Category: Telugu Movie Reviews

Posted on

Custody: A Competent Cop Drama That Keeps The Viewers Invested In Spite Of Its Shortcomings

Venkat Prabhu’s latest directorial takes time to find its feet but eventually gets better as the plot becomes thicker.

Watch it for Aravind Swami and Naga Chaitanya!
Custody (Telugu)
  • Cast: Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swami, Priya Mani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji Amaren, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath
  • Writer-Director: Venkat Prabhu
  • Producer: Srinivasaa Chitturi
  • Music: Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja
  • Runtime2 hours 28 minutes

Cop dramas usually have a superhero cop who takes on an army of villains and vigilante justice is delivered. Venkat Prabhu’s Custody belongs to a slightly different space.

Here, Naga Chaitanya’s Shiva has the duty of protecting a goonda (criminal) and making sure that he is produced before the court, without any harm.

Another factor that makes Custody different from other movies of the same genre is the fact that Shiva is a constable, not a higher official. There is an underdog quality about him that makes him endearing.

Synopsis

The movie is set in the 1990s. Its opening shot is a terrible incident where 40 people die in a small town due to a gas cylinder blast. After that, we cut to the constable Shiva.

Shiva is someone who believes that human life is more important than anything else. This is wonderfully established when he rushes to stop the convoy of the Chief Minister (Priya Mani) so that an ambulance can pass.

Revathi (Krithi Shetty) is Shiva’s love interest. They both have a steady relationship for a while but there are some serious obstacles from her parents’ side.

Things take a turn with a car accident when Shiva is on the way to her house to save her from a forced marriage.

After the accident, two men are seen fighting – one is Raju (Aravind Swami) and the other is a CBI official George (Sampath Raj). Shiva ends up arresting both.

On reaching the police station, Shiva learns the true identity of Raju, a well-connected goonda with political backing. He needs to be produced at the Bangalore court in the next 24 hours to testify against some influential people.

Meanwhile, there is an assassination attempt to kill Raju before he reaches court. Shiva makes sure that the assassination attempt is not successful.

He and George escape from the police station with Raju. But IG Natraj (Sarathkumar) is hell-bent on making sure that Raju doesn’t reach the Bangalore court.

Adding to the mayhem, Revathi escapes from her house by making her prospective groom (Vennela Kishore) a bakra.

The rest of the story deals with whether Shiva is successful or not in producing Raju before the court and what happens to him and Revathi later.

Shortcomings & best moments

Custody begins engagingly. As viewers, we instantly connect with Shiva’s honesty and want him to succeed in whatever he does.

But things go haywire with the addition of the love story and also an irritating comedy track featuring Vennala Kishore.

The songs also come as major speed breakers, which is surprising, given that it is the first time that the father-son duo of Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvun Shankar Raja have worked together.

It is a step down from Ilaiyaraaja after a soulful soundtrack in Krishna Vamsi’s Rangamarthanda (2023).

Nevertheless, the plot becomes more engaging with the entry of Aravind Swami. The action set piece in the police station is wonderfully staged. Here, it has to be mentioned that, the background score is much better than the songs.

The cat-and-mouse chase involving Natraj, Raju and Shiva gives the film some of its best moments.

Another action stretch that deserves a mention is the pre-interval block involving an underwater sequence.

We see an unlikely bond developing between Shiva and Raju through the journey. This has been well-etched by Venkat Prabhu.

Impressive show by actors

Aravind Swami does a wonderful job in making sure that Raju, despite being a goonda, comes across as endearing. He also brings in some dry humour that raises many chuckles.

Much like in Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story (2021), here too, Naga Chaitanya plays an underdog and delivers a wonderful performance.

He does justice to the arc of the character which goes from a happy-go-lucky guy in the flashback to a determined young man in the present.

Krithi Shetty alternates between a typically chirpy heroine and a serious woman. She does it quite well in spite of the romantic track coming across as a hurdle.

Sarathkumar as Natraj makes for a formidable opposition.

