Couple Friendly Review: Romance Works, Drama Falters
Sarkar Rating: 3/5 Release Date : Feb 14, 2026
Cast
Santosh Soban, Manasa Varanasi, and others.
Crew
Director : Ashwin Chandrasekar
Producer : Ajay Kumar Raju.P
Music Director : Aditya Ravindran
Cinematographer : Dinesh Purushothaman
Editor : Ganesh Siva
What Is the Film About?
Shiva (Santosh Soban) and Mitra (Manasa Varanasi) are two youngsters struggling to find their footing in Chennai. A chance meeting brings them together, and one thing leads to another, eventually pushing them into a live-in relationship. Like every modern couple, they face differences and conflicts. What exactly drives the wedge between them and where their relationship finally lands forms the crux of Couple Friendly.
Performances
Santosh Soban fits the role of an unemployed, directionless youth perfectly. His portrayal of frustration, helplessness, and quiet emotional turmoil feels effortless. Dialogue delivery—one of his long-standing strengths—works strongly in his favour yet again. The emotional stretches in the latter part of the film are handled with sincerity, even when the writing doesn’t fully support him. While the performance earns appreciation, it also leaves one feeling that it deserved a stronger narrative backing.
Manasa Varanasi complements Santosh Soban well and looks completely at ease in her role. Her chemistry with the lead actor is the film’s biggest strength. Even routine or predictable scenes are elevated by their natural rapport. Together, the pair manage to keep the film afloat for most of its runtime, despite limited support from the screenplay.
Analysis
Writer-director Ashwin Chandrasekhar presents Couple Friendly as an urban romantic drama with a grounded setup and a familiar conflict. The Chennai backdrop, use of language, and effort to maintain authenticity make the film feel refreshingly rooted. The first half unfolds smoothly, though it carries a strong sense of déjà vu—be it the hero’s career struggles, the organic meet-cute, or the live-in arrangement.
That said, the characters slowly grow on the audience. Several moments between Shiva and Mitra are well-written, and the actors’ chemistry makes these interactions genuinely engaging. With light conflicts and a naturalistic tone, the first half remains decently engaging and sets expectations for an emotionally rich second half.
A narrative tension is built early on, hinting at an impending twist. Alongside, a family angle is gradually introduced to heighten the drama. Both these threads come into play in the second half—but this is where the film stumbles. The twist feels forced and predictable, and its execution lacks the organic flow seen earlier. Parallels to a not-so-recent Bollywood film are hard to ignore, further diluting the impact.
Despite earnest performances, the emotional beats in the second half feel manufactured rather than earned. The sincerity of the attempt remains intact, but familiarity and artificial drama prevent the film from fully delivering on its promise.
Performances by Other Actors
The narrative largely revolves around the lead pair, leaving little room for supporting characters. Actors like Rajeev Kanakala and Goparaju Raman, playing parental roles, do what’s required but are let down by flat, one-note characterizations. Yogi Babu appears briefly and is serviceable, though his role adds little to the story. No supporting character truly stands out, but none are miscast either.
Music and Technical Aspects
Aditya Ravindran’s music and background score blend well with the narrative but lack memorability outside the film. Cinematography choices give the film a modest, low-budget look, with limited big-screen appeal. Editing is functional, though tighter pacing—especially in the second half—could have helped. Ultimately, stronger writing was needed to make the emotional moments truly resonate.
Verdict
Couple Friendly works best when it focuses on its lead pair and their naturally performed romance. The first half is engaging and authentic, driven by strong chemistry and grounded storytelling. However, an artificially introduced and predictable twist weakens the second half. Despite its flaws, the film’s sincerity and honest approach make it a passable watch, provided one is willing to overlook its narrative shortcomings.
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