| Darling | |
| Director: | Aswin Raam |
| Cinematography: | Naresh Ramadurai |
| Editing: | Pradeep E. Ragav |
| Music: | Vivek Sagar |
| Studio: | Prineshow Entertainment |
| Runtime: | 161 minutes[1] |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Telugu |
Darling is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy psychological drama film written and directed by debutant Aswin Raam and produced through Primeshow Entertainment. The film features Priyadarshi Pulikonda and Nabha Natesh in lead roles, with music composed by Vivek Sagar. Darling was released on 19 July 2024.[2]
Aswin Raam, who has previously directed the Tamil film Anbarivu (2022), made his debut in Telugu cinema with this project.[3]
The film received generally negative reviews from critics.
Raghav's only ambition is to get married and take his wife on a honeymoon to Paris. Right from his childhood, he only lives with his dream. Now he works in a travel agency. His parents set a match with Nandini, a psychologist for marriage, but Raghav gets the shock of his life when the bride elopes with someone else.
Upset with this, Raghav tries to commit suicide. He is saved by Anandi. Impressed by her character, Raghav proposes marriage to her, and Anandi accepts his proposal. Things turn on their head when Raghav finds out that his wife has split personality disorder and troubles him at night. Then Raghav meets Nandini, who offers her help to solve his problem. In the counseling, she finds out that Anandi has 5 more personalities are their in her body. Who called themselves as Aadi the protector to Anandi, Sri Sri a spiritual person who wants to attain moksha, Papa, a child, Jhansi, a pseudo feminist and Maya, who has suicide tendencies.
Then, to save his marriage, Raghav decided to impress her personalities to leave Anandi for him. However, Raghav manages comically convinced Aadi, Sri Sri, Papa, Jhansi, and Maya. In this process, he realized the real purpose of marriage and why it gives sacred status.
Then suddenly Raghav meets a girl, which reveals that Anandi is actually Priya and the Anandi is herself a personality who has been left her home who felt her as a golden cage unable to face the loneliness Anandi became her Alter ego of her later, she left home unknown of her parents. Then, she reveals that she informed her parents about her whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Priya's Parants come to Raghav's home, and their reception preparations going on there they take Priya with them. After looking at her parents, the confused Priya back to her older sense went back with them.
Later, the disappointed Raghav pays a visit to Priya, who reveals to be an NRI in Paris, then after knowing facts, Priya apologizes for the things that happened, then Raghav encourages her to stand for herself for her problems and leaves her.
Then Priya, for the first time, successfully convinced her parents and asked to leave her for her own good. If anything happens, she will take their help.Later, Priya meets Raghav and expresses her liking towards him and decides to travel with him in proper and to manage Raghav's parents as Anandi to them. The film ends with after 2 years, Raghav is now in his honeymoon at Paris, with Priya now fully recovered.
| Darling | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | Vivek Sagar |
| Released: | 2024 |
| Recorded: | 2024 |
| Language: | Telugu |
| Label: | Saregama |
| Producer: | Vivek Sagar |
| Prev Title: | Sheeshmahal |
| Prev Year: | 2024 |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
The film's soundtrack album and background score were composed by Vivek Sagar.
The film was released on 19 July 2024.[4]
123Telugu gave a rating of 2.5 out of 5 and cited "lack of a compelling narrative" and "inconsistent and tedious second half" are film's major drawbacks.[5] Sakshi Post gave a rating of 2 out of 5 with a mixed review.[6] Citing the film as "overdrawn, disorderly drama", Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote that "Priyadarshi and Nabha Natesh's efforts go in vain in this haphazardly written relationship drama that neither delivers laughs nor generates empathy for the characters".[7]
Sashidhar Adivi of Times Now gave a rating of 1.5 out of 5 and opined that Nabha Natesh's performance, Ram's writing, Vivek Sagar's music and Naresh Ramadurai's cinematography effected the film negatively. He further stated "'Darling' tries to be a quirky comedy, but its incoherent plot and unlikeable characters make it hardly enjoyable".[8]