A music-filled romantic drama that tries to balance love, friendship, and village life but struggles with focus
Review By Rajeshwari Kalyanam
For a region big on the sound of drums for all occasions—be it auspicious celebrations or bidding farewell to a dead soul—Band Melam refers to a local group in a Telangana village playing at all occasions, mostly performing the latest folk hits that rule the roost as much as film music. In recent times, several singers and composers have come to the limelight via YouTube, thanks to peppy numbers that at times crossed borders in popularity. This is one of the story lines of the film Band Melam is directed by Satish Javvaji and produced by Kona Venkat under his Kona Film Corporation banner.
But, if you thought Band Melam is a music-based film about one such group trying to make it big, then you are right. The film has its share of popular folk numbers for the vibe, in addition to the original score written by Shyam Kasarla and composed by Vijai Bulgarin.
Then there is this group of friends and their banter, a happy-go-lucky village life, school romance, hits and misses, plus the hero and heroine. The hit jodi from Court—Harsh Roshan as Giri and Sridevi as Raaji—come together for the film as cousins and sweethearts whose love grew from the time of their birth, like in PK’s film Khushi. Like every love story, theirs too has its challenges as they grow older. Now, if you thought it is a romantic comedy, then you are right. Then there is emotion, drama, and sacrifice parallelly running along.
Not to forget the respective parents and their backstory, which is absolutely overused in Telugu cinema.
If Band Melam was just a regular romance with its trials and tribulations, with some honest filmmaking thrown in, then perhaps this could have passed off as another endearing young love story. Or it could have been a family drama with young lovers caught in the chaos.
The fault of Band Melam is not that it’s too routine—it’s that the film is saying too much all at once, without a tight storyline, screenplay, or editing to help make it youthful and entertaining. So, you end up with a film that has a bunch of good scenes, a few comedy tracks, romantic songs, plus a couple of dance numbers stitched together—none relatable enough to keep your attention.
The result—a two-hour and 20-minute film that feels stretched, predictable, and uninteresting.
Band Melam Review
A film with scattered strengths but lacking cohesion, making it a stretched viewing experience
Rating – 2.0/5
Film Title: Band Melam
Language: Telugu
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama, Musical
Director: Satish Javvaji
Producer: Kona Venkat
Production House: Kona Film Corporation
Music: Shyam Kasarla (Writer), Vijai Bulgarin (Composer)
Cast:
- Harsh Roshan as Giri
- Sridevi as Raaji
