18 Pages Movie Review: Karthikeya 2 star Nikhil is back with another romantic comedy, 18 Pages. For days, 18 Pages has been discussed everywhere because of Karthikeya 2. It has a stellar cast and a fascinating premise. One of the main reasons people are excited is because Sukumar wrote the screenplay and bore the film’s great expectations. Find out if the movie is worth your time.
Story
The film centres on Nandini, played by Anupama Parameswaran. Because she doesn’t use things like a cell phone, Facebook, or Whatsapp, she takes centre stage. Because of this, Sidharth falls in love with Nandini, only to learn that she suffers from a rare illness that causes her to forget things. Upon learning that she may lose her memory in a matter of days, she starts keeping a journal in which she details her routine. On page eighteen of her diary, things take an unexpected turn: she is kidnapped and her memory is wiped clean. The rest of the narrative is unveiled when Siddharth catches her writing in her diary.
Cast & Crew
Sukumar penned the script, Palnati Surya Pratap helmed the production, Bunny Vasu was the producer, and Nikhil Siddhartha and Anupama Parameswaran starred in the film. The music was composed by Gopi Sundar, and the camerawork was done by A Vasanth. The piece is a joint effort by GA2 Pictures and Sukumar Writings. It was edited by Navin Nooli.
| Movie Name | 18 Pages |
|---|---|
| Director | Palnati Surya Pratap |
| Music Director | Gopi Sundar |
| Producer | GA2 Pictures & Sukumar Writings |
| Genre | Love, Thriller |
| Cast | Nikhil Siddhartha & Anupama Parameswaran, Sarayu |
| Cinematography | A Vasanth |
Movie Verdict
It starts off intriguingly by introducing the reader to the characters’ respective worlds. This is typical of the introductions that Sukumar writes, and it’s a great example of his style. As the story moves into its proper context, where two competing minds eventually collide, the gripping drama never lets go of our attention. The story and the interesting people make up for the few loose ends in the first half. The love narrative in the first act was equally compelling, and the unexpected turn after intermission had us hungry to see what happened in the second.
In contrast to the first, which opened with a charming love story and sharp banter, the second is a whole other animal. But the second becomes really tense after Nandini gets kidnapped. Beginning with Siddharth’s epiphany that she was using her diary, the enticing screenplay pulls the viewer into the plot and makes them feel like they’re an integral part of it. The plot twists leading up to and during the climax will leave you reeling. The second half is far more interesting than the first.
Anupama gives a fantastic performance as Nandini, and the rest of the ensemble does as well. She does a wonderful job of acting throughout the entire arc of her character. Nikhil’s portrayal of Sidhaharth had some strange moments, but he shone brightly in others.
Although 18 pages is the minimum required, much more might have been done to make it better. The first half of A Vasanth’s film is filmed beautifully, but the quality of the shots drops off significantly when the story takes on a thriller tone. The efforts of Gopi Sundar have been commendable. There were some good tunes in there. The second act needs a good score if it is going to have the same level of suspense and thrills as the first.
Despite the excellence of the language, Palnanti Surya Pratap’s 18 Pages fails to maintain suspense and intensity in the novel’s second half. Some of Sukumar’s admirers hold the opinion that each of his love stories is completely unique. After the success of Kumari 21 F, he set out to write another original love story with 18 Pages.
In sum, 18 Pages is a fresh love story with a touch of suspense that will engage readers of all stripes.
Plus Points:
- Story
- Screenplay
- Twists
Minus Points:
- Lack of emotion
Rating: 3/5
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