A roller coaster ride of a relationship hogged by hits and misses
Aha, the leading Telugu digital platform which is making steady progress by introducing different formats of content including talk shows and comedy shows apart from original series and films is now bringing the hit series in other languages into the Telugu fold by remaking them. One such add-on is the CommitMental, a remake of the successful web series Permanent Roommates which is the first of its kind in our country produced by the popular OTT platform The Viral Fever (TVF).
Story-line
Phanindra (Udbhav Raghunandan) is an extrovert whereas Anusha Rao (Punarnavi Bhupalam) is an introvert and they fell in love with each other substantiating the law of attraction where the opposites attract.
It’s the outspokenness of Phani that irritates Anu, while the reserved nature of Anu frustrates Phani and this becomes the bone of contention between them. But still, they cannot call it quits owing to the commitment they had in their hearts towards each other that cannot be compromised.
There ensues many spins, slips, and flips between Phani and Anu who ends up understanding the other better but not before encountering some strange incidents like Anu’s pre-birthday celebrations and their futile search for a shelter to continue their live-in relationship.
Amidst these occurrences, the bond between the two gets cemented further while their roller coaster ride of relationship hogged by hits and misses continues leaving this lovable couple neck deep in troubled waters. They need to swim back to safety overpowering the swirling waters with more understanding, empathy, and above all the unconditional love that is inherently present in them.
Performances
CommitMental belongs to Udbhav who is full of spontaneity and winsome expressions. Punarnavi on the other hand somewhat managed in playing second fiddle to Udbhav. The gap that has come in her acting career is evident in her portrayal of the character Anu as she lacked that charm or spark which she usually possesses while essaying similar roles. As a result the chemistry between them look out of focus.
In addition to the superlative performances of Vishnu OI and Venkatesh Kakumanu, the cameos of TNR, Appa Rao, and Sivan Narayana Naripeddi are quite impressive adding that extra tinge of humour helping the CommitMental in a big way to climb to the top of the charts.
Behind the scenes
Permanent Roommates was premiered in 2014 and making it more topical to present circumstances is an important task for both the writer Kasyap Sreenivas and director Pavan Sadineni who have done a remarkable job in giving this short series a vibrant look and they deserve the appreciation in first place for efficient adaptation and presentation in line with the prevailing conditions.
The background score of Anand Sudeep Raj is pleasing and contributed a lot to bolster the narrative.
The cinematography by Satty M too is on the brighter side with neat visual content without any extra frills.
Verdict & Rating
A good watch for all those who are in a relationship to have a better understanding by knowing each other’s likes, dislikes, and their private spaces. CommitMental drives this point home very effectively by adding humour and realistic incidents which go a long way in spiraling relationships to the next level.
