Spoiler alert: This review contains major spoilers including story and plot points.
Before the alarm goes off, Sree (Allu Sirish) wakes up and gets ready to the office. While leisurely having his breakfast, he suddenly realises that the clock has stopped working and rushes to the office bypassing all obstacles. The office is empty. (Is everyone at a meeting that Sree did not make it in time?). A janitor is yet to finish sweeping the office floor. It is then revealed that Sree has made all this effort not to be in office on time but to gaze through the window into the next office building, where Sindhuja (Anu Emmanuel) is working.
This has been the routine of Sree for the past four months. It’s a struggle for him to meet her and share his feelings for her. You see the distance between them is not just physical. Lucky for Sree, Sindhuja joins his office. What follows is a series of funny goof-ups when Sree tries to get Sindhuja’s attention.
Typical, right? But Sindhu casually initiates the conversation by introducing herself and it is she who asks for his contact number. That’s when you realise that Urvasivo Rakshasivo is not your typical romantic-comedy. Urvasivo Rakshasivo is directed by Rakesh Sashi. The film is a remake of Tamil film Pyaar Prema Kaadhal.
It doesn’t take much time for Sree to get what he desired and beyond. Sindhuja enjoys Sree’s company and the two have sex. After finishing the act, Sree confesses his love to her, a natural step in the relationship for him. But Sindhuja declines the proposal and says that it was just casual sex. (Watch out for the scene when Sindhu tries conveying that she wants to have sex with him- it is simply brilliant.)
It is Sindhuja who initiates sex, but at no point she is shown as a loose woman. Sree shames her publicly before their office colleagues for “doing everything but not marrying him.” He realises his mistake, not because he understood Sindhuja’s perspective but because he is ashamed of his behaviour. After making such a scene, nobody expects Sindhuja to turn up at the office, but wearing cool sunglasses, waving at everyone, unabashedly.
Sindhu is a very mature, ambitious and confident woman. Story writer Elan has to be appreciated for etching such a character without depriving her dignity.
Sindhu comes from an affluent family, is independent and is open-minded, owing to her growing up in the USA. On the contrary, Sree comes from a traditional family, where his parents, particularly his mother (played by Aamani) is worried about his marriage. Sree is raised as a pampered kid and his mother expects the same from her daughter-in-law – to take good care of him. His parents do not believe in the concept of love marriage as it is not ‘conventional’ and take up the responsibility of finding a suitable bride for him, who is not ‘corrupted’ by western influences like wearing shorts, applying make-up, or having a career of her own. It is these contradictions that make the premise interesting. (Surprisingly, there are no inter-class issues in the relationship).
Sindhuja loves Sree but does not want to get married as it would affect her dream of becoming a chef, whereas Sree does not have any dreams. He says that his dream is to “take care of his parents”, to which Sindhuja politely points out, “that is responsibility.” Unlike Jessy from Ye Maya Chesave, Sindhuja is clear about what she wants. In another scene, Sindhuja confides in her father that she slept with Sree. The father does not approve of it, but neither does he slut-shames her. Their relationship is so beautiful. There is so much love and respect between the father and daughter. It is scenes like this that keep surprising you warmly. It is one of those rare films where the female character is given equal importance.
However, these sweet moments are missing in the scenes between Sree and Sindhuja. We are told that they love each other, but there is no actual moment which makes us realise the depth of their relationship, barring a grand gesture of Sree who finds out the place where Sindhuja was born and gives her a big birthday surprise.
The performance of Allu Sirish is really impressive. Anu Emmanuel looks perfect in the role of Sindhuja. Aamani delivers a convincing performance as the mother of Allu Sirish.
Actors Vennela Kishore and Sunil perform brilliantly in their comedic roles.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.