Released Date :
Avg. User's Rating : 14 Jul, 2023
Story: Anand (Anand Devarkonda) and Vaishnavi (Vaisnavi Chaitanya) have been together since their school days. A new boy (Viraj Ashwin) and a new lifestyle change everything for these lovers.
Review: Director Sai Rajesh presents a love story in Baby, which is not seen in Telugu cinema. The film is a mishmash of ideas, some of which are good, some of which are problematic, some of which aren't fully realized, and some of which are so subtly portrayed, you wonder if your takeaway from it is the right one.
Vaishnavi (Vaisnavi Chaitanya) is a bubbly young lady who only has eyes for Anand (Anand Devarakonda). It doesn't matter why he loves her when her eyes light up at him. Pleasure soon repays the feeling; He even took her consent for it. When Vaishnavi passes school and joins a top college that takes her away from the simple slum life, Anand drives an auto to make ends meet. A new life, friends, and a son Viraj (Viraj Ashwin) await Vaishnavi at this juncture in his life. But what happens that threatens to separate these lovers?
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On the one hand Baby feels like a story that an insecure man who doesn't like change and has a savior syndrome can cling to because it validates his feelings. On the other hand, it feels like a story that holds up a mirror to a society that is so quick to judge women who, sometimes desperately, try to find happiness whenever and wherever they want. Scenes in the film oscillate between the two, making one wonder if Sai Rajesh has gone too far in being non-judgmental and wanting to please every type of audience member this film might be targeting. But when he focuses, the pathos-laden drama is quite difficult.
Take the main character as an example. Vaishnavi is depicted as the type of woman who would consent to him. But he seems too innocent to be true, with some choices he ultimately remains unconvincing. Anand is a man who is great at reading his girlfriend's verbal and non-verbal cues, making sure she doesn't cross the line. But he also crosses the line in anger very easily. Viraj is the rich boy who needed to be brought out better and whose motivations are not always clear. While all these characters are deliciously grey, the film also suffers from defeating problematic tropes related to both genders. And at some point, Tollywood needs to do away with toxic ideas of how to deal with heartbreak.
Vijay Bulganin's acting and music work for this film. Whenever the lead actors faint, feel sad or get caught up in emotions that cannot be described in words, Vijay interacts with the on-screen actors to help you feel it. The songs don't seem to be a hindrance either. Anand Devarakonda and Viraj Ashwin pour their heart and soul into the roles. Anand, in particular, has scenes where he really grabs you with his performance. But the film would not be the same without Vaishnavi, who made a brilliant silver screen debut. And despite the flaws, Sai Rajesh knows how to write scenes that keep you engaged. He even manages to keep things unpredictable for the most part.
Baby may leave you with mixed feelings, but it's a film that will stimulate conversation—for better or worse. And perhaps this is the point of it all!
