'Ayushman Bhava' review: Shivarajkumar-P Vasu entertainer is formulaic

'Ayushman Bhava' has several scenes that remind one of 'Aaptamitra', 'Aaptarakshaka' and 'Sakalakalavallabha'.
'Ayushman Bhava' review: Shivarajkumar-P Vasu entertainer is formulaic
'Ayushman Bhava' review: Shivarajkumar-P Vasu entertainer is formulaic
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P Vasu's films are mostly commercial flicks with family sentiment, action, suspense, comedy, betrayal, revenge and redemption appearing as key themes. While Aaptamitra, Aaptarakshaka and Drishya put him in a different league in Sandalwood, over the years, it seems as though he is reluctant to get out of his comfort zone.

His second outing with Shivarajkumar, Ayushman Bhava, too is very formulaic. Gopi (Ananth Nag) is a free-spirited and caring person who believes in keeping his loved ones close. The family eats, sleeps and sings together. Krishna (Shivarajkumar) enters the house as Gopi’s caretaker and wins over everyone with his wit and charm. But, every night, a shrieking loud cry coming from the outhouse keeps him awake. While he tries to get into the outhouse to find the truth, he fails. But after a few bizarre encounters, he manages to discover a secret and this leads us into the plot of Ayushman Bhava.

The film opens with a train mishap and is hurriedly moved forward by three years. The first half is about Krishna, a psychiatrist, entering Gopi’s house and the second half is about how he helps Rachita Ram's character. Sounds familiar? Well, we don’t blame you. Ayushman Bhava has several scenes that remind one of Aaptamitra, Aaptarakshaka and Sakalakalavallabha. In fact, the first half can be easily labelled as a sequel to Aaptamitra and Aaptarakshaka combined. Not just the storyline but the sets, props, scares, and background score are predictable.

In fact, there was no need to bring in the spooky element in the film at all. Looks like that was brought in just to establish that it is a P Vasu film. The much-hyped CGI tiger chase scene in the forest too looks fake and is unnecessary. The first half is set mostly indoors and it's only in the second half that one can see the magic unveil on screen through PKH Das’s camera. This part, set in Kerala, gives much-needed relief to the eyes.

With each film, Shivarajkumar seems to be reinventing himself. However, the showstopper of the film is undoubtedly Rachita Ram. For the first time in her career, she has opted to play something different and has scored well. She plays a music lover who aspires to become a professional musician. The role has thrown her a big challenge and she has aced it. Ananth Nag gets a full-fledged role and it is always a pleasure to see the actor bring out several emotions with ease.

Others in the cast include Rangayana Raghu, Suhasini, Nidhi Subbaiah, Shivaji Prabhu, Sadhu Kokila and the occasional familiar faces from the daily soap operas. This is composer Guru Kiran’s 100th film. For a musical love story, he does establish a lot with the score, but since the generation has already moved on to Harikrishna and Arjun Janya, Guru Kiran’s background music sounds pale in comparison.

Overall, Ayushman Bhava is a typical P Vasu film and the team seems to have succumbed to the director’s way of working. The film was supposed to be titled after Shivarajkumar’s debut film Anand, but going by the storyline, the name would not have made any difference at all. If age-old formulaic movies are what you love, Ayushman Bhava may just work for you.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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