Samantha shines in an ode to 'unconditional love'

First things first, producer Dil Raju deserves kudos for daring to remake a poignant Tamil film '96' in Telugu despite knowing that is bereft of usual romantic songs and comedy tracks but a pure soul-stirring movie of two teenage lovers who meet again after 15 years.

It also comes at a time, when aggressive love stories like 'Arjun Reddy' and 'RX 100' are making waves. Undeniably, Samantha (Jaanu) delivers a knock-out performance, while Sharwanand (Ramachandra) matches up to her to some extent.

Interestingly, Ram and Jaanu have a night to spend to discover why they didn't end up with each other. The second half is full of heart-warming conversations between the two and one can't help but feel for both of them. In a particular scene, Ram and Janu have a deep conversation.

They know that their relationship has limitations and that they cannot take it anywhere. Yet, Ram and Jaanu muster up the courage to find out why and where they failed in stitching together a relationship.

That particular scene shows the various emotions that Ram and Jaanu go through, telling viewers the importance of letting go of what you really love.

Coming to the story, two former high school sweethearts Ram (Sharwanand) and Jaanu (Samantha) meet again at their school reunion. 15 years later, they have a chance to know about each other and reflect on their past. Why did they break up in school?

Why did Ram remain unmarried even as Jaanu got married to another person and has a daughter with him? We get to know the answers as the story unfolds in the flashback.

Director Prem Kumar's story is elegant and simple, and he does not give in to cinematic clichés for Telugu version. He takes the film forward at a leisurely pace and pays utmost attention to minute details.

We get Ram and Jaanu's adorable teenage romance intercut with sequences from the reunion. Ram and Jaanu's young days take us back to their schooldays and kind of nostalgic trip for the audience as well. Among actors, Vennela Kishore and Sharanya are okay in their respective roles.

No doubt, it may seem impossible to expect a love story like Ram and Jaunu's today. But, for some reason, their characterisations make you root for them. Seeing Ram and Jaanu, you wish with all your heart for them to lead a life together.

Along with slow-paced narration, it also falls short in comparison to the original. Above all, their realistic separation (tragic in cinematic terms) could leave the Telugu audience tad disappointed as they are accustomed to fairy-tale ends like in Sekar Kammula movies.