Godfather: The Return Of Chiranjeevi

Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Lucifer was a competent political thriller within the realms of what is considered mainstream in Malayalam. Mohanlal’s charisma was one of the primary reasons that the film worked. Vivek Oberoi was also terrific as the bad guy. Prithviraj Sukumaran’s direction wasn’t flawless but still the actor director did a good job in capturing the socio-political scenario.

Mohan Raja’s Godfather on the other hand is a massier version of Lucifer. There are ample slow mo shots of Chiranjeevi accompanied by a thundering background score of S. Thaman. There are punch dialogues which are aimed to make the fans happy. But at the same time Mohan Raja makes sure that the film hasn’t got any unnecessary subplots like a forced romantic track or a crude comic subplot.

Much like Lucifer here too the political drama keeps you invested. It also immensely helps that young actor Satyadev makes for more than a worthy antagonist to Chiranjeevi, this is something which I will elaborate on later.

Godfather begins at an Interpol facility in France where a high- ranking agent hands over a confidential case of an elusive mastermind Abraham Quershi to another agent. From here we move to India where PKR, the supreme leader of a political party is no more. The death of PKR has sent the state into a crisis and a new leader must be elected. The key players in this musical game of chairs are introduced by director Puri Jagannadh making his acting debut as investigative journalist Govardhan.

Brahma (played by Chiranjeevi) is an intelligent and popular leader among the masses and is also the backbone of the deceased CM. This ideally should make him the perfect candidate. However senior leader Narayana Varma (Murali Sharma) and PKR’s son-in-law Jaidev (Satyadev Kancharana) have other plans. Additionally PKR’s daughter Satyapriya (Nayanathara) is also thrown into the mix. There is also Salman Khan in a swashbuckling extended cameo as Masoom Bai, although there is nothing masoom that the actor is doing here.

The best thing about Godfather is how director Mohan Raja sets up the plot. It keeps you hooked. There are many unexpected twists and turns regarding the supporting characters that keep you glued to the screen. The best examples of these are the characters essayed by Sunil and Shafi. Initially we see that Sunil and Shafi are working for Chiranjeevi and Satyadev respectively. However there is a twist in a tale that you don’t see coming.

The director also deserves credit for how he showcases Chiranjeevi as a mature politician. Chiranjeevi hasn’t got many dialogues but the actor still packs a punch with his eyes. His screen presence and settled performance is a treat to watch.

NAYANTHARA BRINGS A CERTAIN DEPTH TO HER ROLE.

The emotional bits featuring Chiranjeevi and Nayanathara will also move you. Nayanthara brings a certain depth to her role. It is not a part with a wide arch but it is to the credit of Nayanthara’s acting talent that you root for Satyapriya.

However the biggest strength of Godfather is easily Satyadev as the antagonist. The way he holds his own opposite Chiranjeevi is remarkable to say the least. He is the major reason why this political tussle never feels one sided.

The interactions between Chiranjeevi and Satyadev are terrific to watch. The best example of this is the jail episode where Satyadev taunts Brahma. This film should ideally open new doors for this talented actor.

AS MASOOM BHAI THE ACTOR CLEARLY HAS A BALL, EVEN THOUGH HIS FACE HAS BEEN CLEARLY DE-AGED.

The entry of Salman Khan is also perfectly timed. As Masoom Bhai the actor clearly has a ball, even though his face has been clearly de-aged. The climax fight where Chiranjeevi and Salman take on baddies is a treat for the fans.

The film has also got some well written political moments particularly in the first half. Puri Jagannadh as the investigative journalist is successful in representing those who are frustrated with corrupt politicians.

Godfather isn’t without its flaws. The second half is comparatively less interesting and the likes of Murali Sharma etc could have been used better. Also the music of Thaman is a big downer. The background score is definitely a banger but there are times where it swells too much.

Final word: Godfather is a welcome return to form for Chiranjeevi after the debacle of Acharya. It is an enjoyable political ride even if you have seen Lucifer.

Chup: A Cautionary Message For Film Critics

R Balki is someone who is known for his audacious ideas. For example in Ki and Ka Arjun Kapoor played a homemaker while Kareena on the other hand was the working woman. The film challenged the gender stereotypes. In Padman Akshay kumar’s character puts on a sanitary pad and squats several times to get an understanding about whether the pad is fitting or not. With the exception of Paa and to an extent Cheeni Kum Balki’s films have never been successful at the box office but there is no denying the ‘inventiveness’ of his films.

With his latest Chup the director goes into a very dark alley. Films about serial killers have been made in the past too. Case in point being Mohit Suri’s EK Villain and the sequel EK Villain Returns. However Balki gives his unique touch here by focusing on dishonest movie critics. The film is also a love letter to the legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt’s films, particularly his last one Kaagaz Ke Phool, a film that was panned severely at the time of its release, only to be acknowledged as a classic after the death of Guru Dutt.

Chup begins off with a gruesome murder of a film critic that begins a chain of events. This serial killer is not after all film critics but only a select few. The commonality in the killings is that all have stars etched on their forehead in the shape of a triangle. Sunny Deol plays inspector Arvind Mathur. Aravind is trying to figure out the motive behind these murders. Parallel to this you have a young entertainment reporter Nila (Shreya Dhanwanthary). She starts falling in love for her neighborhood florist Danny (Dulqer Salman). Nila is someone who is immensely passionate about films and wants to be a critic herself one day. In the beginning this parallel track may seem unrelated but soon enough you realize the importance of this subplot.

