Don’t Trouble The Trouble Review: A plot idea that has little magic – Telugu Cinema

What’s “Don’t Trouble The Trouble” About?

Soori (Fahadh Faasil), a small-time conman, finds himself in trouble after a run-in with Aslam Bhai (Mahesh Manjrekar). Desperate to settle his dues, Soori decides to make some quick money, pay off Aslam and leave Hyderabad.

When a young girl named Divya (Ssara Palekar) approaches him with her dog, Soori sees an opportunity to make some easy money. Divya believes in magic and mistakes Soori for a magician. She tells him that she has made her parents disappear and wants him to use his magic to bring them back.

Soori, meanwhile, sees a chance to make money out of the situation. He contacts Divya’s uncle, Pratap (Saurabh Sachdeva), informs him that he has the girl and demands money in exchange for bringing her to him.

Will Soori’s plan work? What happens when he discovers that Divya is not a real person but a spirit? And what really happened to her parents?

Analysis

Fahadh Faasil has earned a reputation for choosing quality cinema in Malayalam, while his performances in the “Pushpa” films have made him equally popular among Telugu audiences. So, when an actor of his standing agrees to headline a Telugu film, expectations naturally rise. “Don’t Trouble The Trouble” also comes with the backing of the producers of “Baahubali” and SS Karthikeya, son of SS Rajamouli. Given these associations, the film generated considerable curiosity.

But does the story have enough substance to justify bankrolling it? That is a question that keeps coming to mind as the film progresses.

Debutant director Shashank Yeleti builds his story around a fairly familiar premise: a conman encounters a young girl and eventually finds himself helping her fulfil a mission. It is a template we have seen before. What sets “Don’t Trouble The Trouble” apart, at least on paper, is the attempt to blend magic realism into this otherwise straightforward narrative.

Within minutes of Divya’s introduction, we realise that she is not alive but a spirit. The film does not treat this as a major revelation or attempt to build suspense around it. Instead, the narrative focuses on the unlikely partnership between the conman and the spirit, and the mission they undertake together.

However, the story has a fundamental weakness. There is no clearly defined antagonist or strong opposing force to drive the drama. As a result, the proceedings lack tension, and even the final revelation surrounding the disappearance of Divya’s parents fails to generate the emotional impact it should.

The director attempts to balance humour in the first half with sentiment in the latter portions. However, neither works consistently. The comic situations involving Soori and Divya rarely produce the intended laughs, while the emotional track takes time to establish a connection with the audience. The police station episode in the second half is one of the few sequences where the film manages to evoke genuine emotion.

Despite its sluggish narration, the film does have a few engaging stretches. The entire ransom sequence leading up to the interval is handled well and provides some momentum. In the second half, the stretch beginning with the temple episode and continuing into the police station sequence is also reasonably engaging. These portions show that the premise had potential. However, the film loses its grip again in the climax, which fails to provide a satisfying payoff.

Fahadh Faasil is quite convincing as Soori. His natural acting and screen presence help hold together several portions that otherwise lack energy. He brings a certain believability to the character, even when the writing does not offer him enough material. Ssara Palekar, who plays the other lead, is just about adequate. The character demands a certain innocence and charm to establish an emotional connection with the audience, but her performance does not quite achieve that. Saurabh Sachdeva’s character is poorly written, and his presence adds little to the proceedings. Venkatesh Kakumanu makes a better impression among the supporting cast.

On the technical front, the production design and cinematography are adequate. The background score supports the narrative. The editing, however, needed to be sharper, particularly in the stretches where the narration begins to drag.

Bottom Line:

“Don’t Trouble The Trouble” has a couple of engaging episodes, but the film as a whole fails to hold attention. It falters in the areas that matter most: entertainment and emotional impact. Fahadh Faasil holds his ground with his performance, but weak writing and sluggish narration prevent the film from becoming an engaging watch.

By Jalapathy Gudelli

Rating: 2.5/5