Raave Naa Cheliya

Can a boy and a girl be just the best of friends? If your reply is, "Sure, and I can walk on water," then perhaps this isn't going to be the best way for you to spend 2 hours. The reply to that question has always been ambiguous. It is politically correct to say that yes, they can be. (About as politically correct to say that you can indeed walk on water, you just need the faith, right? Look, we're saying the movie isn't for you.)

But our protagonist is an innocent young guy who doesn't understand too much of the politics of expression. And he (unknowingly, of course) agrees with the evil man in Maine Pyaar Kiya who avers that Ek ladka aur ek ladki kabhi dost nahin ho sakte hain, Prem. So when the lady of his life says that she's always seen him only as her best friend, it's all he can do to not go trying a walk on water.

There is nothing particularly new about Rave! Naa Cheliyaa! It has the same old college pranks, the same old longing for the beautiful girl in the college and the same old falling in love. The guy thinks that she is in love with him and only with him. And when the situation turns otherwise, he refuses to take it in his stride and starts hankering for the sympathy of the girl. That's the theme, the spine, the style and the spirit of Rave! Naa Cheliyaa!

Like all youthful dramas, Rave... too unfolds with the mindless antics of Shekhar (Sai Kiran) and his gang in the college. When Shekhar is established as the prankster par excellence, who should arrive but new classmate Sujata (Rinku Ghosh). Like always, the heroine is a newcomer to the college.

Saving her from one of his friend's antics, Shekhar steals her heart and they become the best of friends. The friendship knows no barriers and she keeps bragging about it to her parents and her friends. And he becomes the subject of their common talk. A lot of events take place after they meet by which time she comes to know that Shekhar has even risked his life to make her happy. And this brings her even closer to him.

But surprise! She doesn't fall in love with him, and neither does she have any such inclination. She has decided already to marry Raghuveer (Prudhvi), and when she tells him (Shekhar) that, he is shocked. However, he doesn't make any attempt to forget her. Nor does he want to. And he harbors intentions of marrying her at any cost.

The central theme of the story should already be familiar to you if you are a regular filmgoer - it is the theme of the super successful Chirunavvuto. So this one looks like a straight lift. There is nothing to boast about the treatment, either. After his famous debut in Nuvve Kaavaali where he dons a soft role, Sai Kiran matures into a noisy kind of guy in this film. And he just about manages to fit the role. Newcomer Rinku Ghosh doesn't look pretty, but appears promising as far as the acting is concerned.

That's about it - there are no other characters worth mentioning in the film. A couple of songs are good, but they are wasted, thanks to the inept overall handling of the film by novice director Kishore Kumar.