A Visually Lush Love Story with a Faltering Heart
Phanindra Narsetti’s 8 Vasantalu is a cinematic attempt at blending love, loss, and self-discovery into a slow-burning romantic drama. Framed like a visual poem, it tells the story of a woman’s journey across eight years, tracing two major love stories that shape her identity. While the film has flashes of brilliance — mostly thanks to its visual splendor and Ananthika Sanilkumar’s magnetic performance — it ultimately feels uneven, bogged down by overindulgent writing and a weaker second half.
Plot: A Tale of Two Loves and One Soul’s Journey
Shuddhi Ayodhya (Ananthika Sanilkumar), a young martial artist and writer from Ooty, is at the center of this coming-of-age love story. Her life is marked by two significant relationships — first with Varun (Hanu Reddy), a warm and charming NRI, and later with Sanjay (Ravi Teja Dhugirala), a poet carrying the weight of personal tragedy.
The first half of the film flows smoothly, grounded in naturalistic moments and subtle emotional cues. It draws you in with soft romance, beautiful settings, and relatable heartbreak. But the second half veers off course, becoming preachy and weighed down by philosophical monologues. The emotional resonance takes a backseat to stylized introspection, making the final portions of the film feel less about the characters and more about the director’s musings.
Performances: Ananthika Commands the Screen
Ananthika Sanilkumar is the standout performer, bringing depth, poise, and vulnerability to Shuddhi. Her ability to internalize pain and joy without overacting makes her the film’s most reliable anchor. She shines in the film’s quietest moments — a look of longing, a restrained tear, a wordless confrontation.

Hanu Reddy as Varun delivers a sincere performance in the first half. His chemistry with Ananthika feels effortless and believable. The second love story with Sanjay is not that great and suffers from rushed development.
The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Kanna Pasunoori brings warmth and relatability as Shuddhi’s friend, while other characters — especially family members — remain underwritten or emotionally inconsistent.
Direction & Cinematic Vision: Beauty That Overwhelms
Phanindra Narsetti is a filmmaker with a keen eye for composition. The film is visually rich — from the misty hills of Ooty to the spiritual banks of Varanasi, and the postcard-like calm of Kashmir. Cinematographer Vishwanath Reddy’s lens captures these locations with painterly precision, often making the film look like a moving gallery of emotions.
However, Narsetti’s writing doesn’t match the power of his visuals. While the first half manages to strike a chord, the second half spirals into self-indulgent territory. Shuddhi’s character, who begins as strong and self-aware, ends up reacting passively to situations that contradict her earlier depth. The poetic ambition is admirable, but it comes at the cost of emotional connection.
Music and Technical Aspects: A Soulful Undertone
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music is another strong pillar. The background score flows seamlessly with the film’s mood, and songs leave a lingering impact. Though the film could’ve benefited from a few more songs, what’s present serves its purpose beautifully.
Editing could have been tighter, especially in the second half, which feels stretched and unfocused. Some scenes linger too long without progressing the narrative, testing the viewer’s patience.
Final Verdict: A Film That Reaches for the Stars but Lands Halfway
8 Vasantalu is an ambitious romantic drama that gets a lot right — especially in terms of performances, cinematography, and emotional potential. But it’s also a film that doesn’t know when to stop. What starts as an intimate story of love and growth slowly loses its soul to overcooked philosophy and uneven execution.
Still, for lovers of poetic cinema and character-driven storytelling, it holds enough merit to be worth a watch.
Bullseye Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)
8 Vasantalu is now streaming on Netflix.