It is showers of love in Vaana, the Telugu remake of the Kannada blockbuster Mungaru Male. And the showers continue till the end of the film. Watching the film is a visual delight for the picturesque locales (Sakleshpur and Jog Falls in Karnataka), good camera work and two lilting melodious songs.
These are the main plus points of the film. Story-wise, the movie has nothing new to offer as a weak script disrupts the flow.
Abhi (Vinay) falls in love with Nandini (Meera Chopra) when he sees her at a mall. They meet after a while and Abhi tries to woo Nandini without realising she is engaged.
They fall in love when there is a twist in the film.
The rain is the backdrop for most of the film and in a way a metaphor for love. It is beautiful to see the monsoon on screen. The rain in a way heightens the emotion of love between the lovers at some points. The rain and the beautiful landscape enhances the film in a large way particularly the songs Yeduta Nilichindi Choodu and Akasha Ganga (which is a leitmotif in the film) which are shot well by Shekar V Joseph.
Technically, the movie looks good.
This apart, the love story takes the usual path, but for the climax. The first half of the film is slightly better than the second half which becomes a little emotion-heavy for viewing.
There is an attempt to infuse some humour in the film through the comedians which could have been avoided. But these days most films have this compulsory dose, which in many instances, seems unnecessary.
The climax may not find favour with a large part of the audience, but in a way it sends a small message across. But only after putting the viewers through more than two hours!
Vinay makes his debut in Telugu and tries his best to be the lover boy. He seems somewhat earnest and has screen presence. Meera Chopra provides the shot of glamour through her costumes. The lead pair is just about average.
Suman, as the father of Nandini and Jayasudha as mother of Abhi are competent in their roles.
The director, M.S. Raju, like Alfred Hitchcock and Subhash Ghai, appears in a cameo.
As a directorial debut venture, Vaana is just about average considering the weak script. After all it is a remake and there is nothing much original about it. One thing which is difficult to comprehend is the presence of a rabbit in the film. It seems clichéd.
Vaana can be watched for the technical aspects. As a love story, it seems to be washed away by the rain!
Rediff Rating: 
