'Thank You Brother' is currently streaming on Aha. In this section, we are going to tell you whether the film is worth a watch.
Story
Abhi (Virat Ashwin) is a spoilt brat who just doesn't know the concept of doing a job. He is a playboy to boot. His mother and stepfather are miffed with him. Priya (Anasuya Bharadwaj), a pregnant widow, ends up getting stuck with him in an elevator. This puts the duo in a fatal situation. Can they come out of it? What does Abhi learn in the process? That's the crux of the story.
Performances
This is the not first time Anasuya has played a serious role. While she played substantial roles in 'Rangasthalam' and 'Kshanam', her character had variations and some elements that were not revealed by the trailer of those respective movies. In 'Thank You Brother', she comes across as a uni-dimensional character. There are no surprises or wow moments in store.
The movie's most important chracter is Abhi, played by Viraj Ashwin, who comes across as a confident actor for the most part. In the hands of a better director, he would have pulled off the serious scenes with panache.
YouTuber Mounika Reddy is seen as Abhi's girlfriend and looks convincing. Veteran artist Annapurna is okayish. Anish Kuruvilla, as Abhi's step-father, is good. Viva Harsha and Kadambari Kiran are also seen.
Technical aspects
Guna Balasubramanian's background music goes for a toss. Perhaps, the director wanted him to compose in a traditional fashion. We wouldn't know. But the BGM just doesn't sound updated. There is a dream song involving Adarsh Balakrishna and it has no takeaways. The cinematography is not up to the mark.
Analysis
For a film that is just 90-minutes long, 'Thank You Brother' has too much focus on Viraj Ashwin's ways. He is a hedonist who womanizes. On the other hand, we don't get a glimpse of Anasuya's Priya. Her late husband is reduced to a dream song. And her backstory is a patch.
The film is inspired by 'Elevator Baby' (Nigerian) and it seems director Ramesh Raparthi has come a cropper in adapting it. There is a sense of fatigue while watching the pub scenes, and the scenes involving the spoilt brat and his frustrated mother are meh.
The director tries his best to rev up the mood by using Viva Harsha's comic timing. The attempts look forced, especially in the second half.
The elevator scenes don't pack a sense of existential crisis. The harrowing experience of the Abhi-Priya duo is telecast live on TV. What purpose does it serve when not a single person in the admnistration is shown to respond to the incident while the two Telugu States are glued to TVs watching the 'sport'?
The story takes place during the lockdown (the story is set in 2020). But just because the city is locked down, it doesn't mean that not a single soul in the apartment building even tries to use Just Dial or Sulekha to contact mechanics.
Closing Remarks
'Thank You Brother' fails to strike the right chord with its emotional content. Nor is it thrilling.