First and foremost Chup isn’t really a suspense drama as the identity of the killer is revealed to the audiences just before the interval. The focus here is more on the psychology of the killer and why he is doing what he is doing. R Balki does a splendid job in exploring the psyche of the killer (maybe he took some of his own angst here).

The cat and mouse game between the Inspector and the killer keeps you completely invested. The director gives equal importance to both the men.

The romantic angle between Dulqer and Shreya has also been smartly juxtaposed into the main plot by the director. Nila’s profession also hugely helps in this. Dulqer and Shreya share a warm chemistry, and their romance is very poetic in nature. You wish that they had a happy ending.

As earlier said the film is also homage to Guru Dutt. The many references to Guru Dutt take the story forward and make the character of Dulqer’s Danny more interesting, even though you don’t agree with his methods. The dialogues make you chuckle at several places and also leaves you thinking, particularly if you are an aspiring film critic.

The cinematography by Vishal Sinha also deserves appreciation with special mention to the scenes featuring Dulqer and Shreya.

There is no denying that Balki makes a strong point on how a critic should judge a film for the content and the emotion it evokes and not put their own biases in the review. But killing them to put the message across is taking it a little too far. At the same time you wish the director had put some focus on the community of the filmmakers and their responsibilities as well. There are some logical glitches too, for example we are not clearly shown how the killer is able to kidnap people out of their homes and kill them at different sites. Particularly given that he only owns a bicycle but these are trivial aspects that don’t majorly come in the way of the movie watching experience.

Chup has one of the most unlikely ensembles that you will ever see and each actor knocks it out of the park. Over the years Dulqer has established his niche in not just the Malayalam Industry but also in the other industries that he has worked. His role of Danny has to be the darkest character that the actor has ever played, and Dulqer delivers a stellar performance. He does a stupendous job in bringing alive Danny’s extreme fondness for Guru Dutt and why he identifies with the filmmaker so much. There is a scene in the end where he poses like Guru Dutt in Pyaasa and it is a sight that you are not likely to forget. It is hard to believe that this is the same man who played the romantic lieutenant in Sita Ramam.

Sunny Deol has played a cop in the past too but here the characterization is very different from the commercial films that he did earlier. Sunny is successful in bringing alive the honesty and the desperation of Aravind to catch the killer. The actors screen presence is solid as ever. Pooja Bhatt is also a delight to watch as the psychiatrist even though she doesn’t have a lot of screen time. The same applies to Tamil actress Sharanya playing Nila’s mother.

Final word: Watch Chup for the sheer audacity that R Balki brings to the table and also for some winsome performances.

Gargi : Only For Die Hard Fans Of Sai Pallavi

Gargi directed by Gautam Ramachandra is a khichdi of many films. Courtroom drama interspersed with an important social topic has become a genre in itself. Case in point being Surya’s Jai Bheem and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Jana Gana Mana among others. The topic of sexual abuse is also something which we have seen in films earlier too. A film becomes engaging only when a director brings something new to the table even within the familiar zone. Gautam did try to make it engaging but he did not succeed completely. One thing is sure, the twist at the end is something which knocks off your feet.

(Sai Pallavi) is a school teacher leading a decent life in Hyderabad. Her father (R.S Shivaji) is a security guard. He is accused of sexual abuse on a girl child, this girl child lives in the apartment that he works. Gargi is convinced that her father is innocent and she wants to prove it. No lawyer is ready to fight his case as everyone is convinced that the security guard is indeed guilty. At this crucial juncture an inexperienced advocate Gireeshan Kappaganthula (Kaali Venkat) steps in. Adding to the mix there is also Aishwarya Lekmi playing a typical version of cinema journalist. The rest of the story is about whether the security guard has been falsely accused or if he has actually done this heinous crime.

Gautam Ramachandra doesn’t waste any time in setting up the plot. More than the story it is the narration that pulls you in. The director does a good job in capturing the lifestyle of Gargi and her surroundings. There is no artificiality here.

The portions between Sai Pallavi and Kaali Venkat have also been well developed by the director. The way he comes forward to help Gargi has come out well. There is also some subtle humour that he brings to the table.

The director also deserves credit for creating the character of a transgender judge. Sudha S brings a certain authority to the part. She is particularly good when she gives it back to the public prosecutor after his snide remark.

One major failure of Gargi is how it depicts the media. Stereotypical representation of media has become a common feature in these kind of films, and Gargi is no different. The character of Aishwarya Lekmi doesn’t bring anything substantial to the tale. The change in her character at the end comes across as lame. There are some other supporting characters too which could have been avoided. These include the uncle character and also the boyfriend of Gargi that we see earlier on. They don’t really help in any way.

The scenes showing the childhood trauma of Gargi are rather inappropriately placed. The intention isn’t wrong but the placement is where it goes horribly wrong. Gargi gives you a sense of deja vu as Sai Pallavi’s love story also had the theme of sexual abuse.

Though Sai Pallavi essays the role of a lower middle class woman with a conviction, which by now we have got accustomed to, the theme of the film has become redundant; it might have reached its expiry date.

Hindi Biopics: A Flourishing Trend

Taking off from the previous post on Telugu Biopics, this one is on the flourishing trend of biopics on persons of significance in Hindi. Unlike the Telugu Film Industry many more biopics are made in Hindi on people from different backgrounds. The same cannot be said about mythological and maybe historical biopics. But I will come to that later.

