An unusual hero, and a lost opportunity

The film also makes space for some enjoyable musical sequences that flow well with the narrative, helping us exploring the protagonists a little more. The ingredients of a perfectly harmless rom-com are perfectly in place here.

Where the film falters is in weaving a legible, coherent narrative around this this singular plot-point. Two characters dealing with their contrasting sexualities probably does not sound like a one-liner meaty enough, so the writer-director forcefits a variety of devices and tropes, often at Radha’s cost. The narrative of Bhale Unnade unfolds as a narration to a fellow hospital patient named Darabont (VTV Ganesh), an aspiring fimmaker who consistently mocks Radha for his ‘unmanliness.’ To make matters worse, there is an elaborate song as part of Darabont’s daydreaming, where Radha, dressed as a eunuch, breaks into a boisterous song and dance (just in case we couldn’t picture his horror.) Even during other emotional scenes, like an on-stage bonding moment between a mother and a son, where Radha’s mother acknowledges him as her support system, we cut away to some random misogynistic quips by their petty neighbours. The director keeps confusing us by placing homophobic jokes amidst some refreshingly nonchalant moments of women talking about their sexuality.

The second half of Bhale Unaade is all over the place, trying to find a sweet spot between comedy, drama and morality, failing miserably, before it opts for a cop-out trope, where the idea of an ideal man boils down to his capacity as a protector. One can still make peace with the completely unrelated comedy sequences about a sexual functioning pill overdose, or the impending marriage of an ageing bachelor, but what doesn’t work is the film resorting to the cliched sexual assault trope to elevate the protagonist — it is out of a place in a story like this that is all about the inner conflicts and complexes of people.

Manisha Kandkur, playing Krishna, has great screen presence and pulls off both comedy and dramatic moments effectively. However, Krishna is forced to be the protagonist, because Bhale Unnade is not courageous enough to deal with its own themes with honesty. Early on in the film, it’s established that Radha is somewhat afraid of physical intimacy. The same element also becomes a point of main conflict around the interval point. However, we are never told why until the last half an hour. Even there, the film makes space for an elaborate flashback about Radha’s mother, and yet doesn’t provide justifiable reasons for why Radha is the way he is. To his credit, Raj Tarun plays the ‘effeminate’ moments with just the right amount of softness, without falling back upon exaggerated body language. In other portions, though, the actor lacks the required intensity and emotion in his performance.

At the end, with its mishmash of sloppy ideas and execution, Bhale Unnade remains a lost opportunity.

BHALE UNNADE

Cast: Raj Tarun, Manisha

Kandkur, Leela Samson, Abhirami, VTV Ganesh

Director: Siva Sai Vardhan