8 Vasanthalu Movie Review: A Poetic Romance Starved of Depth

8 Vasantalu is a love story that spans over eight years, tracing the journey of a woman and the men who fall for her. The film begins with promise — scenic visuals, a gentle romance, and a feeling that it might avoid the mistakes of the director’s earlier work, Manu. Sadly, that optimism fades quickly.

Plot

The story follows Shuddi, a popular writer and martial artist from Ooty. She meets Varun, a rich guy who tries every trick in the book to win her heart. His efforts pay off — until his failure to get into UC Berkeley leads to their breakup. Enter Vijay, a moody Telugu novelist whose words and fame slowly pull Shuddi into a new romance. But this new relationship, instead of adding depth, pushes the film into shallow waters.

8 Vasanthalu Movie Analysis

What starts as an engaging romantic drama turns into an over-stylized and unrealistic mess. The film is filled with dialogues that sound like poetry for the sake of poetry — unnatural and heavy-handed. Especially in the second half, conversations feel more like Instagram quotes than real emotions.

The writing becomes painfully self-indulgent. At one point, the novelist’s book about a sex worker becomes a viral hit in Ooty, and the reactions are so exaggerated they border on parody. It’s hard to stay emotionally invested when the film keeps pulling you out of the story with such dramatic excesses.

If there’s one thing that holds up throughout, it’s the cinematography. The visuals — from misty Ooty to vibrant Benaras — are stunning. The camerawork feels rich and cinematic, like something straight out of a Mani Ratnam movie.

Ananthika Sanilkumar is the other saving grace. She brings grace, charm, and screen presence that the film badly needs. Hanu Reddy does his part decently, but the rest of the cast deliver performances that feel amateurish and flat. Director Phanindra Narsetti fails to deliver an appealing poetic romance.

Verdict:

8 Vasantalu is visually beautiful but emotionally empty. It tries too hard to be poetic and ends up feeling pretentious. A few moments shine, but they’re buried under a sluggish, over-written narrative that never truly connects.