I like a movie in this genre depends solely on the leads (the heroine more than the hero) and the script. Music & Lyrics, with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, scores on both the above aspects and so ends up as one of those rare romantic comedies that I like.

Hugh Grant plays a singer from a popular band from the 80s, who is now performing at theme parks and other public events. He gets the chance to write a song for Cora, the hottest singer/dancer now but is unable to come up with even one good line, let along an entire song. Drew Barrymore first arrives to water his plants but he spots her talent at writing songs and together the two manage to finish the song and give it to Cora. But how their song is eventually performed by Cora leads to a misunderstanding between them.

Barrymore is incredibly cute and she turns on the charm effortlessly here. Her lack of self-confidence adds a dash of vulnerability to her character and the result is a completely loveable character. Ofcourse, Hugh Grant’s contribution cannot be treated lightly. He has great comic timing and with his usual disarming style, is able to turn even ordinary lines into something funny. They have great chemistry and their conversations are a pleasure.

Ofcourse, the leads can't completely carry a movie, as was proved by movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which I hated inspite of the effervescent Kate Hudson. M & L follows the storyline I mentioned in the first paragraph to a T but because of a good script and sentiments that never go over the top, it succeeds in being entertaining. There are a number of clever and witty lines, especially from Hugh Grant. The couple's fight when it comes arises from something meaningful and so is not a silly contrivance that could’ve been solved by the two them simply talking. And the way they patch up is somewhat unexpected and involves a song with some hilarious lyrics.

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Anukokunda Oka Roju


Recommended very highly by a friend, Anukokunda Oka Roju turned out to be a great thriller. With a lean, well-paced screenplay, good performances and assured direction, it is a very accomplished, satisfying film in a genre that cannot boast of many such entries.

Charmi plays a chorus singer who is waiting for that one big break. When her family goes out of town for 3 days, her friend takes her to a rather wild party where drinks and drugs flow freely. Charmi though keeps away from all that and we next see her wake up the next morning thinking life will go on as usual. But what happens after that brings into question what happened to her at the party and after.

AOR is constructed in a way that all thrillers should be and resembles a jigzaw puzzle - and a very addictive one at that. It first reveals in small fragments that Charmi didn't exactly have an uneventful night and we are with her as she struggles to find out what happened (it reminded me of Memento in the way it is constructed and in its MO of keeping us as much in the dark as its protagonists). We are constantly kept in a state of curiosity about Charmi's actions that night and can't wait to find out what happens next. So the film takes us along effortlessly. As things are eventually revealed, there is the pleasure of the pieces of the puzzle falling into place and not in the way we expect either.

The final(and biggest) piece of the puzzle evokes mixed feelings. One one hand, it is something out of the blue and so doesn't give us the satisfaction of a twist or a surprise, which is what we expect after sustained suspense at such a high level. On the other hand, it definitely isn't expected and so has the element of surprise. The film goes on a completely unexpected and different track and leads to some moments that are very tense (which is all the more remarkable since we know the outcome of those scenes already).

The director manages to deftly inject some humor into the proceedings too. There are a couple of laugh-out-loud moments in the most unexpected of places and because of where they occur, they don't damage the movie's pace either. Songs don't feel awkwardly inserted and are picturized well. Charmi looks simple and cute and manages to bring out the frustration of her character. Jagapathi Babu plays his role casually and has some funny lines.