Review: Couple Friendly – Decent romantic drama

Movie Name : Couple Friendly
Release Date : Feb 14, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Santosh Soban, Manasa Varanasi, and others.
Director : Ashwin Chandrasekar
Producer : Ajay Kumar Raju.P
Music Director : Aditya Ravindran
Cinematographer : Dinesh Purushothaman
Editor :  Ganesh Siva
Related Links : Trailer
Santosh Sobhan pinned all his hopes on his latest outing, Couple Friendly directed by Ashwin Chandrasekhar. The movie stars Manasa Varanasi as the female lead. The movie hit the big screens with paid premieres and let’s see how it is.
Story:
Siva Sai Prathap a.k.a. Siva (Santosh Sobhan) is a budding interior designer who moves to Chennai in search of a project. He works as a bike taxi rider to make ends meet until he gets a breakthrough. On the other hand, Mithra (Manasa Varanasi) lands an IT job but goes through a tough phase as her offer letter is yet to be released. How the two cross paths and become an important part of each other’s lives forms the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
The best part about Couple Friendly is that the director comes up with relatable characterizations for the lead pair, which makes viewers connect instantly with the film. The struggles faced by youngsters before landing a job are something many can identify with, and all these scenes are neatly written.
The hero and heroine meet because of the tough situations they are caught in, and from this point, the film becomes even more adorable. The way the lead pair cross paths, the manner in which they grow in their lives through combined effort, and how they eventually fall for each other while living under one roof — all these elements are beautifully showcased.
The first half is filled with many tender moments that leave a pleasant smile on our faces. Santosh Sobhan does a very good job as a youngster who strives hard to earn money. The male protagonist’s life is portrayed as miserable, and the actor effectively translates it onto the screen.
Manasa Varanasi is the show-stealer of Couple Friendly without an iota of doub. The actress delivers a fabulous performance as Mithra, and it is one of the finest female lead portrayals in recent times in Tollywood. It’s tough not to fall in love with her magical performance, and she is surely a talent to watch out for.
The lead pair share wonderful chemistry, which makes the proceedings even more engaging. Yogi Babu does well in the supporting role. Others do what is expected of them. After the lead pair, the music stands out in this romantic saga.
Minus Points:
The second half turns heavy unexpectedly. Though handled decently, the main development in the plot is introduced abruptly, and the emotional transition could have been smoother. It’s not that the second hour isn’t good, but it could have been even better.
Since the first half was filled with tender moments, those expecting the second half to stay in the same zone may feel slightly disappointed, as the emotional scenes make one leave the hall heavyhearted. This is something the trailer did not prepare viewers for beforehand.
Technical Aspects:
Generally, when a Telugu film is set in a non-Telugu-speaking region, we see the native characters conversing in Telugu. Thankfully, Couple Friendly gets this aspect right, as we hear Tamil in most of the scenes, giving the film an organic touch.
Shooting in live locations in Chennai is another great decision by the team, and cinematographer Dinesh Purushothaman does a brilliant job. The music by Aditya Ravindran is refreshing and takes the beauty of Couple Friendly a few notches higher. The editing is mostly fine.
Director Ashwin Chandrasekhar does a neat job. He delivers a simple tale filled with likeable characters, cute romantic moments, and decent emotions. The decision to use different aspect ratios to differentiate the timelines is good.
Verdict:
On the whole, Couple Friendly is a decent romantic drama led by solid performances from Santosh Sobhan and Manasa Varanasi, backed by relatable characterizations. The music is pleasant, and the director also does a satisfactory job. The first half is youthful with tender moments, but the second half turns heavy with sudden tonal shift, and the emotional transition could have been handled better. If one expects the latter half to carry the same vibe as the first, they might be slightly disappointed. That said, Couple Friendly can be given a try for its realistic approach.
123telugu.com Rating: 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team 
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