Manamey

Manamey is an 2024 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Sriram Adittya. It was produced by People Media Factory and Ramsey Studios Production. Based on the 2010 American production, Life As We Know It, it features Sharwanand and Krithi Shetty in the lead roles.

It was released on 7 June 2024 to mixed reviews, but was a commercial success grossing over ₹21.50 crore at the box office

Plot
Vikram is a happy-go-lucky youth who is doing his masters in the UK. One fine day, he gets a call from India that Anurag, his close friend and classmate from London, has passed awayin a fire accident along with his wife. Vikram heads to India and is forced to become the caretaker of his friend's son, Kushi. The same happens with Subhadra, a close friend of Kushi's mom. The young couple become the guardians of the two-year-old in the UK and starts a new life. While Vikram is a very careless person in life, Subhadra adores Kushi. How this unique couple shed their differences and take care of the little kid is the basic story of the film.

Production
The film was initially announced with the tentative title #Sharwa35 on occasion of Sharwa's 39th birthday on 6 March 2023, but only received the official title, Manamey, on 6 March 2024. Approximately 80% of the film was shot in London, but some portions were also shot in Bangkok, Shankarpalle and Hyderabad. On occasion of Krithi's birthday on 21 September 2023, the team released a character look poster. Sharwanand reportedly finished his schedule in September. Principal photography was wrapped up on 24 October 2023. The film's title was officially released with a first look glimpse on 6 March 2024, while the teaser was unveiled on 19 April.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack and the background score were composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab, in his maiden collaboration with Sriram and Sharwanand. This is Wahab's third Telugu film after Kushi and Hi Nanna (both 2023). The soundtrack was recorded at HW Studio in Kochi.

The first single titled, 'Ika Na Maate,' was released to the public on 28 March 2024, and expresses both the significance of being single and the character of the hero. The song also features various locations in England, including: St Mary Redcliffe, Leadenhall Market and Brighton Shelter Hall. The second single "Oh Manamey" was released on 25 May 2024, and showcases the pleasant moments between the hero and his love interest. The third single "Tappa Tappa," which was a wedding song, was released on 30 May 2024. The fourth single "Boom Boom" was released on 6 June 2024. The remaining singles were released as part of a jukebox on 8 June 2024. The film's soundtrack possesses sixteen songs in total.

Theatrical
Manamey was released in theatres on 7 June 2024.

Home Media
The post-theatrical streaming rights of the film were acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film was released in Telugu language and dubbed version in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada languages.

Critical response
Balakrishna Ganeshan of The News Minute gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Amid the surge of violent action films that promote misogyny and sexism, Manamey offers a delightful package of no-judgement entertainment". The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "In conclusion, Manamey is a delightful blend of romance and comedy, with a touch of emotional drama, making it a pleasant watch. Avad Mohammad of OTTplay gave 3/5 stars and wrote,"On the whole, Manamey is a feel-good romantic family drama that has some endearing moments in both halves".

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote, "Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music is the lifeline of Manamey but on several occasions, the background score preempts every move and amplifies emotions without a pause. Occasional moments of silence wouldn’t have hurt. In any case, his melodies cannot make up for the lacklustre writing". Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "It also left me wondering, why are we so reticent to explore the emotional aspect of plotlines such as this. Why do we only choose melodrama without emotional context?"

Box office
In the first three days, the film has collected a total gross of ₹8 crore in the home market (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India). After ten days of the release, the total worldwide gross of the film is ₹17.80 crore.