Final take

Watch Custody for the performances of Naga Chaitanya and Aravind Swami along with some thrills.

Posted on

Agent: A Moderately Engaging Spy Thriller That Needs More Sharpness

The biggest takeaway is the impressive makeover of Akhil. His scenes with Mammootty are easily the best part of the film.

Surender Reddy fails to deliver an entertainer!
Agent (Telugu)
  • Cast: Akhil Akkineni, Mammootty, Sakshi Vaidya, Dino Morea, Sampath Raj, and Denzil Smith
  • Director: Surender Reddy
  • Producer:Anil Sunkara and Sunkara Ramabrahmam
  • Music Director: Hiphop Tamizha
  • RunTime 2 hours 36 minutes

Surender Reddy’s Agent, starring Akhil Akkineni, is closer to the space of Shah Rukh Khan’s recently-released Pathaan. The antagonist (Dino Morea)’s character in Agent is pretty similar to that of the one (John Abraham) in the Shah Rukh-starrer.

There is no denying that Akhil’s latest outing is a lavish film. There is plenty of style in how the actor has been presented along with the action set pieces.

But the movie doesn’t quite turn out to be the popcorn entertainer that it ideally should have been.

The main reason for that is the meandering screenplay. It also doesn’t help that the songs coupled with the romantic angle turn out to be major speed breakers.

Synopsis

P Ramakrishna aka Ricky (Akhil) is a hyperactive youngster with dreams of becoming a spy. However, he is rejected three times by the RAW. So, he decides to hack the system of the RAW chief Mahadev aka The Devil (Mammootty) to get noticed by him.

After some persuasion, Mahadev gives Ricky an assignment (anybody else would have thrown him out though). He also appoints him on a mission to find out what “God” (Dino Morea) is up to (God has some big plans to destroy India).

The rest of the story is about who “God” is and why he has turned into a villain. And more importantly, would Ricky succeed in his ambitions?

Akhil finally sheds his inhibitions

First and foremost, Surender Reddy deserves appreciation for presenting Akhil differently. There is certain unpredictability to Ricky in how he goes about things.

Akhil delivers his most uninhibited performance so far. There is also nimbleness to his dance moves.

Two scenes deserve a mention here – one is when he interacts with Minister Jayadev (Sampath Raj) and the other is the fight sequence before the interval. Akhil is too good in both of these sequences.

Mammootty’s Mahadev is a more serious character in comparison. This contrast works well for the scenes where they are together.

There is certain ruthlessness to Mahadev which Mammootty pulls off with his signature gravitas. In fact, at one point, audiences even feel he left Ricky to his fate in a dangerous situation.

Dino Morea as the villain gets a powerful presence, but his backstory does not have the emotional resonance of John Abraham in Pathaan. Nevertheless, the actor does make for a striking antagonist.

The supporting cast features the usual suspects comprising Sampath Raj and Murali Sharma. But none of them have anything worthwhile to do. They only increase the runtime of the film.

The drawbacks

As earlier said, Agent has a rich look. The action scenes have been designed well. Some of the action blocks are quite power packed.

For example, there is an intense chase sequence in Kashmir where Akhil is on the run.

One major disappointment with Agent is how the romantic track has been integrated into the storyline.

Sakshi Vaidhya plays an aspiring pilot and there is no place for love in her life. But later, she falls for Ricky. Her character could have been so much more, but Surender Reddy reduces her to a single-tone character as the film progresses.

The songs composed by Hiphop Tamizha are also a major downer despite Akhil’s graceful dance moves. The songs come in situations when the story least requires them.

Another problem with Agent is the backstory of Dino Morea. His reasons for going rogue aren’t one bit convincing. As a result, the audience doesn’t feel any sympathy for him when he bursts out in anger regarding Mahadev to Ricky.

Final take

Overall, Akhil Akkineni makes for a striking Agent but Surender Reddy fails to deliver a big-pole entertainer.

