Once More Movie Review: Once More begins with a hero who seems to have already exhausted his ability to feel. Raghuvaran, played by Arjun Das, is emotionally withdrawn and almost functioning on autopilot when Anjali enters his life. Played by Aditi Shankar, she is everything Raghu is not — expressive, energetic and almost aggressively optimistic.
Director Vignesh Srikanth builds the film around this contrast, and for a large part of the first half, it works. The trouble begins when Once More starts explaining how Raghu became this version of himself. The flashback gives the film its emotional core, but it also pushes the romance towards increasingly familiar territory.
Once More Movie Review: What Is The Arjun Das-Aditi Shankar Film About?
Raghuvaran is carrying the emotional remains of an old relationship. He works, speaks to people and gets through his days, but there is little warmth in the life he is living. Then comes Anjali, his college junior, who falls for him almost immediately.
She is aware that her behaviour could look like an attempt to “save” a damaged man, and the film is self-aware enough to acknowledge that dynamic. But Anjali refuses to let Raghu’s silence dictate their relationship. Their contrasting personalities become the foundation of the first half. However, loving Raghu also means confronting the person he used to be, and that is where Once More begins moving backwards to explain his heartbreak.
Arjun Das Shows Two Very Different Sides Of Raghuvaran
Arjun Das is easily the film’s strongest element. The present-day Raghu appears tightly controlled. His clothes are formal; his body language is stiff and even his smiles seem incomplete. When the story introduces the earlier version of Raghu, the change is immediately visible. His appearance becomes more relaxed, his expressions open up and the heaviness disappears. It almost feels like watching two different men.
The contrast works because the audience already knows what this happier Raghu eventually becomes. Arjun Das manages both shades convincingly without overplaying either. The film also allows him to move beyond the brooding characters audiences often associate with his deep voice and intense screen presence.
Arjun Das And Aditi Shankar’s Chemistry Gives Once More Its Warmth
Aditi Shankar gets the more outwardly colourful role. Anjali talks freely, reacts quickly and possesses the kind of relentless enthusiasm that can either charm someone or completely exhaust them.
Aditi plays that energy naturally, while her pairing with Arjun Das gives the first half much of its appeal. Their chemistry is not dependent on elaborate romantic scenes. Instead, it comes from the imbalance between them.
Raghu appears almost allergic to emotional enthusiasm, while Anjali constantly pushes against the walls he has built around himself. That push-and-pull keeps their scenes lively and makes the present-day romance feel more engaging than the complicated relationship that follows.
Why Does Once More Become Messier After The Interval?
The film changes considerably once Raghu’s past takes centre stage. The flashback cleverly reverses the dynamic established earlier. The man Anjali is now trying to bring back to life was once himself far more expressive, romantic and hopeful. That is an interesting structural choice.
The problem is that the past relationship gradually moves into familiar romantic-drama territory. The North Kerala portions look pleasant, and Sona Olickal’s character adds emotional conflict, but the screenplay increasingly depends on misunderstandings, insecurity and frustrating decisions. Some viewers may enjoy that messiness because it reflects the emotional chaos of the relationship. Others may find themselves wondering why the characters repeatedly make situations more difficult than they need to be.
The film clearly wants that frustration to be part of the experience, but after a point, emotional confusion begins replacing genuine complexity.
Sona Olickal Adds The Film’s Most Complicated Relationship
Sona Olickal has the difficult task of playing a character audiences need to understand without necessarily agreeing with. Her insecurities and emotional baggage explain some of her choices, but they do not always make those choices easier to accept. That tension is intentional.
Once More avoids turning her into a straightforward villain and instead attempts to show how two people can damage each other even when neither enters a relationship intending to do so. Still, this portion stretches longer than necessary and slows down the momentum established in the first half.
Once More Uses Visuals And Music To Show Raghu’s Emotional Change
One of the film’s better touches is the way Raghu and Anjali’s personalities are reflected visually. Anjali exists in brighter spaces and wears more colourful outfits, while Raghu initially appears restricted by muted styling and tightly arranged clothes. The difference becomes even clearer in the flashback, where Raghu looks freer and more comfortable. Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music complements these changes well. His score gives the lighter romance warmth while adding a more poetic quality to the flashback portions.
Once More Final Verdict: Is It Worth Watching?
Once More works best when it focuses on Raghuvaran rather than the mechanics of its romantic conflict. Arjun Das delivers a sincere performance and convincingly creates two versions of the same man, one who once loved freely and another who has withdrawn after heartbreak.
Aditi Shankar brings the required energy to challenge him, and their chemistry gives the film its most enjoyable stretches. The second half is deliberately messier and emotionally more complicated, but it also becomes increasingly familiar and occasionally repetitive.
Vignesh Srikanth’s film may not reinvent Tamil romance, but strong performances, Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music and a compelling central character prevent it from becoming completely predictable.
Rating: 3/5
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Sunny Singh is a Journalist and Content Writer with a strong affinity for Bollywood and Hollywood insiders, music and more. Somewhat of a writer and poet himself, he thrives on giving life to words and deliver all you need to know about the entertainment sector.
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