On Women

Let us start with women biopics for a change. Bandit Queen (1994) and Godmother (1999) are two films that come to mind immediately. Surprisingly both are based on women who lived on the wrong side of law and later became politicians. While Phoolan Devi is the Bandit Queen played by Seema Biswas, Godmother is based on the life of Santokben Jadeja who is a mafia leader from Gujarat played by Shabana Azmi. The first one directed by Shekhar kapoor was internationally acclaimed. There is also an old film called Bhumika (1997) directed by Shyam Benegal starring late Smitha Patil. Bhumilka was based on a well known Marathi stage and screen actress Hansa Wadkar.

New millennium saw many more movies made on women like Vidya Balan’s Dirty Picture (2011), Sonam Kapoor’s Neerja (2016), Kangana Ranaut’s Thalaivi (2021) etc.

Dirty Picture was inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, a south Indian actress who was popular for her erotic roles. The film was a huge game changer for both Vidya Balan who played the lead role and also to Milan Luthria who directed the film. Neerja was about an air hostess who saved the lives of the passengers by giving up her life. It is Sonam Kapoor’s best performance to date. Kangana’s Thalaivi was a biopic on late actress/politician Jayalalitha. The film’s subject was powerful but the execution needed to be better.

Hindi cinema has also seen women biopics inspired by books. For example Meghana Gulzar made a film out of the book ‘Calling Sehmat’. It is Raazi (2018). This book was written by a former army man Harinder Sikha. Similarly Sanjay Leela Bhansali took a chapter from a book written by S Hussain Zaidi and made a strong film. It is Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022). Both the films have Alia Bhatt playing the lead role and both have become huge success at the box office.

On Sports

On the sports front there seems to be a galore of biopics. Chak De India (2007), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Mary Kom (2014), M.S Dhoni (2016), Dangal (2016), ‘83 (2021) etc.

 

The lesser known ones include Azhar (2016), Saina (2021) and Kaun Pravin Tambe (2022). While all these are success stories there is one film directed by Tighmanshu Dhulia about a soldier who wins a gold medal at the Indian National Games but is eventually forced to become a notorious bandit. It is Paan Singh Tomar (2010) played by Irrfan Khan.

On Commoners

Biopics on commoners include Sarbjit, Manjhi, Shahid and Padman. Sarbjit was about an innocent villager who ends up in a Pakistan jail. Manjhi was about a laborer called Dashrath Manjhi. He is famous for carving out a road through a mountain. Shahid was about a rebel turned human rights activist lawyer. Padman is about a social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham. Arunachalam is famous for making sanitary pads available at lesser cost.

Hrithik Roshan’s Super 30 (2019) is based on a real life mathematics teacher called Anand Kumar. He became famous for starting an educational program for students aspiring for IIT study called Super 30. In this genre you have also got Madhavan’s labour of love Rocketry. It is about a scientist called Nambi Narayan. He was accused of selling his country which is not true. This film brings back the glory he deserves.

On Freedom Fighters

Hindi cinema has had its share of biopics on freedom fighters as well. For example three films on Bhagat Singh came in just one year 2002. Out of the three Rajkumar Santhoshi’s film was the best. Ajay Devgan won a national award for his portrayal of the patriot. Before that Sardar based on Sardar vallabhai Patel came in 1994 played by Paresh Rawal.

In 2004 a film on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose directed by Shyam Benegal was made with the same name. In 2005 a film based on Mangal Pandey, the man who ignited the Sepoy mutiny was released. The film starred Aamir Khan in the lead role and was made by the acclaimed director Ketan Mehta. In 2021 Shoojit Sarcar made a film on Sardar Uddam Singh. Uddam Singh was a contemporary of Bhagat Singh. Late Irrfan Khan was supposed to play the lead role, but due to his sudden death Vicky Kaushal stepped in.

There are also political and army based biopics. In the political category you have ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, ‘PM Narendra Modi’ (2019) etc. Both the above mentioned fims came with a political agenda. While ‘PM Narendra Modi’ was an unabashed glorification of Modi, ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ was intentionally caricaturing the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The army biopics include Shershah and Gunjan Saxena.

Now I will expand a little on some of the more popular biopics.

1. Dirty Picture (2011) – Milan Luthria’s Dirty Picture is a landmark film in the mainstream women centric films. Silk Smitha was a south Indian actress known for her exposing roles. She was mostly playing what was then called vamp roles. The biggest triumph of Dirty Picture lies in how the director humanises the actress. The word dirty here is about the film industry and not Smitha.

As Silk Smitha Vidya completely let go of her inhibitions and came out with a towering performance, it was not just about her physical appearance, it went way beyond that. Naseeruddin Shah was also a hoot as the ageing superstar. Director Milan Luthria took several potshots at different aspects of the then southern film industry.

2.Paan Singh Tomar (2012) – Tighmanshu Dulia brilliantly captured the life of an athlete who turns into a feared dacoit. The film uses the technique of Paan Singh narrating his story in a flashback. The director did a fabulous job in capturing the rustic terrain and the significant events in the life of Paan Singh Tomar. The transition never feels Jerky.
Late Irrfan Khan delivered a rousing performance which aided beautifully to the narrative. The anguish of Paan Singh was effortlessly captured by the actor.

3. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) – Bhaag Milkha Bhaag directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra was a competent biopic on the flying Sikh Milkha Singh. Milkha Singh is a sprinter who needs no particular introduction.

Bhaag Milkha had its share of melodrama but still it is a very watchable film. Apart from Rakesh Mehra’s direction

Farhan Akhtar also did a splendid job in bringing alive the real life icon. The partition portions gave the film its strong emotional core. Farhan not only scored with his physical transformation, he also delivered a knockout punch in the emotional scenes.

4. Mary Kom (2014) – Omung Kumar’s Mary Kom had its share of criticism for Priyanka Chopra playing the lead character. There were people who questioned on why a north east person wasn’t cast. However Priyanka proved her skeptics wrong with an emotionally moving act.

Mary Kom remains the best film that Omung Kumar has directed till date. Post Mary Kom the director has delivered some embarrassing films like Sarbjit and PM Narendra Modi. The boxing scenes were a major highlight of this film. You could see the effort that Priyanka Chopra had put in. It didn’t appear fake in any way.

5. Sanju (2018) – This Rajkumar Hirani directorial was both popular and controversial. The director was accused of trying to whitewash Sanjay Dutt’s image. It was seen by a section of people as the director’s defense of the many transgressions of the actor.

Keeping aside the controversies there is no denying that Sanju was an emotional-roller coaster. Rajkumar Hirani used his trademark approach of making it both moving and humorous. Fortunately this balance worked in favour of the film.

As Sanjay Dutt Ranbir disappeared into the character completely, he nailed the different shades of the real life man. Ranbir was also aided by the terrific costume department. And of course Vicky Kaushal and Paresh Rawal made their presence amply felt.

6. 83 (2021) – The film 83 isn’t strictly a biopic as the movie is not about Kapil Dev alone but still 83 does fall in this category as Kapil Dev was the captain of the world cup winning team. Kapil had a significant role in making the team believe that they could win the world cup.

Kabir Khan made a rousing drama with ample moments to cherish. The film presses all the right buttons. You know what is going to happen at the end but that doesn’t stop you from clapping when the moment arrives. The footage of real life scenes added more heft to this heartwarming film.

As Kapil Dev Ranveer delivered an award winning performance, the best thing about Ranveer’s performance was how he captured the spirit of Kapil Dev. The film wasn’t a box office success but it is one of those films which has immense repeat value.

7. Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) – Sanjay Leela Bhansali went into a different terrain with his latest Gangubai Kathiawadi. He based his film on a chapter from the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. Gangubai film has the typical Bhansali aesthetics in how he stages the red light area of Kamatipura. There is a heartfelt soul to the film. This comes from the director’s real life observations of that area.

Gangubai was a powerful feminist tale with lot of moments to savor, case in point being the Azad Maidan speech in the second half. There were some noteworthy masala moments too in terms of how the character of Gangubai is introduced. The lighter bits also made you chuckle.

Alia Bhatt reinvented herself as an actress with this one. It is a performance which is going to be remembered for a very long time. She proved her skeptics wrong with a towering performance.

On mythological and historic persons

There aren’t many mythological biopics in Hindi. But movies on kings and queens are of course there. Some of the earlier examples of this type are the 1960 historical Mughal-e-Azam and 1983’s Razia Sultan. Out of the modern directors Ashutosh Gowarikar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali have had their share of films on kings and queens.

Ashutosh Gowarikar has made Jodha Akbar and Panipat.

Panipat was based on the war between the Maratha warrior Sadhashiv Bauv and Ahmad Shah Abdali. Sanjay Leela Bhansali made Bajirao Mastani and Padmavat. Both the directors have certainly taken ‘creative liberties’ with their films. The story of Padmavat is actually based on a poem. No historic proof exists about Padmini’s life. In the case of Jodha Akbar the romance between the two was exaggerated. In fact the Alex Rutherford book on Akbar contains zero romance.

The latest is Samrat Prithviraj starring Akshay Kumar, the film has been panned by both critics and audiences.

Just like Telugu biopics this list is not complete in anyway. I have just picked up those biopics which I am familiar with.

Telugu Biopics: Catching Up Slowly

Unlike Bollywood the trend of biopics is not so common in Telugu Film Industry. Biopics in Telugu can be broadly divided into three categories. First category is mythological biopics, second one is historical and third one is on recent persons either alive or dead. Examples of mythological biopics are films on Ramayana, Mahabharatha characters, which we have in galore and which brought great recognition and appreciation to Telugu film industry. Historical biopics include Alluri Seetharamaraju, Gautami Putra Sathakarni, Rani Rudrama Devi, Saira Narismha reddy etc. These mainly cover kings, queens, poets and famous singers etc, who are real but a century or two old. With not many details available about their life film writers seem to have taken lot of liberties in bringing them alive on screen.

The third category, that is the flesh and blood biopics, include Mahanati on Savitri, Kadhanayakudu and Mahanayakudu on NTR, Yatra on YSR etc. Some of these biopics are on commoners like Mallesham (weaver), brave soldiers like Major (Sandeep Unni Krishnan). Earlier also we had a few biopics like Mayuri produced by Usha Kiran movies. Recently RGV has also done some biopics. These are Raktha Charitra based on Paritala Ravi, Lakshmi’s NTR, Vangaveeti and Konda.