Posted on

Virupaksha: A Solid Thriller That Is High On Both Atmospherics And Content

Director Karthik Varma Dandu proves to be a worthy successor to his master Sukumar

Virupaksha (Telugu)                3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Bramhaji, Ajay, Rajeev Kanakala and others

Direction and story: Karthik Varma Dandu

Screenplay: Sukumar

Producers: B.V. S. N Prasad and Sukumar

Production Company: Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra

Genre: Horror/thriller

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Thrillers are one of the most difficult genres to execute for any filmmaker. The reason for that is – then the director has to ensure that audiences are constantly on the edge of their seat and keep guessing what will happen next. It becomes even trickier when the director has chosen a subject with undertones of paranormal activities concerning superstitions.

First time director Karthik Varma Dandu sets the story of Virupaksha in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The film begins off in the year 1979 where a couple is burnt alive by the villagers on the suspicion of practicing black magic. The dying couple puts a curse that the entire village will die by next Puskharam. From here we fast forward to 1991 where a series of deaths start happening. It is at this stage that we are introduced to Surya (Sai Dharam Tej). Surya is a city dweller who comes to his ancestral village with his mother and a friend.

On the way they are greeted by a crow which according to his mother is a bad omen but Surya downplays her concerns. Nandini (Samyukta Menon) is the daughter of the village head played by Rajeev Kanakala. Nandini suffers with seizures from time to time. Her health is quite delicate. Surya and his family are hosted by Savitri (Anchor Shyamala). Surya starts developing an interest in Nandini. He starts flirting with her in the typical style of Sukumar heroes. Some lovey dovey moments take place. But things take a turn for bad on the day of the main puja.

Team Virupakasha with Allu Aravind

A missing villager comes from forest in a possessed state and dies inside the sanctum of the temple. This obviously sends shock waves and an elaborate purification ritual is ordered. The priest (Sai Chand) tells the Sarpanch that the village borders should be closed. The priest further adds that outsiders should no longer remain in the village. Surya and his family prepare to leave, but half way through he has to come back to save Nandini’s life who has another seizure.

Meanwhile Nandini’s friend Sudha (Sonia Singh) plans to escape from the village with her beloved. One night she takes the plunge and leaves for the railway station. There she witnesses her lover being hit by a train. A few days later Sudha herself is found dead. In between two more murders happen. One of them includes Savitri. The rest of the story is about how all these mysteries are solved.

Virupaksha grips you from the start with the way Karthik Varma Dandu builds up the ambience. The screenplay written by director Sukumar is filled with many layers. Karthik Varma Dandu and Sukumar come up with some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Sonia Singh

Karthik Varma Dandu should also be credited for not making Surya larger than life. There are no pointless songs that deviate the audiences from the main core.

The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen adds certain eeriness to the proceedings. The sound effects are very effective in raising some genuine scares. On more than one occasion the viewers would want to close their eyes.

The twists and turns in Virupaksha engross you till the end. At no point we feel the duo has taken us for a ride. A special mention must be made of the revelation at the end. The climax punch works even more because of the way the foreshadowing has been done.

In spite of all its positives there are certain areas where the film is a little problematic, especially in portraying the children of burnt couple suspected of black magic. The way they go about their revenge using the same superstitions does not go well with the tonality of the film. Also some of the costumes worn by Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon come across as too modern for the period the film is set in.

Sai Dharam Tej delivers a convincing performance as a man who is on a mission to save his love and the village. Samyukta Menon has a meaty role and the actress does complete justice to her part. She particularly shines in the emotionally charged moments.

Out of the supporting characters Rajeev Kanakala and Ajay shine the most. Rajeev Kanakala melts your heart as a concerned father. Ajay on the other hand comes across as a breath of fresh air in his role of an Aghora. He commands the viewer’s attention with his body language and overall demeanor. Sai Chand also does a neat job in his role of a priest.

Virupaksha is a pure and honest thriller that tackles some important issues prevalent in our society.

Posted on

Shaakuntalam: An Epic Story That Doesn’t Match Up To The Expectations

Gunasekhar is successful in creating a fantasy forest world but is unable to sustain the audience’s interest till the end.

