The first few minutes establish the tone for Ami Thumi. The characters are anything but subtle. They talk a lot. Some of them even break into a dance, like Tanikella Bharani does when he feels he’s going to win the battle or like Vennela Kishore does, in a slightly mesmerised state, when he steps into the luxurious honeymoon suite. This farcical screwball comedy is immensely helped by Mani Sharma’s music. The westernised background score offsets the clash of wits in a Telangana household.
Ami Thumi is a story of romance, a battle of wits between a father and daughter, rivalry between former business partners, and a suitor who eyes the family wealth. Keeping with a characteristic of screwball comedies, women steer the drama. When Deepika (Eesha) tries to pull a fast one on her dad Janardhan (Tanikella Bharani) when her boyfriend Ananth (Adivi Sesh) comes visiting, her tone is defiant. She and the maid Kumari (Shyamala) trigger a series of events after which nothing remains the same. In contrast, Maya (Aditi Myakal) plays the vulnerable girl torn between her love for Vijay (Srinivas Avasarala) and her father.
All hell breaks loose when a suitor, curiously named Sri Chilipi (Vennela Kishore), arrives at Deepika’s house. He’s as sophisticated as he can be and hopes that he will have better luck in marriage than his ancestors. The humour isn’t politically correct, hinged on how some of the women in his family have looked. But it establishes the family trait of focusing on the bride’s wealth.
Mohanakrishna Indraganti introduces us to characters in well-heeled households whose finesse hides their basic instinct to have things done their way. Masked in humour are observations of people and mindsets.
The surprise lies in making Sri Chilipi the pivotal character in this drama. Vennela Kishore is the star of the film. The conversations between him and his assistant are hilarious. They call ‘thaati kallu’ organic scotch!
At a little over two hours, Ami Thumi is largely a fun ride. Just when you think the humour is drying up, something hilarious comes up, like the portion involving Adivi Sesh, Vennela Kishore and a priest. Again, the comedy isn’t politically correct. But the director pulls it off without making it look regressive.
Occasionally, you get the feeling of watching a stage play. Incidentally, Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan is acknowledged in the titles as the story is loosely inspired by his play The Duenna.
What holds the film together is the humour and cast that gets its act right. Adivi Sesh, Srinivas Avasarala and Aditi Myakal are apt in their parts. Tanikella Bharani has had fun enacting his role and it shows. Eesha is lovely as the feisty Deepika. She’s spot on with Telangana diction and matches Tanikella Bharani. But in the end, Ami Thumi belongs to Vennela Kishore who plays his part to the hilt, knowing well that comic actors rarely get author-backed roles.
Ami Thumi
Cast: Adivi Sesh, Vennela Kishore, Srinivas Avasarala, Eesha Rebba, Aditi Myakal and Tanikella Bharani
Direction: Mohanakrishna Indraganti
Storyline: A screwball comedy in which two couples turn the tables on adamant dads and a suitor.
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