One can’t say how much of these biopics are true to the life of the persons and how much of it is fiction labeled as director’s creative liberties. Most of these biopics avoid controversial aspects of the person’s life. Some of them are huge hits, others haven’t done so well. I will confine myself to the films in the last category alone.

1. Mahanati (2018) – Making a biopic on a legendary actress is not an easy task. Savitiri is an actress with immense recall value. Generations of Telugu audiences, for that matter other audiences of south Indian languages, have a huge emotional attachment towards her. Capturing her eventful life is daunting but director Nag Ashwin made an exemplary biopic which not only won rave reviews, but also made it a money spinning venture.

Keerthy Suresh got a role of a lifetime and the actress grabbed it with both hands. The status of Keerthy Suresh changed dramatically overnight. Dulqer Salman as Gemini Ganeshan also stood tall and made the character more charming than the actual person.

Unlike other biopics Mahanati is not narrated in a linear fashion. We see her life at different stages from the eyes of a young journalist played by Samantha. The film never gets judgmental; it depicts her more as a victim of circumstances.

2. Kadhanayakudu and Mahanayakudu (2019) – Krish Jagarlamudi got the best out of Balakrishna in both these films. It was refreshing to see the actor step away from his mass characters. It is true that Balakrishna was playing his own father but still it is no easy job, considering the legend that NTR is.

The graph of the character is immense both physically and emotionally. He nailed both the attributes. He made us also cheer for the young NTR in his journey to become a big star. Similarly the emotional turmoil before NTR became a politician was also wonderfully brought out by the actor. Though the movie is crowded with NTR’s images (real and fictional) which is understandable, still director Krish managed to show NTR’s life from the perspective of his wife Tarakam played by Vidya Balan. She of course did a thorough job. Krish’s homework is laudable given the extraordinary life of NTR both as an actor and also as a politician.

3. Yatra (2019) – There is no denying that Yatra had a big political agenda behind it. It was meant to be an emotional tribute to the late Chief Minister Y.S Rajeshekhar Reddy, which it perfectly achieved. The film is not on his entire life. It covers only his Padayatra leading to his Chief Ministership. It was directed by Mahi V Raghav, a relatively new director, but did a good job.

A major reason for this film’s success is Mammootty’s performance. He has always been a great actor. And as YSR he gave one of his best performances in his career. He showcased the pain and spirit of YSR in a simple yet effective manner.

4. Mallesham (2019) – Irrespective of the controversies around the film Mallesham, there is no denying that this was a well made biopic. Priyardarshi who generally does comic and supporting roles got a promotion as a leading man.

The story of Mallesham revolved around a Padmasri award winner by the same name. Mallesham became famous for inventing the Asu machine. His motive behind inventing this machine is to help his mother played by Jhansi. The story of Mallesham was primarily about the difficulties that he faced while inventing this machine, along with the success that followed.

There were several reasons why Mallesham won appreciation. The director Raj R did a splendid job in capturing the aesthetics of the Telangana culture. The plight of the handloom weavers was also realistically depicted. Priyardarshi as Mallesham captured the various nuances of the character without missing a single beat. An aspect of Priyardarshi’s performance that stood out was his body language.

5. Major (2022) – The story of Major Sandeep Unni Krishnan isn’t an unknown one. Most of us are aware about how he died while combating the terrorists on 26/11.

But Adavi Sesh’s Major was not just about that day. It showed Sandeep as a complete human being. Adavi Sesh excelled big time both as an actor and also as the story writer of the film. His performance was brilliant both in the action scenes and also the emotional ones. We can give credit to director Sashi Kiran for not making it jingoistic though there is lot of scope for it in the story.

These are recent ones. Now I will go back a bit.

6. Sri Ramulayya (1999) – N Shankar’s Sri Ramulayya is based on the life of Paritala Sriramulu. Sri Ramulayya tells about a man who spent his life fighting for the rights of the landless poor in a very backward area of Rayalaseema.

Sri Ramulayya presented actor Mohan Babu in a completely different light. It was devoid of the typical antics that we have come to associate with the actor. Mohan Babu surrendered to the part, he came up with the best performance of his career.

7. Mayuri (1985) – Sudha Chandan’s Mayuri is one of those biopics that has aged really well. The film talks about a young college girl who becomes paraplegic after an accident. It is about how she overcomes her handicap and resumes her career as Bharatanatyam dancer.

What makes Mayuri unique is that you have the real life person playing herself instead of an actor. Sudha Chandan gave an immersive performance. She was particularly good in those scenes when the character is determined to make a comeback as a Bharatanatyam dancer. Singeetam Srinivasa Rao’s direction made it a memorable film. In a way it was a trend setter as it opened a new genre.

This list is no way complete. I just picked a few films that are more popular. Wish someone would do a more comprehensive analysis of biopics in Telugu films.

Virata Parvam: A Tragic Love In The Time Of Revolution

Venu Udulgula’s Virata Parvam has created a lot of buzz for two reasons. Along with the star cast comprising of Sai Pallavi and Rana Dagubbati, the real life story that it is based on has also added to the hype. Earlier also you have had films with the backdrop of naxalism but here you have a love story at its core. The film’s title is taken from a chapter in Mahabharata where the Pandavas had gone into exile.

