Popcorn, a limited-budget film starring Avika Gor and Sai Ronak as the lead pair has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it fares.

Story: Sameerana( Avika Gor) a girl who has a dream of becoming a singer accidentally crosses paths with a guitarist named Pawan( Sai Ronak) at a shopping mall. Later, the two begin their journey in a shutdown lift as strangers. Though initially, they see each other as enemies due to miscommunication, later they become good friends and eventually start liking each other. What situations make them struck in the lift? How will they come out of the dangerous situation? What is the backstory behind Sameerana’s passion for becoming a singer? To know that, you have to watch the film in the cinemas near you.

Performances: As usual, Avika Gor is cute in her modern girl look. Her acting and the way she carried the role bring weightage to the proceedings to an extent. Especially, her performance during the climax portion brings emotional depth to the film.

On the other hand, Sai Ronak is fine in his role as a guitarist. His performance as a modern-day boy is good. He perfectly fitted into the role that carries multiple emotions. The chemistry between Avika Gor and Sai Ronak is showcased in a decent manner.

As most of the film runs on the lead pair, the film hardly has scope for other artists. The lady who played Avika’s mother role did her part good. Senior artist Charuhasan is okay in his limited role.

Technicalities: The major asset of the film is the music composed by Shravan Bharadwaja. The film has half a dozen montage songs which are literally a saved grace for the audience. His fresh instrumentation brings a fresh vibe to all the songs.

MN Bal Reddy’s work as the cinematographer is visible on screen as he used good frames in the lift to showcase the lead pair nicely. His lighting setup is also impressive. Editing by KSR is okay.

Production values for this limited-budget film by Madhupalli Bhogendra Gupta of Acharya Creations, Avika Screen Creations, MS Chalapathi Raju, and Seshu Babu Peddinti are alright.

Analysis: Written and directed by Murali Naga Srinivas Gandham, Popcorn has a fresh concept that revolves around a boy and a girl who are stuck in a lift. Utilizing the point, Murali Naga Srinivas Gandham has the scope to explore the film in a decent way but totally dilutes the audience’s interest with an abrupt narrative.

His writing is poor and lacks proper character establishment scenes. The screenplay is dull and lacks effectiveness. To summarize, Popcorn has technical padding and good performances from the lead pair but struggles with the boring and uneven presentation.

Verdict: Execution syndrome!

Rating: 2/5