Sometimes even though a story lacks punch, if it has an impeccable humour, the viewer is engrossed in the movie. That’s the power of humour if well made. Second Hand fits perfectly into this category and when it’s the battle of the sexes, the scope of comedy is enormous.
Second Hand comprises of three love-stories, narrated one after the other. The first one being Santosh’s (Sudheer Varma) love story. He and Deepu (Dhanya Balakrishna) are seeing each other for a long time. Deepu’s dad starts looking for a bridegroom because of which Santosh gets panicked day and night. Things start falling apart gradually in the process. The second story is of Subba Rao (Kireeti Damaraju),a dentist who is longing to get married right from when he was a kid. He gets ready to get hitched with Swecha, who reveals in their very first meet that she had a boyfriend. Things keep worsening, as Swecha is unable to forget her past and keeps meeting her ex too often. The third story is of Sahasra, who is in two minds unable to decide whom she should marry- the ideal best friend who takes care of her or a not-so-perfect boyfriend.
The first half has ample humour, with some hilarious performances that bring the house down. Sudheer Varma has a very natural style and his histrionics are fantastic. Kireeti as the dentist is amazing with his comic timing. The scenes where he wants to be in the good books of Swecha, but undergoing a trauma within, are rib-tickling. With hardly any content in the proceeding, these two guys manage to make the first-half engaging. Dhanya Balakrishna is a show-stealer. She is there throughout the movie and never ceases to amaze you with her confidence. Very talented!
The trouble is with the second-half. The viewers get tuned to the pace and the light-heartedness in the first hour and get bored with the relatively long and serious second hour. Too much time is spent in the montages, and a couple of songs drag it even further. The climax however, is smartly done without being preachy and leaves a message subtly.
The movie seems to have been shot with a shoestring budget. Production values and cinematography are mediocre.
Overall, the experience of watching Second Hand is like reading the comics of Suppandi, light-hearted and total fun! If you can forgive the weak script and ready for the laughing exercise, this is your movie for the weekend.
Reviewed by Rag Mayur
Rating: 3.25/5