The story of Virata Parvam is set in the period when the naxalite movement was at its peak. Vennela (Sai Pallavi) belongs to an oppressed caste. Vennela is heavily inspired by the revolutionary poetry written by a famous naxalite Ravanna (Rana Dagubbati). Without even meeting Ravanna Vennela falls in love with him. Vennela is so infatuated with him that she even leaves her home. She makes several attempts to meet him. In a big turn of events her path finally crosses with that of Ravanna. The rest of the story is – whether Ravanna accepts her love? What problems Vennela faced in her journey? And most importantly what happens to her at the end.

DIRECTOR VENU UDUGULA WASTES NO TIME IN SETTING UP THE CHARACTER OF VENNELA AND ALSO HER FASCINATION WITH THE POETRY OF RAVANNA.

Director Venu Udugula wastes no time in setting up the character of Vennela and also her fascination with the poetry of Ravanna in the beginning itself. But the big issue with the first half is it is difficult to buy the love that Vennela has for Ravanna. The director puts a spin of Krishna and Meera bai but it doesn’t make much sense. It is a theory which is difficult to buy in the scenario of this film.

The attempts of Vennela in reaching Ravanna take up most of the first half, as a result the audience start feeling restless. The story becomes stagnant with nothing much happening.

The film finally picks up pace when Vennela and Ravanna have a face to face conversation just before the interval. From here on the drama becomes more engaging.

A scene which deserves particular mention is the conversation between Sai Chand and Sai Pallavi. Sai Chand is once again the eternal father after Kondapolam and Fida. Sai Pallavi’s expression after the dialogue of Sai Chand is something that stays with you.
Another impactful scene worth mentioning is the one between Rana and Zarina Wahab playing Rana’s mother. Ravanna avoided seeing his mother for a long time but he finally gives in because of Vennela. The poem that he recites is sure to make the audiences emotional.

TECHNICALLY THE DIRECTOR DOES A GOOD JOB IN RECREATING THAT PERIOD. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AND THE ART DESIGN DESERVE PARTICULAR MENTION.

Technically the director does a good job in recreating that period. The cinematography and the art design deserve particular mention. But the editing definitely needed to be far tighter. Instead of two and half hours the film could have easily been just two hours.
Needless to say that Sai Pallavi is the star of Virata Parvam, as Vennela she perfectly captures the innocence and also the adamant nature. It is a role which is very much up her ally and the actress doesn’t disappoint.

RANA’S RAVANNA WORKS AS A PERFECT COUNTERPART TO VENNELA. HE INITIALLY COMES ACROSS AS A VERY STOIC PERSON BUT AS YOU GO ALONG DIFFERENT LAYERS COME OUT.

Rana’s Ravanna works as a perfect counterpart to Vennela. He initially comes across as a very stoic person but as you go along different layers come out. The actor lets Sai Pallavi hog the limelight but he also makes his presence amply felt.

Nandita Das, Priyamani and Naveen Chandra are impressive in their parts but no one is very memorable.

In a nutshell Virata Parvam doesn’t quite turn out to be the epic love story that it promised, but nevertheless the emotional second half makes it worth watching.

Ante Sundaraniki: An Entertaining Love Story Across Religions

Romantic comedies are one of the most sought genres in cinema worldwide. They fill you with a certain warmth and make you forgot about the troubles in everyday life. It is a genre which has lost some of its sheen given that you know what will happen at the end. The challenge therefore is what you bring to the table within the familiarity. Vivek Athreya takes a simple story line and peppers it with certain social topics. His non-linear style of narration works big time. The director is also helped by his in form leads Nani and Nazriya.

The film begins with an elongated background of both its lead characters. Sundar comes from a highly conservative Hindu family. You can gauge their nature from the fact that Sundar is not allowed to travel to the US. The reason being that they believe it is a sin to allow a man to cross the sea. This kind of superficial thinking makes Sundar’s growing up years very painful. Naresh plays the father of Nani (Sastri Garu). The mother is played by Rohini. In fact Sastri Garu gets his son a girl’s bike. The reason is he is worried that the horizontal crossbar would make him infertile. Sundar is also subjected to many rituals since his childhood; this makes the astrologer very rich. Like the rest of the family Sundar also comes with his own quirks. For example he stops watching movies for a silly reason. He also has a problem posing for photos.

Nazriya’s Leela on the other also comes from a very conservative family. The only difference is that they pray to a different god; Christ. Both families have a problem of mixing with people from other religious backgrounds. But that doesn’t stop the growing friendship between these two within the premises of the school. Their friendship soon grows into love. But the hitch is that neither have the courage to say it directly. What follows is a web of lies that leads to many complicated situations.

THERE IS A WONDERFUL BALANCE OF COMEDY AND EMOTIONS. THE FILM ALSO MAKES OTHER PERTINENT POINTS ON PREGNANCY AND FERTILITY AMONG OTHER ASPECTS.

A basic perquisite for any romantic comedy is that the lead characters should share a wonderful chemistry. The comfort level between Nani and Nazariya is visible throughout. As audiences you believe that their love would move heaven and earth through their barrage of almost never ending lies.

Vivek Athreya uses humor to address many of our religious biases, the jokes not only land but they make you introspect.

There is a wonderful balance of comedy and emotions. The film also makes other pertinent points on pregnancy and fertility among other aspects.

Out of the comic scenes, my most favorite ones are the interactions between Nani and Harshvardhan. They just bring the house down. Special mention must also be made of the scenes of Sundar and Leela tapping into their inner child whenever they make outlandish plans. It raises many chuckles.

