Breaking Rules, Breaking Hearts, and... Breaking My Brain?"
If I had a rupee for every rule Ram Yogi Velgapudi broke in EVOL: A Love Story in Reverse, I'd probably be richer than the producers who greenlit this wild ride. Let's be real: this film is more about making you scratch your head than actually feel anything about the love story it supposedly tells. But that's exactly why it works. Sometimes.
Technically, this film is a masterpiece. The visuals are stunning, like something out of a dream, or maybe a stylish nightmare. Every frame is composed with such precision that you almost forget the plot is unspooling backwards at a pace that feels like a fever dream. The camerawork is seductive, pulling you into a world that feels both familiar and alien. Bold content? Absolutely. Telugu cinema hasn't seen anything like this in years-if ever. We needed someone to break the mold, and Velgapudi took a sledgehammer to it.
But here's where I get a little sarcastic-because honestly, I'm impressed by how hard this film tries to be "different" without giving us a reason to care. Breaking the rules of screenplay structure? Yeah, that's cool... until you realize that breaking the rules doesn't automatically make your story profound. At some point, it just becomes an exercise in confusion.
Do I praise the film for trying to deconstruct love in the most non-linear, disorienting way possible? Sure. It's a gutsy move. But at the same time, the characters feel like little more than pawns in this grand experiment of "What if we told this backwards?" By the time the credits roll, I'm left wondering if the film was about love or just a showcase of Velgapudi's willingness to take risks that don't always pay off.
Still, props to the technical team. The sound design, the lighting, the way the film plays with time-it's all there, polished and pretty. So, should you watch it? If you're into films that challenge your patience and your perception of storytelling, then definitely. If you just want to enjoy a love story? Well, maybe you should look elsewhere.
