Magnanimous story of love with heart and soul intact
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind”. This quote of Shakespeare sums up the idea behind Colour Photo. We have seen many films about love right from the iconic Devdas to the latest RX100 with love getting succeeded in some or ending with a tragedy in some. Films like Siri Siri Muvva (1976), Padaharella Vayasu (1978), Amavasya Chandrudu (1981), Gunaa (1991), and Sivaputrudu (2003) defied the ideal couple syndrome and Colour Photo is one such film which is about true love denouncing the discrimination based on colour, physical or mental disability or for that matter difference in economic strata.
Storyline
A dark-complexioned Jayakrishna (Suhas) who is an Engineering student in Machilipatnam aspires to study hard so that he gets settled in life. Deepthi (Chandini Chowdary) who studies in the same college lives with his brother Rama Raju (Sunil) and her sister-in-law (Vidya Maharshi). Like a bolt from the blue both Jayakrishna and Deepthi happen to get stuck by cupid in very unusual circumstances triggering chaos in their lives.
Deepthi who is practical and believes in loving a person with the good heart rather than getting bowled by fair or good-looking physical appearance expresses her love towards Suhas without any hesitation which gets reciprocated by Suhas in the same spirit. As usual, Rama Raju who had different ideas about the marriage of Deepthi gets upset and turns into a fearful villain in the lives of both lovers.
What happens to this unique love story in the end remains to be seen on screen only as any revelation of the main story will spoil the viewing experience.
Performances
Suhas is not a comedian from now onwards. He is a hero material and this is the irrefutable fact if his performance in Colour Photo is the yardstick. Like the sensational actor Chandra Mohan who created history though he doesn’t fit into the coventional hero mould, Suhas too has the caliber and talent to become another Chandra Mohan of Telugu screen provided he makes the right choices at the right time.
Chandini Chowdary produced a gem of a performance. She once again proved her versatility with top-notch performance. Her original voice sounds very sweet and it’s her biggest asset especially the way she pronounced kannayya with so much love and ecstasy is remarkable. Colour Photo is a memorable gift to her on the occasion of her birthday which she can cherish for years.
Last but not least, Sunil who appears in a totally different character has enriched the whole film with a never before ever after range performance. He is the main strength of this film and his spellbinding presence has made a terrific difference to the film.
Harsha has proved that he is an actor with unlimited energy and talent. Apart from his hilarious one-liners (words included) his performance in the climax is something which gives him immense satisfaction as an actor. For him, it’s a welcome change so that all can see the other side of Harsha. Colour Photo is going to be the turning point for the career of Harsha.
Behind the scenes
The line based on a true story is pretty good. The story of Sai Rajesh, developed out of a simple line is equally superb. Also, the treatment given to the story by director Sandeep Raj is extraordinary. The way he conceived the scenes and carried the narrative without any scope for lag or deviation is amazing. He is bound to go places after Colour Photo.
Kaala Bhairava’s background score is stupendous and it added distinct edge to the narrative. His pulsating music with those melodious songs written by Kittu Vissapragada, Krishna Chaitanya, and Sri Saikiran and sung by himself along with Anurag Kulkarni, Hemachandra, and Ramya Behara are outstanding.
The cinematography of Venkat R Sakhamuri is clean and neat whereas the editing of Kodati Pawan Kalyan is crisp and sharp by confining the whole film to just 141 minutes which is another redeeming feature of Colour Photo.
Verdict & Rating
A clean and refreshing love story after a long time which is magnanimous with its heart and soul intact. The whole beauty of Colour Photo lies in its smooth narrative which picks up the momentum gradually without depending on any extra frills, cheap thrills, or melodrama. It was once again established that love conquers all and nobody is an exception. It doesn’t know colour, complexion, built, or physique; it only knows the language of the heart. Colour Photo is the answer to all doubts about true love and clears all misconceptions on love. Its a must watch for all those who want to experience the real essence of love.