Run, the remake of the Tamil-Malayalam hit Neram, is a largely faithful remake, notwithstanding some minor changes here and there. When it comes to Sai Karthik's BGM, it follows its own path, prominently straying from the intriguing score of the original.
Sanju (Sundeep Kishan) has lost his well-paid job due to recession and has been going through a lean patch for a few months. He faces an existential threat from Vaddi Raja (Bobby Simhaa), a thuggish/lecherous money-lender, to whom he owes certain money. On a day when he has a deadly deadline to meet, Sanju has to contend with his girlfriend's father (Kashi Vishwanath in a hilarious role), who files a complaint with SI Padmavathi (Brahmaji in a selfie-crazy, quirky cop who is embarrassed by his name) against Sanju, alleging him of kidnapping his daughter. As the girlfriend (Anisha as Amulya) elopes on the D-day, Sanju is clueless about honoring his commitment to Vaddi Raja, and securing Amulya from him, even as SI Padmavathi poses him a danger. Amidst all this comes Mahat Raghavendra (as Manik), who speaks broken English and flirts with women at the drop of a hat, makes a curious entry.
To the credit of the writer (Alphonse Putharen), he has imagined a range of peculiar characters, starting from a hero who never comes on time to visit his sweetheart waiting in the park, to the comically self-glorifying and bad-tempered Posani Balakrishna (Posani Krishna Murali). On the flip side, though, the storyline is nothing new. In a number of comedies of confusion (which Run is not), we have seen a series of bad things happening to the protagonist(s), only to have time on their side almost miraculously in the climax. But none apparently has spun a philosophy around the boons and banes that Time inescapably brings in its wake.
In the original, the background music was almost a character. Nivin Pauly's understated performance and the haunting RR did magic big-time. To be fair to Sundeep Kishan, he does a fair job and that's all can be said. His body language is definitely apt and he comes across every bit as that middle-class chap who is caught in helpless situations. He evokes sympathy more than once. For example, the scene where he meets his brother-in-law (Madhu Nandan in a funny role) in a restaurant is one such scene where Sundeep evokes sympathy.
The entire story revolves around the character Sanju, who is melancholic (except when he is seen opposite his girlfriend in flashback portions that are brief), but the characters that enter his life are either loathsome or plain selfish or buffoonish.
The screenplay is such that it's difficult to predict the things and, importantly, there is no confusion. Mahat Raghavendra's romantic ways lead to a song, but the song itself ends in more trouble for Anisha.
Bobby Simha, the talented actor, pulls off his role with aplomb. Somehow, however, the much-touted comic touch is missing in him.
Some tweaking could have made the film more effective. After a while, Bobby Simha's character becomes uni-dimensional, with him warning the guys scene after scene. Mahat having a brief song could have been preceded by a little more of character-sketching.
Some tweaking could have made the film more effective. Mahat having a brief song could have been preceded by a little more of character-sketching. Sai Karthik's songs are a good value addition. Anisha looks gorgeous and emotes well. Brahmaji and Kashi Vishwanath's comedy could have been better. Praveen passes muster. Posani Krishna Murali, Chalaki Chanti, Fish Venkat, and others are forgettable.
Rajsekhar's cinematography is impressive. The editing is another asset.
Verdict: On balance, Run is a decent entertainer. Watch it for some bright moments. Just as time has its boons and banes, this film has its share of hits and misses.
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