Idam Premam Jeevanam

Abhimanyu and Adithi are best friends in an engineering college. While Abhimanyu is the playful, happy-go-lucky sort, Adithi is the studious one. They have a special bond, but is that love?

Raghavanka Prabhu's Idam Premam Jeevanam is an indie romantic drama, peppered with humour. This film tries to have the slice-of-life flavour and could have sat well in the space that trendsetters like Hyderabad Blues did. What makes the film fall short is that it lacks the punch at most times and can be dragging to the audience.

This film is set in present-day Bengaluru, where we meet a bunch of friends pursuing engineering. The leader of this pack is Abhimanyu, aka Abhi, who is the soul of the gang. He is quick with repartees, knows how to charm ladies and still has a heart of gold, where he sets things right with no one's knowledge. There's also Adithi, Abhi's best friend and the certified geek in the class. The two have a very special relationship. The film traces the lives of this gang through their college days.

The film has a sweet love story, but there are some scenes that could have easily been snipped to keep the soul of the story intact. The music is commendable, while the cinematography seems amateurish at times. The makers have tried to tell a story with no frills, which is nice. But this falters at time. Sanath, as the hero, is promising. But Shanaya Katwe, who plays the lead, brings down the tempo that her charming co-star manages to charge. She seems to mellow for her cutesy geek act. This definitely is one of the bigger drawbacks of the film.

There aren't too many sweet romantic dramas set in the college backdrop that refrain from the usual commercial elements. This film scores on that front. One only wishes the film had a tad more energy to ensure the audience also travelled with equal gusto through the film.