Watch it for Samantha & Arha!
Shaakuntalam (Telugu)
  • Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Dev Mohan, Sachin Khedekar, Mohan Babu, Aditi Balan, Ananya Nagalla, Prakash Raj, Gautami, Madhoo, Kabir Bedi, Jisshu Sengupta, Allu Arha, Harish Uthaman, and Subbaraju
  • Director: Gunasekhar
  • Producer: Neelima Guna
  • Music: Mani Sharma
  • Runtime : 2 hours 36 minutes

Gunasekhar’s Shaakuntalam is an adaptation of Kalidasa’s “Abhignana Sakuntalam”.

It is a significant piece of literature that has relevance even in today’s times. Some galore men ditch women on various pretexts and leave them to their fate.

Shakuntala is a woman who had not seen any world outside the ashram where she is born. But all that changed with the entry of King Dushyant.

The trials and tribulations of Shakuntala are something that resonates with women even to this day like Sita. The love story of Dushyant and Shakuntala is, of course, familiar to everyone.

The play has also seen its share of onscreen adaptions. Hence, Gunasekhar should have put in more effort to make it more engaging for contemporary audiences.

Before Shaakuntalam, he made Rudramadevi — starring Anushka Shetty — ­which was also meant to be an epic tale but the director wasn’t completely successful in his endeavour.

This is despite Anuskha’s committed performance and also Allu Arjun’s thundering presence. Unfortunately, the same is the case with Shaakuntalam.

Much like Rudramadevi, this is also an ambitious attempt but Gunasekhar hasn’t got the technical finesse or storytelling craft needed for a film of this scale.

Synopsis

Shaakuntalam begins with a brief introduction regarding the birth of Shakuntala (Samantha). She is brought up in a tapovanam (a forest of spiritual practices). It is love at first sight for both Shakuntala and King Dushyant (Dev Mohan).

Their conversations are filled with poetic dialogues written by Sai Madhav Burra. Love leads to marriage but in Gandharva style (consensual acceptance without any rituals) with the animals and Nature as witnesses.

The king gifts Shakuntala his ring as a symbol of his love and leaves for his kingdom promising to take her later. However, Shakuntala’s happiness doesn’t last for long, thanks to sage Durvasa (Mohan Babu in a short but impactful role). He condemns Shakuntala to a life of unrequited love in his anger.

As a result, Dushyant forgets all about Shakuntala on his return to the kingdom. The result is something that the audiences are well aware of.

Samantha’s show all the way

Before going into the negatives, it is necessary to talk about the positives.

The trope of love, at first sight, is one of the most overused things in cinema. Yet, Samantha and Dev Mohan make it work with their chemistry. Both actors are successful in bringing out sensuousness. The passion is very much visible.

Before Shaakuntalam, Samantha did back-to-back action roles in The Family Man Season 2 and Yashoda. Here, the actress is seen in a vastly different avatar.

She does a good job of bringing out both the naivety of an ashram girl and the stoic strength of a wronged woman. A scene that deserves particular mention is when she questions Dushyant about his inability to recognise her. Samantha is simply terrific at that moment.

Dev Mohan as Dushyant also shows a wide range of emotions. He has also got the physicality required to portray the king. He is very convincing in all his shades.

Gunasekhar deserves appreciation for how he treats the reunion of Shakuntala and Dushyant. She doesn’t run into his arms after meeting him in the end. Dushyant pleads and begs for forgiveness. The entire scene has come out well.

Shaakuntalam has a huge plethora of supporting characters but there are only a few who make an impression. Mohan Babu as Durvasa has a short role but the senior actor commands your attention whenever he is onscreen. His modulation of voice is bang-on.

Madhoo (Roja fame) as Menaka comes in the second half. Again, she doesn’t get a lot of screen time but the actress makes a solid impression.

Last but not least, Allu Arha proves to be a worthy successor to her father Allu Arjun. She is an absolute dynamite with an undeniable screen presence.

