Bubblegum is a Telugu youthful romantic drama that was released in theaters on December 29, 2023 and is streaming on Aha Video from February 9, 2024. The film, which marks the debut of Roshan Kanakala, son of popular anchor Suma and actor Rajeev Kanakala, is written and directed by Ravikanth Perepu of Kshanam, Krishna and His Leela fame. Manasa Chowdhury plays the heroine, while Harsha Chemudu, Kiran Maccha, Ananya Akula, Harshavardhan, Anu Haasan, Chaitu Jonnalagadda, and Bindu Chandramouli appear in supporting roles.
The film has music by Sricharan Pakala, cinematography by Suresh Raguthu, editing by Ravikanth Perepu, Balakrishna Reddy, and is 2 hours and 28 minutes long and is produced by Maheshwari Movies and People Media Factory with an ‘A’ certificate. The Hyderabad setting, Roshan-Manasa chemistry, love and ego clash seen in the trailer have raised expectations. How is this movie? Let's see my feelings, highlights, and shortcomings in this review
What's in the story?
Sai Aditya alias Adi (Roshan Kanakala) is a middle-class youth in the Hyderabad slums. His father Yadagiri (Chaitu Jonnalagadda) runs a meat shop, and his mother Saraswati (Bindu Chandramouli) is a housewife. Adi dreams of becoming a DJ and hopes to perform at the Tomorrowland Festival. He meets Janhvi alias Janu (Manasa Chowdhury) at a DJ gig in a pub. Janu is a girl from a wealthy family who wants to pursue a career as a fashion designer abroad, and her parents (Harshavardhan and Anu Haasan) are open-minded.
Jaanu likes casual relationships without trust in love and marriage. Aadi stalks her and falls in love. Jaanu also likes Aadi, but their relationship is marred by class differences, ego clashes, and an incident that causes Jaanu to insult Aadi. Will they break up after this incident? Will they reunite? Will their love get the approval of their parents? Will Aadi achieve his DJ dream? That is the story.
My Feelings: Fresh but not too long!
When I saw the trailer of Bubblegum, I felt that it would be a hit with Arjun Reddy, Roshan's debut with DJ Tillu vibe, Hyderabad youth culture, Ravikanth's stylish take on the name. Aadi's introduction, friends gang, romance with Jaanu, and interval bang in the first half were good. Eenadu said, “The first half is full of DJ Tillu’s shadows and the interval bang is not good,” and 123Telugu praised it, “Roshan-Manasa’s performance and intimate scenes will impress the youth.” In the second half, the ego clashes and romance become repetitive and stretched.
Gulte said, “The poor boy vs. rich girl story is routine, the execution is disconnected,” and CineJosh (2/5) criticized it, saying, “The script lacks refinement.” IMDb has a rating of 6.2/10, and a user on X wrote, “Roshan fights, Chaitu Jonnalagadda’s comedy is super, but the story is flat.” The Hindu said, “The urban love story has interesting elements, but the overdrawn drama and rushed climax are disappointing.” While the Roshan-Manasa chemistry, Chaitu Jonnalagadda’s comedy, and Sricharan’s BGM are good, the routine plot, slow pace, and logical errors (Jaanu’s redemption arc is convenient) keep the film a half-success.
Acting and technical aspects
Roshan impressed in his debut as a young Hyderabadi. He showed body language, ease in emotional scenes, energy in fights, and flexibility in dance. Thupaaki praised “Roshan’s boy-next-door look, expressive eyes are amazing” and CinemaExpress praised it as “Charming, affecting debut”. Manasa Chowdhury is stunning in the first half as a glamorous rich girl, decent in the emotional scenes in the second half. Great Andhra praised her screen presence. Chaitu Jonnalagadda (Yadagiri) is a show-stealer with an old-city accent in comedy and a father-son bond. Gulte said “Chaitu is natural, flawless”. Bindu Chandramouli, Harshavardhan, Anu Haasan are good in their roles. Harsha Chemudu, Kiran Macha are underutilized as side characters.
Technically, Sricharan Pakala’s BGM (Habibi Jalebi, Izzat) gave a youthful vibe. The Times of India praised the music as “resonating with the film’s ambience”. Suresh Raguthu's cinematography captures the old city and upscale areas of Hyderabad well. 123Telugu suggested that the editing, while crisp in the first half, could have been tightened up in the second half. Ravikanth's dialogues ("Izzat, Aukat" references) connected with the youth, but NTV Telugu criticized it as "clichéd romance, forced comedy". The production values are decent, but the medium said "colour grading is miserable in some shots".
Likes, Dislikes
Likes:
Roshan's debut: Emotions, dance, ease in fights, boy-next-door charm.
Chaitu Jonnalagadda: Comedy in father role, Hyderabadi accent highlight.
Manasa's screen presence: Glamour, chemistry in romantic scenes is good.
Sricharan BGM: Songs, score gave youthful energy.
Interval bang: Dramatic twist is engaging.
Dislikes:
Routine plot: Poor boy-rich girl story lacks freshness.
Slow second half: Ego clashes, repetitive drama are stretched.
Logical flaws: Jaanu's redemption arc, some coincidences are unconvincing.
Underutilized cast: Harsha Chemudu, Kiran Macha lack scope for roles.
Rushed climax: Character transformations felt forced.
Who should watch it?
Bubblegum Roshan Kanakala, Manasa Chowdhury fans, those who like youthful romantic dramas like Arjun Reddy, DJ Tillu, and the audience who enjoys Hyderabad urban culture will suit. The ‘A’ certificate means there are intimate scenes and profanity, so it is better for the youth audience, but the romantic scenes may feel uncomfortable for the family audience. 123Telugu said, “It will connect with the youth, but will not resonate with the family audience.” A user on X wrote, “First half, Chaitu comedy is fun, but second half is a drag.” CinemaExpress praised it as “Modern love, parents-children dynamics are refreshing.” However, those expecting high-intensity romantic dramas like Baby and Animal may find the film flat and routine. Telugu360 (2.25/5) criticized it for “lack of strong content.”
Rating: 2.5/5
Bubblegum Roshan Kanakala debut, Manasa Chowdhury glamour, Chaitu Jonnalagadda comedy, Sricharan BGM, interval bang, Hyderabad urban vibe impressed. However, the routine plot, slow second half, repetitive drama, logic errors, and rushed climax stopped the film from being a complete entertainer. Ravikanth Perepu tried to give a fresh take on modern love and youth aspirations, but fell behind in execution and script depth. You can watch Aaha Video once for a youthful romance, but those expecting DJ Tillu-level engagement will be disappointed!
Release Date: December 29, 2023 (Theaters); February 9, 2024 (Aaha Video)
Director: Ravikanth Perepu
Cast: Roshan Kanakala, Manasa Chowdhury, Chaitu Jonnalagadda, Harsha Chemudu, Kiran Maccha, Harshavardhan, Anu Haasan
Rating: A (Romance, Drama)