Sukhibavaa Movie Review : a good romantic story buried under the fluff

By Susmita Sameera



The film begins the story with two orphans who have never experienced a true sense of belonging. Their marriage gives them companionship, but it is only after the birth of their son, Vaibhav (Mahendraa Kumar), that they finally begin to feel like a family. Life seems complete until tragedy strikes, the wife dies in an accident, leaving Surya (Ravishankar Gowda) to raise their child alone.



Struggling to balance work and parenthood, Surya makes the painful decision to leave Vaibhav in a church hostel where he himself once grew up, believing it will secure a better future for his son. However, young Vaibhav interprets this as abandonment. The feeling of being unwanted stays with him as he grows up, shaping his emotional world. A line spoken by the priest at the church lingers meaningfully: love is not something one simply receives; it must be shown first. Unfortunately, Vaibhav is too wounded to understand this at the time.



As a teenager, Vaibhav becomes rebellious and careless about academics. His constant hunger for affection defines his actions. When Tara, a new student, joins his school, he is immediately drawn to her and eventually confesses his feelings. Her rejection is blunt—she sees no reason to love someone who lacks responsibility or ambition. This becomes a turning point. Taking her words seriously, Vaibhav focuses on his studies, works hard, and eventually becomes a topper during his graduation.



Yet, love continues to elude him. In college, another girl rejects him, not because of his character or intelligence, but because he isn’t wealthy. For her, success through education would take too long. Determined once again, Vaibhav goes on to earn money, only to face rejection yet again, this time from a woman who claims she doesn’t trust rich people. Each rejection leaves him more confused, as every person demands a different version of “worth,” and the goalposts keep shifting endlessly.



This emotional frustration culminates in a drunken phase, including a song sequence that broadly blames women for his heartbreaks. During one such night, a girl helps him when he is heavily drunk and, unexpectedly, confesses that she loves him. Vaibhav, however, is too intoxicated to even recognise who she is. This moment marks a narrative shift.



The second half of the film focuses on uncovering the identity of this mysterious girl, her backstory, and whether her feelings are genuine. Running parallel to this is Vaibhav’s emotional reconciliation with his father, finally addressing the long-held sense of betrayal and abandonment. These threads eventually lead the film toward Vaibhav’s long-awaited emotional closure and a hopeful, happy ending.



The core love story is relatable and thoughtfully written, making the emotional arc of the protagonist genuinely engaging. However, the film is weighed down by unnecessary distractions, extended bar scenes, repetitive drunken monologues, multiple side plots related to work, and backstories of supporting characters that add little to the central narrative. These elements dilute the impact of what is otherwise a well-conceived romantic journey.



Performances are good across the board, with Mahendraa Kumar handling the central role of Vaibhav, supported by Ravishankar Gowda, Shobraj, Mythri Jaggi, Gowrav Shetty, and Santhosh. Sushmitha Nayak and Vihanshi Hegde appear in the prominent female roles. The technical aspects are competent enough to keep the film watchable, but a tighter screenplay that trimmed the excess and stayed more focused could have elevated the film and worked better as a romantic comedy-drama. As it stands, it remains a decent one-time watch for audiences looking for a romance with emotional undertones this week.