ABO Review: Couple Friendly!| AndhraBoxOffice.com

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Review

02/15/2026

ABO Review: Couple Friendly!

Couple Friendly - Ditches melodrama, embraces realism!

Rating- 3/5

Story:

Shiva (Santosh Sobhan) is a budding Interior Designer from Chittoor who shifts to Chennai hoping to kickstart his career, but things don`t go as planned. To survive, he starts driving a bike taxi. That`s how he crosses paths with Mithra (Manasa Varanasi). In one of those unexpected twists life throws, the two end up sharing the same room on a paying-guest basis. Mithra stands by him through thick and thin, helping him out in every possible way, and slowly they grow really close. Just as things start playing out as planned, one sudden incident turns everything upside down for them.

Performances:

1. Santosh Shoban: In the initial stretches, when his character feels routine, his acting feels low-effort. However, once the story acquires weight and Shiva`s life turns turbulent, Santosh is remarkable. He is excellent in a scene where he must reflect his character`s devastated state of mind.

2. Manasa Varanasi: She is subtle in most scenes, particularly in the scenes where she commutes across the streets of Chennai as Shiva`s rider. She asserts herself, shows desire, and makes us feel what her character is going through.

3. Others: Rajeev Kanakala is given a serious character as Mithra`s father. Goparaju Ramana`s presence is warm as Shiva`s father. Yogi Babu gets to play a brotherly character in a case of sensible writing.

Technical Departments:

Aditya Ravindran`s music turns the genre into a musical drama when dialogues give way for lyrics to do the poetic talk. O Nesthamai, Naa Praanam, Gaabara Gaabara and other songs are situational. The montages are not overpowering. In terms of the sound design, the film has in company technically mature outings like Committee Kurrollu. The cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman prioritizes realistic shots over flashiness.

Analysis:

Dialogue-driven romances are rare to come by in Telugu cinema. If done right, the non-urgent conversations and sudden arguments between the lead pair can make the difference between impact and disengagement. Couple Friendly, by steering clear of saccharine moments and synthetic conversations, gets its beats right.

The leads deliver natural chemistry, making their rhythmic bond feel incremental rather than artificial. Mithra stands out as an empowering, articulate woman who values her independence deeply. Shiva`s understated demeanor and flaws complement her character.

The screenplay handles emotional layers unfolding in the backdrop of a low-end house and mundane streets. Protagonists sharing career dreams have been limited to short films, web series and OTT originals lately. In many of them made in Telugu, the shared struggles and mutual upliftment are not narrated with the required commitment. Couple Friendly is a cut above the rest in that respect.

Director Ashwin Chandrasekhar`s many scenes mirror real-life urban youth experiences, where career pressures and ambitions shape relationships early on. The personal growth trajectories of the lead pair are not a footnote to the story for a good chunk. They form the background.

Verdict:

Couple Friendly is a win for viewers tired of the usual school of romance. It succeeds by treating its audience like adults. By swapping out formulaic tropes for genuine career anxieties and organic chemistry, the film delivers.

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