When a film carries the backing of a filmmaker as influential as S.S. Rajamouli, expectations automatically rise. ‘Don’t Trouble the Trouble’ arrived with considerable attention, presented by Rajamouli and produced by his son S.S. Karthikeya. The promotional campaign also received a boost from NTR’s presence at the pre-release event and Mahesh Babu’s positive social-media response.
With Fahadh Faasil leading the cast and an intriguing fantasy premise at its core, the film created curiosity before release. Unfortunately, the final product struggles to translate that promise into an engaging theatrical experience.
Story
The film revolves around Suri (Fahadh Faasil), an ambulance driver whose obsession with money has pushed him far away from basic human values. He is willing to cross almost any line if there is money involved. One decision made in pursuit of financial gain eventually turns his life upside down. Parallelly, Divya (Sara), a young girl who mysteriously acquires supernatural abilities, sets out on a journey to find her missing parents.
What exactly does Suri do that changes the course of his life? How does Divya acquire her supernatural powers? What happened to her parents? And under what circumstances do Suri and Divya cross paths? These questions form the foundation of the story. The basic concept has enough potential for an entertaining fantasy adventure, but the film's execution fails to extract the maximum impact from the premise.
Performances
Fahadh Faasil is undoubtedly one of the film's biggest strengths, but surprisingly, the screenplay does not provide him with enough material to deliver the kind of performance audiences may expect from him. After his appearance in ‘Pushpa’, there was considerable curiosity about whether this film would give Fahadh a stronger platform to showcase his range. Instead, his character is largely presented as a petty thief and cheat whose motivations revolve around money.
There is an expectation that his character will become more layered after meeting Divya, but even the subsequent portions offer limited opportunities for Fahadh to truly dominate the screen. He performs his role with his usual natural ease, yet the character itself remains underwritten. The film ultimately feels like a missed opportunity for an actor of his calibre.
Sara, meanwhile, makes a strong impression despite her age. Her character demands emotional shifts, lengthy dialogues and a range of expressions, and she handles those requirements effectively. Her screen presence adds some freshness to the narrative. The supporting cast, including Saurabh Sachdeva, Mahesh Manjrekar and Subbaraju, deliver performances that are adequate for their respective roles.
Technical
The central idea chosen by director Shashank Yeleti is certainly interesting. A story combining an unlikely protagonist with a child possessing supernatural abilities could have developed into a fun fantasy entertainer. The major problem lies in the screenplay. Instead of building momentum around the unusual premise, the film repeatedly settles for routine scenes and predictable developments.
Several sequences can be anticipated well before they unfold, which takes away much of the excitement. The narrative lacks the rhythm required to sustain a fantasy-driven story, and the director's storytelling gradually loses focus. The music by Kaala Bhairava does not leave much of an impression, while even the background score fails to provide the required elevation during crucial moments.
The cinematography is passable, but the editing could have been considerably tighter. Both the first half and second half contain sequences that feel unnecessarily stretched, resulting in a slow and occasionally tedious viewing experience. Production values are decent, but the technical presentation never manages to compensate for the weaknesses in the writing.
Analysis
The biggest disappointment is the gap between the film's intriguing premise and its execution. With Rajamouli presenting the project and Karthikeya serving as one of the producers, the film entered theatres carrying considerable expectations. The concept may have initially appeared exciting on paper, but the screenplay needed much stronger treatment to transform that idea into a compelling theatrical product.
Fahadh Faasil is an actor capable of elevating even a relatively simple character, yet the writing here restricts him considerably. His character has limited depth, and the film does not fully exploit the potential of the actor-protagonist combination. The relationship between Suri and Divya could also have formed the emotional heart of the movie, but that opportunity is not explored with sufficient strength.
The film might have worked better had the screenplay embraced its fantasy elements with more humour, adventure and emotional warmth. A more entertaining treatment could potentially have made it accessible to both children and adults. Instead, it occupies an uncertain middle ground. Apart from a few emotional moments, occasional comedy and some fantasy sequences, there is little that sustains the excitement.
Plus Points
- Fahadh Faasil’s performance
- Fantasy elements
- Climax
- Sara’s performance
Minus Points
- Predictable screenplay
- Weak execution
- Direction
- Music and background score
- Lengthy sequences
Verdict
‘Don’t Trouble the Trouble’ starts with an interesting fantasy idea but struggles to turn that concept into a consistently engaging film. Fahadh Faasil and Sara provide some watchable moments, while the fantasy portions and climax offer glimpses of what the movie could have been. However, a predictable screenplay, uneven pacing and underutilised characters ultimately dominate the experience.
Final Word: For those who go looking for entertainment, the film unfortunately offers more trouble than the title promises to avoid.
