‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ Review: Anushka, Naveen’s film feels like a warm hug

It was in 2016 when Vijay Deverakonda and Ritu Varma’s ‘Pelli Choopulu’ was released. Soon after stepping out of the theatre, it felt like drinking a fizzy lemon soda on a hot day. Only a few films have the magic to make the audience feel emotions. 'Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty' was one such film. It feels like a warm hug on a cold day. A fuzzy blanket you’d want to cuddle with on a chilly evening.

Anvitha (Anushka Shetty) is a top chef in the UK, who lives with her ailing mother (Jayasudha). She asks her daughter to take her back to India, where she wishes to spend her last days. Sadly, her mother succumbs to her illness. The loneliness is too deafening and Anvitha struggles. For a person who doesn’t believe in love and relationships, she thinks that her mother is her only companion. Hence, she decides to become a mother, but without love and relationships.

She chooses a legal way to become a mother by looking for a sperm donor. When she meets a stand-up comedian, Sidhu (Naveen Polishetty), she feels she can finally become a mother and have a companion for life. But, Sidhu is not as broad minded as Anvitha and how she convinces him forms the story.

Director Mahesh Babu’s ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ is a breezy romantic comedy that stays true to its genre. The film is aware and the sensitivity it shows in dealing with taboo topics is what makes it work. ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ takes its sweet time to establish the plot but takes off once Naveen Polishetty’s Sidhu meets Anushka Shetty’s Anvitha. The film is aware of the age gap between the lead performers and addresses it casually. At a time when heroes go on romancing young heroines, here’s Anushka making fun of the age gap in her film nonchalantly.

Here's the trailer:

There have been films on sperm donation before. What sets ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ different is the well-defined character arcs of the lead roles and the layering in them. Anvitha is a self-made woman, who feels she doesn’t need a partner. That’s her trauma speaking and we understand why she wants what she wants. Similarly, Sidhu is a guy hailing from a typical middle-class family, where the use of the words sex and kiss are unofficially banned at home. When two people who are starkly different from each other meet, it is enjoyable.

Sidhu is a stand-up comedian in the film and his jokes land, thankfully. While some don’t, it does not hinder the experience. Anushka Shetty as Anvitha is quite natural in her role and it makes you fall in love all over again. After the ‘Baahubali’ series, this is a film that she truly deserves. Naveen Polishetty is a livewire and it is he who makes the film a beautiful watch. His character arc from being a narrow-minded misogynistic man to a man who understands boundaries is great to watch.

‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ has minor flaws. Sidhu’s parents (played by Thulasi and Murali Sharma) have a small role to play. But, their transformation is quite unconvincing to watch. Similarly, the film does not do away with clichés and is predictable most times.

Songs by Radhan and the score by Gopi Sundar elevate the romantic drama to a different level. Cinematographer Nirav Shah and editor Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao’s work complemented the film well.

‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ is a feel-good romantic drama that hits all the right notes. Sometimes, simplicity is all you need when you watch a film. And ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ offers that and much more!

3.5 out of 5 stars for ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’.