Hey! Sinamika

I found quite a bit about Hey Sinamika to be refreshing... and these films, with their focus on interpersonal relationships, come as a welcome departure from all the star-worshipping. However, the film's end left me fighting a bitter aftertaste, and it opts for the safer route rather than creating an unlikely resolution.

Hey Sinamika works best when it's fun, frothy and frivolous. The entire first half has the vibe of a silly comedy and keeps us entertained. But once the film turns serious, the effect isn't all that great, with a jarring shift in tone from breezy to heavy that makes it feel like stepping into a different film featuring the same characters.

Despite her extensive experience in the film industry, her movie is replete with rookie mistakes. With hardly any novelty or heart, the film feels more like a mishmash than a wholesome romance. What's more important is that this is a film we have already watched many times before.

Though it works fairly well as a romantic drama, it's more entertaining as a relationship comedy, especially when it doesn't take itself too seriously. When it shifts the gear to drama, the film struggles to work and can barely keep the audience engaged. Hey Sinamika needed to be a breezy romantic comedy but what it ends up becoming is a problematic love triangle.

'Hey Sinamika' is a lovely cocktail of music, love, and dance. There are a lot of things in the film we have not seen before. Romance is fresh, the narrative has novelty and the film tells us exactly how to love and how not to love!

Despite the sudden shift in tone, Dulquer and Aditi's performances make us empathise with their characters. The film, which marks the debut of choreographer Brinda as a director, suffers from a tonal inconsistency. The resolution of this conflict is unsatisfactory as well.