Telugu cinema’s romantic comedy and psychological drama film Darling is coming to the audience in the year 2024, written and directed by debutant director Ashwin Ram. The film is produced by K. Niranjan Reddy and Chaitanya Reddy under the banner of Primeshow Entertainment. The film stars Priyandarshi Pulikonda and Nabha Natesh in lead roles. The story of the film revolves around a young man named Raghav, whose biggest dream in life is to get married and take his wife on a honeymoon to Paris.
The plot of the film is romantic and humorous as well as touches upon sensitive issues like mental health. The story takes a turn when a girl comes into Raghav’s life who is suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder (DID). An attempt has been made to present this complex subject with humor and emotional overtones. Although there are some weaknesses in the film’s script and presentation, the film makes a unique effort to give the audience a different experience. Vivek Sagar’s music and background score bring liveliness to the film, while the cinematography is also commendable.
| Title | Darling |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 19 July 2024 |
| Language | Telugu |
| Country | India |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy, Psychological Drama |
| Directed by | Aswin Raam |
| Written by | Aswin Raam |
| Produced by | K. Niranjan Reddy, Chaitanya Reddy |
| Starring | Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Nabha Natesh |
| Music by | Vivek Sagar |
| Cinematography | Naresh Ramadurai |
| Edited by | Pradeep E. Ragav |
| Production Company | Primeshow Entertainment |
| Running Time | 161 minutes |
| Distributed by | (Not specified) |
| Box Office | (Not specified) |
| Critical Reception | Generally negative reviews |
Darling (2024) Story
Darling is a Telugu romantic comedy and psychological drama film starring Priyadarshi and Nabha Natesh in the lead roles. The story of the film revolves around Raghav (Priyadarshi), who dreams of spending his honeymoon in Paris with his wife. But his world comes crashing down when his bride runs away on the wedding day. Heartbroken, he tries to commit suicide but Anandi (Nabha Natesh) saves him. Raghav likes Anandi and proposes marriage to her, which Anandi accepts.
After marriage, Raghav finds out that Anandi suffers from multiple personality disorder. She has six different personalities inside her-Adi, Sri Sri, Maya, Jhansi, Papa and Anandi herself. The rest of the story revolves around this conflict and Raghav’s efforts to understand all these personalities and try to save his relationship.
Though Nabha has played a challenging role and Priyadarshi has done well as a troubled husband, the film has a weak screenplay. The story falls apart in the second half, with serious, comic and emotional scenes being forcibly added. The climax seems old and artificial.
Director Ashwin Ram’s storytelling is weak, and actors like Brahmanandam are underutilized. Technically, the music is average and the editing is slow.
Movie Review
Darling is a unique and heartwarming story that blends romance, comedy and a serious subject like mental health beautifully. The highlight of the film is the heroine who suffers from split personality disorder, portrayed by Nabha Natesh to great effect. Her character consists of many different personalities – all of which are portrayed by Nabha to perfection.
The film stars Priyadarshi as Raghav, a simple man who faces extraordinary circumstances. When he learns that his wife (Anandi/Priya) has a mental problem and is split into many different personalities, he does not abandon her. This is what makes the film special – that true love supports you not only in good times but also in hard times.
Raghav not only accepts her illness but also meets each of the “personalities” individually to convince them to let go of Anandi so that she can lead a normal life. The whole process is humorous at some places and very emotional at others.
The film also gives the message that marriage is a bond full of understanding and dedication. No matter how many challenges come, the husband and wife should not leave each other. This film teaches us that loneliness is never good in life. When two people face a problem together, the solution becomes easy.
At the end of the film, when Priya (who was actually a version of Anandi) understands everything, she convinces her parents and returns to Raghav. She makes her own decisions for her life, which becomes a positive example of women empowerment. Eventually, both of them go on their honeymoon to Paris, where Raghav’s dream began, and there he gets a happy ending.
Viewers like Pawan Kumar Silla say that the film is based on a wonderful idea and story. Both Priyadarshi and Nabha have acted brilliantly. Especially in the emotional scenes, the audience can relate to them. Though some viewers did not find Brahmanandam’s character very satisfactory, the overall theme and acting of the film was impressive.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
The film Darling attempts to combine a unique subject — split personality disorder — with romance and comedy. Priyadarshi and Nabha Natesh’s performances are the soul of the film. Although there are some shortcomings like weak screenplay and incomplete humor, the film still gives a beautiful message of the depth of relationships, understanding of mental health and dedication to each other. This film teaches that true love becomes stronger only by standing together in difficulties. Overall, Darling is an emotional and different-minded film, which forces the audience to think.