REVIEW: SUMERU

Producers- Avinash Dhyani and Ravindra Bhatt

Director- Avinash Dhyani

Star Cast- Avinash Dhyani, Sanskriti Bhatt, Shagufta Ali

Genre- Romance/Adventure

Platform- Theatrical

Rating- ***

A Poem on cellulod!

Jyothi Venkatesh

The film is essentially a small film revolving around Bhavar Paratap Singh (Avinash Dhyani) who has left everything in search of his father who is presumed to be dead in his expedition while exploring an avalanche but accidentally meets Savi Malhotra (Sanskriti Bhatt) who comes for her destination wedding in Harsil.

The plot of the intricate drama continues with their struggle of finding Bhavar’s father and how they eventually fall in love with each other in their journey.

This film, by the way, is Avinash Dhyani’s third film after his earlier outings- 72 Hours (2019) and Saumya Ganesh (2020) and Sanskriti Bhatt’s second film after Saumya Ganesh.

At the outset, I should say that the film Sumeru is actually a poem on celluloid and an exquisite love story shot on exotic locales of Dehradun, Harsil, Mussoorie and Dhanaulti in Uttarakhand.

True occasionally the film becomes static and there is no more plot to be explored with the lead protagonists trekking through the forest as well as avalanches till your feet ache where you will certainly feel bored and stagnant but as and when the film gets a fillip it is only thanks to the way the writer-cum director-cum actor Avinash Dhyani has set out to tackle the complex love story with finesse, though the producer lurking inside the director has exploited the potential of the film by juxtaposing it by plugging products blatantly like Maggie Noodles and Surat based Kalamandir jewellers, thus irritating the audiences who are otherwise engrossed with the proceedings in the film.

While Harsh Negi has done an excellent job of cranking the camera and capturing the lush locales, music director Sunjoy has composed not only brilliant and soothing music but also the background music with effortless ease.

As far as performances go, undoubtedly Avinash Dhyani scores with the ease with which he delineates his role as Bhanwar Pratap Singh by underplaying it, Sanskriti Bhatt impresses with her myriad emotions in the film as the young and chirpy Savvi Malhitra.

Shagufta Ali has managed to render a good account of herself as an actress after a long period of gap, as the- would -be -mother in law of the leading lady.

To sum up, Sumeru is the kind of a poem on celluloid which may not appeal to all kinds of viewers and caters slightly to an elite audience with his complex love story of an independent minded bold young girl of today who does not at all hesitate to take her own independent decision, as far as her life is concerned