‘Gurtukosthunnayi’ review: Nostalgia overload

After the successful ventures of ETV Win that showcased various nostalgic tales, Gurtukosthunnayi is here with another feel-good drama based on childhood friendship, school parties, and middle-class romance. The story revolves around the protagonist Santhosh (Viraj Ashwin) and his plans for marrying his childhood crush Vaishali (Yashashree Rao). However, prior to the wedding, as Santhosh accompanies his bachelors to Goa for a vacation, he loses a part of his memory due to some mishap. Thereafter, the friend group attempts to assist him in overcoming this challenge without derailing his marriage plans. Although the show starts on a promising note, it quickly devolves into an extremely cliched and overly sentimental narrative.

The show’s main issue is its reliance on nostalgia and recycled plots. The memory loss gimmick has been done to death, so seeing it utilized in Gurtukosthunnayi was a bit of a letdown. Sure, the flashbacks featuring school days, teenage romance, and fun vacations do provide a sense of comfort, but they lack originality and do little to advance the plot in any interesting way. The show’s pacing is lazy, the conflict is underdeveloped, and the resolution feels rushed. The later episodes are simply a rehash of the same tired tropes and rely too much on mawkish dialogue to drive the story home.

Viraj Ashwin is likeable and manages to balance Santhosh’s cluelessness well, while Yashashree is wasted in the role of a woman with little complexity. The rest of the cast, including Viva Raghav, Pavan Sidhu, Godavari Gopi, Rohini Hattangadi, Sivannarayana, and Subhalekha Sudhakar, is similarly competent but not remarkable. Winod Gali maintains an upbeat and breezy tone throughout the series, but the overall lack of freshness in the concept fails to resonate. Ajay Arasada and Rehan Shaik provide adequate music and camerawork, respectively, for the show’s feel-good vibe. Despite a few pleasant moments, Gurtukosthunnayi is ultimately a forgettable show that becomes extremely cliched over time.