Youth are said to have the power to make or break society. The latest such attempt to tap into the youth resources of Telugu cinema is Mem Famous. Boasting a bunch of budding actors and technicians, with a core idea that screams youth, the film is a testament to how the baby steps of like-minded and driven youngsters can slowly and steadily create small wonders.
Director: Sumanth Prabhas
Cast: Sumanth Prabhas, Mani Aegurla, Mourya Chowdary, Saarya, Siri Raasi, Kiran Macha, Anji Mama
Set in Bandanarsampalli village, Mem Famous follows the story of three friends in their 20s, Mai (Sumanth), Baali, and Durga. From getting involved in frivolous tiffs and borrowing money from the villagers to randomly grabbing a hen for cooking themselves a delicious meal, the infamous trio is considered no good by the villagers. And every time they create a ruckus, they end up at the local panchayat gathering, surrounded by the villagers who diss them for bringing a bad name to the family and perennially creating a nuisance. At a crucial point, when they are wrongfully framed as thieves, it becomes the proverbial straw that breaks their backs. What follows is the journey from infamy to… of course, as the title suggests, becoming famous.
This slice-of-life comedy-drama is partly entertaining because of the convincing performances and adequate dose of humour and metered sentiments. But it goes down a declivitous trail due to the run-of-the-mill narrative, predictable conflicts, and lack of inventiveness in the story scaffolding. Even the romantic track meanders around the same old trope of love-obstructing parents and understanding girlfriend. On the other hand, the makers strike gold in establishing the brotherhood. For instance, the village sarpanch, Jinka Venu, a de-facto elder brother of the trio, stands by them when their attempts to become famous fails. He instils hope that all the hurdles are just speed breakers but not the end of anything. Likewise, Anji Mama, their confidant, is their source of motivation even when the entire village is fed up with them.
After overcoming disastrous failures, on both the personal and work front, the friends decide to create a YouTube channel. These portions that show their growth is perhaps the most engaging segment of the many garden variety scenes.
Sumanth, the lead actor, and director of the film, is certainly a good find for Telugu cinema. The sincere efforts of team Mem Famous are seen through every scene of the film, especially in the world-building. The fragrances of a rural land in the Telugu state swirl through the visuals of a tranquil little hamlet surrounded by lush green farmlands, and memorable characters carved out of villagers. While these highlights are offset by certain mundane choices in the narrative, the music of Kalyan Nayak stands out for creating much-needed liveliness consistently and innovatively. For a film that aims to deliver much-needed laughs, there are extended portions in the film that just go around in circles.
At a time when the new wave of storytelling is embracing inventive filmmaking pursuits and endeavouring to break out of cliche and uncomplicated templates, a film like Mem Famous brims with potential. The story’s core idea–to reflect the power of youth, the need to steer their energy in the right direction, and their social responsibility to do good for the village–comes from a good place. In fact, Mem Famous had the potential to join a wonderful list of small films with a really big heart like Pelli Choopulu, Cinema Bandi, and Jathi Ratnalu. However, as the credits roll, there is an unshakeable feeling of what it could have been, and Mem Famous ends up just knocking on fame’s door and beating a slow retreat.
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