Here’s hoping that Arha continues to do films and Shaakuntalam isn’t a one-off. Her interactions with Dev Mohan’s Dushyant do bring a smile to the audience’s face.

By its very nature, Shaakuntalam is heavily dependent on VFX. The special effects are not perfect but still, they are not a complete write-off either.

The portions involving ashram life and animals have been beautifully done. It successfully transports the audience to a fantasy world.

The costumes by Neeta Lulla are absolutely eye catchy. There is nothing expensive about them but Samantha looks gorgeous.

What doesn’t work?

The biggest problem with Shaakuntalam is the TV serial treatment of Gunasekhar. His narrative style hasn’t got the brevity that is needed for a film of this nature.

The director could and should have worked more on the tribulations of Shakuntala in the second half. But instead, the film becomes more about Dushyant’s redemption.

There are some comic bits in the second half that are meant to bring a smile to the audience’s face. But instead, the viewers feel more frustration than happiness.

The demon gang led by Kabir Singh Duban does not come across as a powerful villain at any point. They end up being caricatures.

The battle scenes have zero intensity. Except for increasing the run time they do not give any thrills to the viewers.

Mani Sharma’s music and background score is good but needed to be far more impactful for a movie of this nature. “Maliika Maliika” is easily the best among all the numbers though.

Final take

Gunasekhar needs to take a break from these period dramas. Watch Shaakuntalam if you want to see some good acting by Samantha and Arha and also enjoy yourselves in a fantasy world.

(Views expressed are personal.)

Posted on

Ravanasura: Ravi Teja Comes Out All Guns Blazing In This Decent But Muddled Thriller

Lacks solid story & screenplay!

Ravanasrura (Telugu)

  • Cast: Ravi Teja, Sushanth, Anu Emmanuel, Faria Abdullah, Megha Akash, and Daksha Nagarkar
  • Direction: Sudheer Varma
  • Producers: Abhishek Nama and Ravi Teja
  • Music: Harshvardhan Rameshwar and Bheema Ceciroleo
  • Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes

Sudheer Varma made an impressive directorial debut with the film Swamy Ra Ra starring Nikhil Siddharth in the lead. It was a well-made crime comedy that received both critical appreciation and commercial success.

Later, the director teamed up with Nikhil once again for Keshava in 2017. Though it was a revenge drama it had an interesting element to it.

The element is the condition of the hero who suffers from a rare congenital disorder called Dextrocardia. People with this disorder are prevented from doing activities which results in a faster heartbeat.

In between these two films, Sudheer Varma directed two absolute duds – one with Naga Chaitanya and the other with Sharwanand.

Still, Ravanasura created a certain buzz, thanks to the title and the different presentations of Ravi Teja in the promos.

The director does deserve appreciation for how he connects certain qualities of the famous mythological character Ravanasura to his protagonist Ravindra. However, the film lacks the required punch to make it a memorable experience.

Synopsis

Ravindra (Ravi Teja) is a junior lawyer working under Kanaka Mahalakshmi (Faria Abdullah). Kanaka Mahalakshmi is a reputed criminal lawyer.

One day, Harika (Megha Akash) approaches her to take up a murder case where her father (Sampath Raj) is accused.

Ravindra falls for Harika at the very first sight. At least that is the impression that the audiences get in the initial reels. He requests Kanaka Mahalakshmi to deal with the case.

Meanwhile, several murders happen with a particular pattern. The rest of the story deals with whether Harika’s father is connected to those crimes or not and also how heroes are not always innocent.

An engaging first half

Ravanasura begins interestingly. There is a proper mix of comedy and thrills. The scenes between Ravi Teja and Hyper Adi do bring many a smile to the audience’s faces.

The entry of Sushanth as a mysterious guy makes the film more interesting.

Although the suspense regarding the killer is revealed midway into the first half itself, we will still be interested in knowing about the motivations behind these murders.

The interval bang raises expectations for a gripping second half.

The flaws

However, things fall flat in the second half once we come to know the reasons behind the murders. The proceedings soon become tedious.

