Sathya-Mia George's "Amara Kaaviyam", which hit the screens on 5 September, has received mixed reviews from critics.
Directed by Jeeva Shankar, "Amara Kaaviyam" deals with teenage romance and is set in the 80s. The film has Thambi Ramaiah and Ananth Nag in supporting roles. Its music is composed by Ghibran, while actor Arya (Sathya's brother) has produced the film under The Show People banner.
Critics have given mixed feedback with "Amara Kaaviyam" being termed as melodramatic. Regarding the performances, critics have stated that Sathya needs to improve his acting skills while they appreciated Mia's performance.
The film's director, who had also handled the cinematography, won accolades for his camera work. Ghibran's songs and the background scores are the plus points of the film.
On the flip side, the film moves at a slow pace in the first half. It gains momentum in the second half half only to be let down by the climax, said the critics.
Check below the review roundup of "Amara Kaaviyam"
"Amara Kaaviyam is one film which tries too hard to be a poem on celluloid. When it tries to be detailed, it ends up being slow. When it tries to become intense, it turns melodramatic. And there are many such turn-offs," said Siddarth Srinivas of Cinemalead.
"Director Jeeva Shankar has employed his earnest effort to portray a realistic love story in the pre-internet age. He has quite succeeded in answering all the Whats, Ifs and Hows, but the Whys are left unanswered, which is why Amara Kaaviyam stumbles on screen gradually as we go deeper into the film's narrative," said Surendhar MK of OnlyKollywood.
"The entire screenplay moves at a snail's pace and the first half is merely blown out of a adolescent infatuation episode. The visuals are stunningly toned and the music tries to ooze life into the scenes, but however, the screenplay lacks the engagement factor. Somehow, you don't feel like rooting for the lead pair, due to the lack of conviction in their love," said Sai Shyam G of iflickz.
"The second half gains some momentum with the lead actors creating some drama. However, the movie is again let down by an over-dramatic climax, that looks very contrived," he said.
Regarding performances: "Amara Kaaviyam's cast, led by the heroine Mia George, has delivered good performances. Mia is a talent to watch out for. Hopefully, she should get more such substantial roles. Sathya's acting is convincing. All the other support characters, including Sathya's friend and the parents of the lovers, suit their roles," according to Behindwoods Review Board.
"Love stories are far and wide the flavour of Indian cinema, and the ones based on real incidents are received even better than the others. But 'Amara Kaaviyam' is a far cry from realism," according to Indiaglitz.
"There is love and a bit of reality in it which cannot be denied. But, the picture would have stood out as a movie, if only it had more of convincing stories, than be credited solely for the immaculate camera and impeccable music. Overall, the film is about love in abundance, which sadly fails to appeal in practicality, given the incoherent eccentricity," the website stated.
"Ghibran's music is the biggest saving grace of #AmaraKaaviyam, which is otherwise a very predictable teen love story. Mia was extremely good," tweeted entertainment journalist Haricharan Pudipeddi.
Verdict: Fails to Impress
