A section of the Telugu audience find Sai Pallavi's roles to be too melodramatic. In Thandel, she plays a village woman who is in a long-distance relationship. She sorely misses her boyfriend when the latter is away because of his occupational demands. In the process, she ends up looking morose and forlorn.
In Love Story, too, Sai Pallavi played a dramatic role because of the demands of her character. It was not a rom-com but a romantic drama. In Gargi, the actress played the daughter of a middle-aged man who committed a crime. She had to channel pain and reflect it on her character's face. In Amaran, last year's blockbuster, she played the widow of a martyr.
Critics of Sai Pallavi point out that she can't be hated for picking roles most other star heroines wouldn't be inclined to take on. Keerthy Suresh must be the only actress who would have happily opted for films like Amaran and Gargi. The audience wouldn't have watched the likes of Samantha and Nayanthara in those roles. Sai Pallavi has been doing the heavy-lifting.
