The song Manikya Malaraya Poovi and Priya Prakash Varrier and Roshan Abdul Rahoof won everyone’s hearts in a split second.
That flirtatious wink, eyebrow dance and the hand-gun kisses became synonymous with Priya Prakash Varrier and Roshan. The two shot to fame overnight, making their debut flick Oru Adaar Love one of the most awaited films of 2019.
Oru Adaar Love starts off with the song Manikya Malaraya Poovi, which is performed on Fresher’s Day in a school. Priya (Priya Prakash Varrier), Roshan (Roshan Abdul Rahoof), Gadha (Noorin Shereef) are Class 11 students and the film talks about first love, infatuation and attraction.
In an instant, Priya and Roshan fall for each other and like every typical hero, Roshan’s sole aim in Oru Adaar Love is to pursue her. While Priya and Roshan look caricaturish, it is Noorin who is actually the star of Oru Adaar Love, be it in terms of performance or her character arc.
Director Omar Lulu manages to get everything wrong about school romance in Oru Adaar Love. Somehow, the film is almost reduced to a story about testosterone-charged men, who don’t have any other job than wooing women.
From objectification of women to double entendre dialogues, everything is cringe-worthy in Oru Adaar Love. There was so much talk about Priya Prakash Varrier and her role being extended in Oru Adaar Love after the ‘overnight fame’, but she’s just an insecure woman with a set of four expressions throughout the film.
In the land of immature Oru Adaar Love, it is Noorin Shereef’s character who seems sensible in parts. She hails from a well-off family and her parents give her her freedom. She, too, realises that life is not about chasing a guy and plays a wing woman for Roshan and several other guys in her class.
There are a few laughs here and there with situational comedy on high school crushes and bullying. But that is just not enough to make you sit through the ordeal called Oru Adaar Love. The screenplay is haphazard and flits from one tangent to the other at the drop of a hat.
Oru Adaar Love is a half-baked attempt on high school romances and superficial characters ruin the whole experience.
Coming to performances, Roshan and Noorin steal the show with their expressions. Though they do go over the top at times, they’re not as bad as Priya Prakash Varrier. If you do not want to ruin her memories, watch the two teasers of Oru Adaar Love and spare yourself the misery.
The climax of Oru Adaar Love is unassuming and one wouldn’t have any clue as to why it is happening, given that the events leading to it project otherwise. Perhaps Omar Lulu tried to make a film along the lines of Tamil film Kaadhal, but it backfires.
Though the climax has an impact on the viewer, it also leaves them with the question as to why such thing is happening all of a sudden.
Overall, Oru Adaar Love’s lacklustre story and underdeveloped character arcs struggle hard to entertain the audience throughout the film.
The teaser of Oru Adaar Love had fans expecting a lot from the film. But the film starring Priya Prakash Varrier, Roshan Abdul Rahool and Noorin Shereef doesn’t have anything to offer, says our review.
2 out of 5 stars for Oru Adaar Love.