Selvaraghavan, oneof the most talented and successful directors in the Tamil filmindustry, tries a typical romance with his second Telugu venture Adavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (AMAV).

Hecasts superstar Venkatesh, an actor who has been hugely successful inlove stories, in the lead role along with Trisha. Selva emerges with afilm which tugs at the heartstrings when necessary and entertainslargely. To top it, Venkatesh and Trisha add the icing on the cake bydelivering brilliant performances which boosts the film.

Thestoryline is akin to any love story. Boy meets girl, cupid strikes andcreates a turnaround in his life. Ganesh (Venkatesh) has beenunemployed for quite some time. He is dependent on his father for hisdaily expenses. So he is invariably at the receiving end from hisfather and others.

One day hesees Keerti (Trisha) and follows her to the software office she worksin. So he works hard to get a job in that office. And he does so withKeerti's help (she is his trainer). Venkatesh is smitten by Keerthi butwhen he confesses his love for her she tells him she is engaged to hercousin (Sriram) who is incidentally Ganesh's friend.

Byquirk of fate, Ganesh is forced to visit Sriram and Keerti in theirvillage where they live in a huge joint family presided over by theconservative and strict patriarch (grandfather played by K.Vishwanath).Keerti does not realise her feelings for Ganesh. Will she, in thecourse, of time?

On thesurface, the film looks like any love story. However, Selva adds histouch by making the characters real and relatable especially in thescenes between Ganesh and his father (played by Kota) in the firsthalf.

Selva infuses quite abit of humour and sentiment in the film, which accounts for theentertainment quotient. The story is neither sad nor slightly offbeat.In that sense, this venture is purely within the mainstream paradigm.The introduction of certain bucolic scenes and imagery, particularlythe stern patriarch, may go down well with the audience especially inthe rural areas.

The cityimages too have a realistic and authentic feel. Although the narrationis a bit slow in the beginning, the second half is packed with quite abit of emotions and the usual drama. Some of the scenes may give you asense of deja vu.

Besidesinjecting newness in some scenes and bringing out the nuances of love,Selva's forte lies in bringing the best out of his actors. The wayVenkatesh and Trisha have brought out the subtlety of expression iscommendable. Selva ensures every emotion and reaction is almostperfect. The canvas is huge in the second half given the large numberof family members, but Selva has ensured that almost each memberincluding children have a role to play.

YuvanShankar Raja's background score is quite effective in highlightingcertain important and emotional sequences. His songs may not sound likechartbusters but seem to be in sync.

Theperformances by the lead actors are the film's highlight. Both arenatural, understated, subtle and complement each other perfectly --they are very much the characters they essay. Coupled with Selva'stouch, their vitality will go a long way in ensuring the success of thefilm.

However, the endingsuddenly seemed to be hurried up a bit and the denouement of the storyseemed rather abrupt, though the sequences at the end have someoriginal flavour. Mumait Khan adds commercial value with her itemnumber.

On the whole, Selva treads the safe path in AMAV, and is most likely to emerge with a winner.