The Ramayana connection has its high points but at the end of the day, it doesn’t add much.

The flashback of Ravindra is dealt with in a rather haphazard manner. As a result, it lacks the required emotional connection. Vigilante justice is also hugely problematic.

It also doesn’t help the film except for Sushanth and to an extent Megha Akash the rest of the actors are severely handicapped by underwritten parts.

Rao Ramesh in particular suffers on the account of a weak characterisation.

Ravi Teja is a real surprise

Despite the film’s many flaws, Ravi Teja does manage to hold the movie together with his solid performance.

In the comic bits, he is his usual goofy self but the actor surprises you when he has to portray the unhinged nature of Ravindra. His menacing avatar will send a shiver down the audience’s spine.

Sushanth does a good job as a prosthetics artist. His confrontation scenes with Ravi Teja have come out well.

Megha Akash has a dual-shaded role and she does a good job of portraying the contrasting shades.

Among the technicians, Vijay Karthik Kannan’s cinematography deserves appreciation. It is in sync with the dark nature of the film.

Harshavardhan Rameshwar’s background score does provide some thrills.

Final take

Though Ravi Teja gives his all, Ravanasura needs a more solid story and screenplay.

Posted on

Dasara: A Rustic Revenge Drama Bolstered By The Lead Actors’ Performances And The Atmospherics

Nani & Keerthy’s show all the way!

Dasara (Telugu)

  • Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Anant Singh, Dheekshith Shetty, Samuthirakani, Shine Tom Chacko, Sai Kumar, Jhansi, Poorna, and Zarina Wahab
  • Director: Srikanth Odela
  • Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri
  • Music: Santhosh Narayanan
  • Runtime: 2 hours 36 minutes

P Sukumar’s Rangasthalam (stage) and Pushpa: The Rise changed the mainstream Telugu cinema grammar in significant ways. They presented their heroes in a vastly different light from what the audiences are generally used to seeing.

First-time director Srikanth Odela was an assistant to Sukumar before making his directorial debut with Dasara. The hangover of Sukumar is visible in terms of how he sets up his story.

Like the above-mentioned films, Dasara also has a rustic background. In Pushpa: The Rise, the backdrop is a remote forest where the smuggling of red sandalwood is rampant.

In Dasara, it is the Singareni coal mine area. At its core, Srikanth Odela’s Dasara is a typical revenge saga where the viewers can easily guess how it is going to end.

What redeems the film is the performances and also how the young director has mounted the story.

Synopsis

The story of Dasara is set in a village called Veerlapally. The period is the 1990s.

The movie begins with the story of three childhood friends Dharani (Nani), Soori (Deekshith Shetty) and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh).

Dharani is attracted to Vennela but he sacrifices his love after learning about Soori and Vennela’s love. He also helps them in their endeavour to get married.

When everything is going hunky dory things change drastically and their lives turn upside down – all because of the politics between the two village heads.

Amidst these developments, Dharani faces a shock of his life that forces him to fight back. This is the story in brief.

Excellent cinematography & production design

The film starts in a gripping manner. The life of the three friends and the bond between them keeps you hooked.

The villagers’ addiction to alcohol in the coal mine area and the problems that come with it keep the audiences engaged.

Srikanth Odela is also successful in portraying the cultural and social specificities of that area. The case in point is the “Bathukamma” (a flower festival celebrated by the women of Telangana) performance during the Dasara festival.

A special mention must be made of cinematography and production design. Sathyan Sooryan does a splendid job of capturing the rawness of the area through his lens. Singareni Coal Mine area has an authentic feel to it.

Falters after interval bang

Much like Rangasthalam, here too, caste politics play an important role. Though the angle of caste politics isn’t as strong as in Rangasthalam, Srikanth Odela still does a fairly fine job.

The pre-interval chase sequence and the intermission bang have been expertly handled. But things stagnate quickly after the true intentions of the villain are revealed. As a consequence, things become dull.

The running time of two hours-plus feels quite heavy, particularly the elongated climax when Dharani goes on an absolute killing spree.