THE ROLE OF SUNDAR IS PRETTY MUCH A CAKEWALK FOR NANI. THE ACTOR IS VERY MUCH IN HIS ELEMENT.

Naresh has the best role among the supporting players. The role of Sastri garu has a very good arc. He starts off as someone who is highly traditional but as we go along we see him slowly and gradually changing. Naresh does a splendid job in bringing out all these nuances. Rohini gets her one big moment in the pre-climax where she questions her husband and mother-in-law. The actress aces this scene.

The role of Sundar is pretty much a cakewalk for Nani. The actor is very much in his element. A special mention must be made of his comic timing which leaves you in splits. Malayalam actress Nazriya makes an impressive Tollywood debut. She fits perfectly into the skin of leela. Her screen presence combined with the performance stays with you.

In a nutshell Ante Sundaraniki is entertaining and emotional. It is a love story across religions without any bloodshed which is rare in these times.

F3: Keeps You Entertained

Among the younger crop of Tollywood directors Anil Ravipudi is someone who has quickly climbed up the ladder of success. From his first film Patas onwards the director has been successful in catering to the masses. His latest F3 is no different from the earlier ones. The film comes with a solo agenda of making the audiences forget the stress of real life. While F2 focused on the trials of frustrated husbands, this one talks about money and people’s greed for it. Much like F2 there isn’t much of a plot but it still keeps you entertained. There are two reasons for this; one is the conviction of the actors and two there is a method to the madness.

Venketash and Varun Tej reprise their roles of Venky and Varun respectively, but this time they are playing two individuals who are always after money. After failing to make it big they come across a video of a rich businessman played by Murali Sharma. He is looking for his lost son. So both Venky and Varun decide to go in as the lost son and inherit the crores of property. But they are not the only ones who are in desperate need of money.

Tammanha’s character also shows up at the place disguised as a male. In addition there is also the character of Vennala Kishore. He is brought there by Rajendra Prasad who has his own motive. The rest of the story is about who the actual son is and what happens to these characters.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3pelriJ6Acs%3Ffeature%3Doembed

A major strength of F3 is the entertainment quotient. Venky suffers from night blindness and Varun has stammering issues. A lot of the film’s humor comes from these two aspects (though it is incorrect to draw fun of these disabilities) Comedy is not something new to Venkatesh. It is something that he has always been good at. Here too the actor brings the house down with his comic timing. There are many inside jokes that make you chuckle. A particular reference must be made to the scene where he talks about his problems to a raging bull. Tears come out from the eyes of the bull after hearing his story. Raghubabu playing the sidekick comments that you can make not just the families but also animals emotional. This is in reference to the family man image of Venkatesh.

F3 IS NOT FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A PROPER STORY AND LOGIC. IT IS FOR THOSE WHO WANT A FULL ON MASALA FILM WITH ENTERTAINMENT PACKED AT REGULAR INTERVALS.

In the climax there is an instance where Venkatesh dresses up as Narappa. When Varun asks him about this get up. The actor says that this is for my fans as Narappa didn’t release in theatres.

Varun Tej also gets his share of funny moments. The mannerism that he uses to cover up his stammer raises some chuckle worthy moments.

There is a moment in the climax where Varun Tej dresses up as Vakeel sab and beats the villains. It is one of those inside jokes that bring a smile on your face. Much like F2 here too the chemistry between Venkatesh and Varun Tej is on point. The supporting cast has many players and most of them make their screen time count. Sunil and Ali in particular stand out. Murali Sharma’s serious avatar is in complete contrast to the other characters. In the pre- climax you have an unexpected twist and also an important moral lesson on people’s greed for money, and the things that it makes people do.

One of the things that stick out in F3 is the character of Sonal Chauhan. Her character falls in love with Tammanh thinking he is a male. These portions weren’t at all needed. Also the characters in Tammanh’s family are unnecessarily vilanised. Their greed for money is portrayed with a judgmental tone unlike Venketash and Varun Tej’s

In a nutshell F3 is not for those who are looking for a proper story and logic. It is for those who want a full on masala film with entertainment packed at regular intervals.

Jayeshbhai Jordaar: A Social Comedy With An Overwhelming Sense Of Familiarity

Divyang Thakkar’s Jayeshbhai Jordaar is what you get if you grind Ayushmann Khurrana’s formula of social films and also some Akshay Kumar ones like Toilet Ek Prem Katha.

The director takes up the issues of female infanticide and superstitions among others, he narrates it through the lens of entertainment. Even when the film moves into a dark zone the narrative style doesn’t lose its core.

Jayeshbhai Jordaar is definitely a breadth of fresh air among the spate of biggies like RRR and KGF 2. However you just wish that the director had paid more focus on the development of some characters, case in point being Shalini Pandey’s Mudra. It looks like the actress had hopped from the sets of Arjun Reddy to this one. Shalini tries very hard but the mostly one- dimensional character coupled with the forced Gujarati accent makes it hard to sympathize with her.

