About the Movie
Deewana is a decent watch for those who enjoy old-school romances driven by emotion. The film stars Harshith Reddy, Smeha Manimegalai, Naresh, Jhansi, Jeevan Kumar, and Sreekanth Sangishetty.
Story
Director Sreekanth Sangishetty's Deewana begins with a feeling most people know all too well — loving someone from a distance and convincing yourself that they are worth rearranging your entire life for. The film follows Munna (Harshith Reddy), a young man whose ordinary existence is transformed when he develops feelings for a woman who slowly becomes the centre of his world.
What starts as admiration soon grows into something deeper. Munna's decisions, ambitions and relationships begin revolving around this one emotional anchor, pushing him down a path shaped by longing, sacrifice and hope. As life throws unexpected challenges his way, he finds himself confronting questions about love, self-worth and the fine line between devotion and obsession. The story unfolds as a romance rooted in emotion, tracing the highs and lows of a young man learning that love is often far more complicated than it appears in dreams.
Review
There is a reason films about first love continue to find audiences despite decades of familiar stories. The emotions may be predictable, but the experience rarely feels that way when you're living through it. Deewana understands this. Director Sreekanth Sangishetty's debut feature isn't particularly interested in reinventing the romantic drama; it simply wants to make you feel what its protagonist feels.
For the most part, it succeeds. The film's biggest strength is its sincerity. Munna isn't presented as an idealised romantic hero but as a young man driven by emotions that often cloud judgment. His affection, frustration and heartbreak feel recognisable, giving the narrative an emotional foundation that remains engaging even when the story ventures into familiar territory.
Harshith Reddy carries the film with an earnest performance. He captures Munna's emotional vulnerability without overplaying it, making the character's journey easy to invest in. Smeha Manimegalai makes a confident Telugu debut, bringing a natural screen presence to her role. Together, they share a chemistry that feels grounded in small moments rather than grand romantic declarations. The supporting cast, particularly Naresh and Jhansi as Munna's parents, adds warmth to the proceedings. Their presence helps the film feel rooted, providing emotional context beyond the central romance.
One of the film's better decisions is the placement of its interval twist. It arrives at the right moment, injecting curiosity into the narrative and raising expectations for what follows. Unfortunately, the second half doesn't always build on that momentum. Several conflicts and misunderstandings feel drawn from well-worn romantic templates, making portions of the narrative predictable.
Pacing is another area where the film occasionally struggles. Sangishetty clearly trusts emotional scenes and allows them room to breathe, but some stretches linger longer than necessary. A tighter screenplay could have made the emotional highs land with greater impact.
Yet the film remains watchable because it never treats its emotions cynically. Even when the story follows familiar beats, there is genuine affection for the characters and their journey. The film wears its heart on its sleeve, and while that openness doesn't always translate into narrative freshness, it does make the emotional moments resonate.
For a debut feature, Deewana shows promise. It may not break new ground, but it reveals a filmmaker who understands the emotional pull of romance and the value of sincerity in storytelling.
— Sanjana Pulugurtha