Santhosh Narayanan’s music goes well with the Telangana flavour. The “Bathukamma” song and “Chittu Chittula Gumma”, in particular, have been well-tuned.

Nani & Keerthy Suresh shine

As Dharani, Nani knocks it out of the park. There is no trace of the boy next door that we generally associate with the actor.

The actor just disappears into the rustic avatar starting from his body language. He portrays the many emotions with ease.

Dharani’s character has an interesting design to it. When he doesn’t consume alcohol, he comes across as timid. But when he drinks, he is completely another person.

This character trait of the protagonist has been effectively used by the director, particularly in the later portions when Dharani decides to get over his alcoholism.

Keerthy Suresh stands out as Vennela. The actress shines bright in both the light and the emotional bits. She shares good chemistry with both Deekshith Shetty at the beginning and Nani later on.

Dheekshith Shetty as the friend gives an effective performance. Although he is there only till the interval, the actor more than makes his presence felt.

The likes of Sai Kumar and Samuthirakani needed to be better used.

The same applies to Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chako as well. He has a good presence but the character needed to be more unhinged to make an impact

Except for Keerthy Suresh, neither Poorna nor Jhansi has anything worthwhile to do. They mostly don’t have a say.

Verdict

Watch Dasara for Singareni and Nani.

Posted on

Rangamarthanda: This High-Pitch Emotional Tale Is More For Those Interested In The Bygone Era

Brahmanandam is awe-inspiring!

Rangamarthanda (Telugu)

  • Cast: Prakash Raj, Ramya Krishna, Brahmanandam, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Shivathmika Rajashekar, Adarsh Balakrishna, Rahul Sipligunj, and Ali Reza
  • Director: Krishna Vamsi
  • Producers: Kalipu Madhu and S Venkat Reddy
  • Music: Ilaiyaraaja
  • Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes

There are certain tropes associated with films related to old-age parents. These clichés seem to be a must, irrespective of whatever language the film is. The younger generation is always the villain and the root cause of all their problems.

The audience is meant to sympathise with the parents even if they are in the wrong. The daughter-in-law who cannot adjust to a joint family and her need to have an individual space is looked down upon as something bad.

Director Krishna Vamsi’s Rangamarthanda (a title conferred on a skilled theatre artist) pretty much follows this blueprint. But what makes the movie slightly different is how he integrates the life of a stage artist into this familiar tale.

Through the characters of Prakash Raj and Brahmanandam, the film talks about how performing on stage is different from living a real-life role.

The retirement life of a stage artist

Rangamarthanda is a remake of the 2016 Marathi film Natsamrat starring Nana Patekar. For those who did not watch the original, the Telugu remake is the story of a celebrated theatre artist Raghava Rao (Prakash Raj).

He rules the stage for decades. He takes retirement to spend more time with his family. Though his intentions are pure, Raghava Rao is too straightforward to adjust to the changing landscape.

His unfiltered attitude often becomes a problem when he stays with his daughter-in-law and then his daughter.

Ramya Krishna is a dutiful wife who adores and walks in the footsteps of her husband.

Anasuya Bharadwaj’s Geetha is the supposedly shrewd daughter-in-law.

Shivathmika Rajashekar plays the daughter who later turns out to be a villain because of a misunderstanding.

Siddu (Ali Reza) plays a spoilt brat and an upcoming actor who has a connection to Raghava Rao in the past. He spends most of his screen time listening to the flashback story of Raghava Rao.

After Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam gets the next big part to play. He plays Raghava Rao’s best friend and a fellow stage artist.

Unlike most of Brahmanandam’s previous films, the senior actor doesn’t do any comedy here.

Brahmanandam & Prakash Raj complement each other

The best parts of Rangamarthanda are easily the portions involving Prakash Raj and Brahmanandam. Their scenes have both wit and emotional resonance.

On more than one occasion, they move audiences with their emotional acting.

For example, there is a scene where the onscreen wife of Brahmanandam dies. Sitting next to the pyre, he wonders why he can’t shed tears unlike in similar situations on stage.

