PUPPY MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Fresh after Comali's blockbuster success, Vels Film International's next commercial entertainer, 'Puppy', is not the typical 'adult comedy' film you'd expect after watching the movie's promotional videos. Directed by debutant Nuttu Dev (Morattu Single), the film features Varun, Yogi Babu and Samyuktha Hegde in the lead roles.

The first 20 mins of the film goes a little overboard with adult jokes and situations while elucidating on the lifestyle of a single teenage boy Prabhu (Varun) who is struggling due to his sexual desires. But the film settles down after the entry of Ramya (Samyuktha) who happens to be Prabhu's upstairs neighbour.

Yogi Babu delivers an amazing performance as Prabhu's 'Senior'. His quick and unexpected one-liners scores claps throughout the film. Unlike his usual films in which he plays as a comedian, his character in this film has a solid goal (literally and figuratively) which is set-up right from his intro in the film and then given a satisfying pay-off towards the end.

The first half of the film is entirely carried by Yogi Babu's screen presence and the plot barely escalates till the interval, but the second half of the film becomes much more engaging and wholesome. The colors in the visuals are vivid and the shots are not very traditional, as it matches the modern outlook of the storyline, especially in the song sequences. (Cinematography by Deepak Kumar Padhy)

Varun as the lead has delivered a good performance to his role. Ramya's characterization might look a little bland, but Samyuktha has used the meaty role well and delivers a convincing performance as a semi-conservative girl from Madurai. The music of Dharan Kumar with various iconic voices of Yuvan, Anirudh and GVM is refreshing and gels well with the situations in the film.

The pet dog 'Puppy' of Prabhu is seen from the start of the film, but why it is used as the title is only justified towards the climax of the film. The tension and the emotional weights are in the final phase, where 'Puppy' is taken to the hospital due to an emergency situation. The strong bond between Prabhu and Puppy could have been conveyed with more moments.

A special mention is definitely required for the single take at the end (inside the hospital) of the film which consists of amazing camera work, direction and fabulous performance from Varun and the other actors (including the dog). The scene proceeds seamlessly with consistent tension and also pulls you in emotionally. The hard route taken by the director for this scene has really paid off.

The film could have engaged throughout as it does in the comedy scenes. A consistently funnier screenplay could have made the narrative more entertaining. But overall, Puppy is a fairly engaging watch that is shouldered by Yogi Babu's humor initially but later develops with good emotional connect, interesting conflicts and fast-paced screenplay.