Ranveer Singh and Shalini Pandey play a young couple living under the thumb of the overbearing elders. They have to bow down to whatever the elders say, and this includes a sex determination test too. Jayeshbai’s father is sarpanch Ram Lal (Boman Irani). His character is very reminiscent of those politicians who think that woman wearing short clothes leads to rape. There is a bizarre scene where Ram Lal bans soap to protect the ladies. Siddhi (Jia Vaidhya) is the daughter of Jayesh and Mudra. Ratna Patak Shah plays Boman Irani’s wife. Both Ram Lal and his wife want Mudra to deliver a boy who will carry forward the lineage. There is also a subplot involving a village in Haryana. The people in that village want help as it is an all- men’s village. The sex-ratio is terribly skewed. The rest of the story plays out like a road movie with Jayeshbhai desperately trying to save his wife. The daughter Siddhi is Jayeshbhai’s biggest support.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fppJtxJ7RWY?feature=oembed The best part of Jayeshbhai Jordaaar is how the director maintains the character of Jayesh. Jayesh is a timid person who cannot oppose his father publicly, but he still stands up for his wife on many occasions making sure that she doesn’t get hurt. There is a scene early on when Jayesh is asked to beat his wife by Ram Lal. The reason being Jayesh’s sister is being abused in her martial home. Mudra’s brother is the husband of Jayesh’s sister. Jayesh closes the door and creates a charade that makes Ram Lal and his wife think that he is beating Mudra severely.

Jayeshbhai is someone who relies on his brains and not fists. At no point Ranveer turns into a Salman Khan of the Tiger series.

Ranveer’s scenes with Jia Vaidhya are the soul of Jayeshbhai Jordaar. Ranveer shares a far better chemistry with Jia than he does with Shalini Pandey. There are occasions where Siddhi behaves more like an adult but it still works. Jia Vaidhya is a definite a fire cracker in her role.

The sub plot involving the Haryana village is also smartly integrated into the narrative. The comic scenes are also quite good. A particular mention must be made of the scene involving the black cat. It is hilarious.

Ranveer Singh has always been one of those actors who brings something new to the table.

As Jayeshbhai the actor delivers another terrific act. His role here is a far cry from the flamboyant Ram that he played in Ram Leela, that was the last time that Ranveer had played a Gujarati.

One big minus of Jayeshbhai is that a majority of the supporting actors are mere gap fillers. Even someone like Ratna Pathak Shah doesn’t get much to do. There is a transformation which happens toward the end, however it is too sketchily written for you to buy it.

Boman Irani is appropriately menacing but the one note characterization gets tiring after a point. His character also gets a makeover eventually, but again it is difficult to buy it.
The hangover of films like Toilet Ek Prem Katha and others are very visible. As a result there is a sense of déjà vu that creeps in.

Musically there is not even one song that you would remember which is sad given that banners like YRF and Dharma are known to deliver popular soundtracks irrespective of the quality of the films. Jayeshbhai Jordaar has an important story to tell but a sense of familiarity plays the spoilsport here.

Puzhu: A Gripping Psychological Study

Superstars playing characters with negative shades isn’t very common. Even if that happens an attempt is made at the end to sanitize the character. Generally things take a turn towards the climax. However debutant director Ratneena’s Puzhu is a different beast altogether, there are no redeeming qualities thrust on Mamooty’s character, neither have you got any quick whitewash. For much of the film you experience a combination of fear mixed with revulsion, it is akin to what the son Kichu (Master Vasudev) feels towards Kuttan. Essentially Puzhu is a character study of an unsympathetic guy through the lens of social, political and cultural degradation.

Mamooty plays a police officer called Kuttan. He is a widower who stays in a posh apartment along with his son Kichu. Kuttan has an overbearing nature that suffocates his young son. The son at times wishes his father to be dead; Kuttan starts to feel that someone is trying to kill him. He starts developing paranoia. This paranoia is further accentuated by the arrival of his younger sister Bharati (Parvathy Thiruvothu) who comes to stay in a nearby flat along with her husband who is a theatre artist. The husband name is Kuttappan. Kuttan shares a problematic equation with Bharati. The reason being she had eloped with Kuttappan. Kuttappan comes from a lower caste. This is just the synopsis of Puzhu, can’t reveal anything more since there are many more layers to the story.

Puzhu has many complex layers starting with how the character of Mamooty has been written. Rateena doesn’t waste any time in establishing Kuttan. From early on we understand that Kuttan has deep hatred for those who belong to different communities and castes. You also understand that his parenting skills need a serious change over. It is not just unhealthy but it also borders on child abuse. His handling of the son is akin to the way he would handle a criminal.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/276aSWaJ7gM?feature=oembed However there are certain moments in the film which make you empathize with Kuttan. There are scenes in the film where he tries to connect with his son after Kichu openly rebels against his father. There are also a few occasions where Kuttan draws out laughs. For example there are scenes where he keeps visiting a suspect every time he escapes an attempt on his life. The lighter scenes are few and far in between but they momentarily relieve the otherwise tense ridden drama.

Mamooty is an absolute revelation in his part. The way he generates hatred just through the twitch of his eyes is simply remarkable. The senior actor once again shows why he is considered as one of the legends of Malayalam cinema along with Mohanlal. He captures the various nuances of Kuttan without missing a single beat. Mamooty does all this without going overboard even for one bit.

The characters of Bharati and Kuttappan are mostly side players but they have their share of moments too. Parvathy in particular shines as Kuttan’s warm and still hopeful sister.

Special mention must be made of Master Vasudev as well. He stands his own and manages to not get overshadowed, this in spite of sharing screen space with Mamooty and Parvathy.
The element of theatre also plays an important part here. A comparison is drawn between Kuttan’s situation and an epic play performed by his brother- in law. This angle adds more heft to the film.

Watch Puzhu for the subject matter and also the terrific Mamooty.