Ye Maaya Chesave

If I have to say just one word to describe "Ye Maaya Chesave", I would say - Classic!

The feeling I get when I watch it now is no different from what I got when I watched it for the first time 6 years back, when the movie released.

The soul of the film is the background music and the songs by A.R.Rahman. Right from the beginning titles to the end credits, we will experience out-of-the-world music. Music alone takes this movie to a whole new level. Take a moment to appreciate A.R.Rahman's talent, because I'm afraid India wouldn't see such a great artist ever again.

Beautiful cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa, Samantha and Naga Chaitanya's brilliant performances, simple yet haunting dialogs, the depth in Jessie and Karthik's characters, sensible story & screenplay and top-notch direction - each element complements every other element so perfectly, making this an experience rather than just a film.

This movie holds a special place in my heart, just because of the fact that I can relate to many scenes and how it effortlessly transports me to my first-love days every time I watch it. I'm really grateful to all the people involved in making this movie.

There are two versions of this film. Telugu (Ye Maaya Chesave) and Tamil (Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya) versions, which are same except for the ending. The ending drastically changes our view towards the film. I personally like the Tamil ending as it's close to reality. I believe that's what makes our first love special (you'll know when you watch the movie). Having said that, I loved watching both versions.

If you are watching the Telugu version, just make sure to watch the climax of the Tamil version as well.

when i watched this movie, i kept thinking i so feel like i'm seeing an Indian version of '500 days of summer'.

the quirky characters, contrasting personalities, great soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, witty dialogs are all too similar to the '500 days of summer' theme.

so am i saying, is it bad? no. not at all. what i liked most about YMC is that it's not afraid of what it has to be.

it doesn't have scene fillers, characters just for the sake of having it, songs, stupid dances, item songs that define the Indian ( Telugu) cinema.

both the leads do their job well, keep you engrossed, but one thing i can find is, their acting seems to be pushed far by the director. sometimes, the acting looks too strained.

and now the man himself, AR Rahman, i was interested in the movie, 'cos of him. what a kick ass soundtrack man, and the score, god, he just shows, why he's miles away from his contemporaries. i so love Shreya Ghoshal humming "aaromale" just after the interval.

Gautham Menon, anybody who'd seen his previous movies would know he roots for urban settings, stylish dialogues involving a lot of English sometimes, and a lot of artificiality. you see them, you love them, but somehow you feel they're artificial when you walk out of cinema. that always happens with Mr.Menon.

but that doesn't mean, he ain't talented. he definitely is. the attention to minute detail is very appreciable so are his shot angles and of course keeping the screenplay grounded to reality.

it's not great film-making here, no surprise endings, a boy sees a girl, falls in love, proposes to her abruptly, only to find out she's confused all the time. he tortures her, as the lead says in one dialogue. he finally kisses and makes out with her in New York and they get married. end of story.

one doubt? how does Karthik ( Naga Chaitanya) get Simbu and Trisha to sign a movie, without writing the climax? he even says to Jessie( Samantha Ruth Prabhu) that he's left with some 30 days of shooting... care to answer, Mr.Menon?

While most other Telugu films continue to be the same routine of blowing up SUV's and long winded dialogs of bravado, Gowtham Menon puts out a love story that is so simple it is ingenious. Ye Maaya Chesave is the story of a girl named Jessie a Christian and a guy named Karthik who is a Hindu. It turns out she is also older than him and her father disapproves of him. She doesn't want to disappoint her dad nor can she let go off Karthik. How the movie turns out needs to be seen on the big screen. Naga Chaitanya as an aspiring filmmaker brought out the right dosage of charm and conviction to the role. Newcomer Samantha was a perfect fit for the role of Jessie. She had a dream debut and hopefully we will see more of her. Gowtham Menon showed that there is still place in the industry for a girl who doesn't need expose nor for a guy to throw out vulgar dialogs. Krishnudu as the friend of Karthik is very apt and provides great comedic relief. 80% of the movie focuses on Karthik and Jessie that you even forget there are other characters. While some may consider the movie slow and long winded Menon took the opportunity to make the movie that focuses on it's story and nothing else, no separate comedic track or a villain or any of that. Watch out for cameo's from Puri Jagannath, Simbu and Trisha.

A huge tip of the hat to the maestro A.R. Rahman for providing some melodious music and background score that really add to the film. This is him first Indian film since his Oscar victories. One of the real stars is cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa. The way he captured Kerala and it's surroundings as well as New York City is just a visual feast to the eyes and to be seen on the big screen. He really was able to capture why Kerala is called "God's own Country".

For me personally this is the best family movie on the Telugu screen since Bommarillu.

The most wonderful and matured love story of all time. I can watch this even in 2050.

This movie does surprise you with its simplicity, breathtaking music, excellent chemistry between the lead pair, beautiful scenes and melodious songs. The romantic moments that are captured are just perfect! I am sure the audience will relate with the emotions of the lead pair.

Naga Chaitanya and Samantha are simply amazing. They carry their roles perfectly.

Direction and screenplay is top notch. All in all a classic for all those die-hard romantics!!!!!!!!!