Also, there is a scene in the hospital room where Brahmanandam and Raghava Rao enact a part of the “Karna-Duryodhana” play in dialogues. This scene is a treat to watch even if you are not so much into stage plays.

Prakash Raj and Brahmanandam do most of the heavy lifting as far as acting is concerned.

Brahmanandam deserves extra points for his exceptional performance because he has never done this kind of role before.

With Rangamarthanda, the veteran actor shows that he is more than capable of doing heavy roles, too.

Shivathmika Rajashekar & Rahul Sipligunj excel

The portions involving Shivathmika Rajashekar and Rahul Sipligunj are good to watch.

Rahul Sipligunj brings a certain freshness to the table with his Telangana slang. The singer-turned-actor brings a much-needed liveliness to this otherwise depressing story.

Shivathmika Rajashekar springs a pleasant surprise by more than holding her own opposite both Prakash Raj and Ramya Krishna. She does quite well as a caring daughter.

The viewers feel bad when a small misunderstanding involving her snowballs into a big issue later on.

Ilaiyaraaja’s music goes perfectly well with the mood of the film. His songs have a certain weight and add depth to the woes of Raghava Rao.

The dialogues are a bit of a mixed bag. Some turn out to be extremely preachy but there are also some gems. Not surprisingly, most of these are delivered by Prakash Raj and Brahmanandam.

Cliched and overdramatic

What considerably pulls Rangamarthanda down is the pile of clichés.

The concerns about Anasuya Bharadwaj’s character are genuinely valid but the treatment is extremely one-sided.

Another example is regarding Telugu — how speaking Telugu is looked down upon in schools.

There is no denying that everything has become an English medium but the point should have been made subtly. The school principal’s role comes across as more of an NRI villain.

Another problem with Rangamarthanda is how it looks at the inability of Raghava Rao to adjust to his new life. We are meant to sympathise with him even when he is clearly in the wrong.

Simple problems unnecessarily snowball into bigger issues. Some problems have also been added for the sake of it.

The biggest example of this is the death sequence featuring Ramya Krishna. As viewers, we don’t feel sad as it is overdramatic.

Even the end message about looking after your parents are more hammered in rather than coming as organic.

The irony of the situation is that Raghava Rao was very successful in portraying different roles on stage. But, in real life, he is unable to perform the one role that is expected of him.

Above all, at the beginning of the film, there is a monologue in the voice of actor Chiranjeevi dedicated to the senior male Telugu Cinema actors. The photos of these Telugu actors are shown as part of the commentary.

I wonder why the makers went for screen actors instead of stage actors as the film is all about a stage artist!

Final take

In a nutshell, Rangamarthanda is for a thin section of the audience. Watch it if you are a fan of Prakash Raj or Brahmanandam or if you are an avid follower of stage plays.

Posted on

Amigos: A Tale Of Lookalikes Bolstered By Kalyanram’s Histrionics

An interesting experiment on doppelgangers.

Amigos (Telugu)

  • Cast: Nandamuri Kalyanram, Ashika Ranganath, Bramhaji, and Saptagari
  • Writer-Director: Rajendra Reddy
  • Producer: Mythri Movie Makers
  • Music: Ghibran
  • Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes

Stories revolving around lookalikes usually end up being about identical twins lost at birth. But Rajendra Reddy’s Amigos is not that kind of clichéd tale of two lookalikes.

The three characters played by Kalyan Ram have nothing in common with how they have been brought up and what they do.

Additionally, one of Kalyan Ram’s characters has a mysterious aura about him. Kalyan Ram showed his penchant for choosing interesting stories with his last one Bimbisara.

In spite of the Rajamouli hangover, Bimbisara still had its own identity in how it dealt with the concept of time travel. There is a cruel and selfish king who ends up straddling two timelines.

Amigos is another different attempt by Kalyanram. Much like Bimbisara, this also lacks perfect storytelling. But still, it is worth your time.

The plot

Siddharth is a young man who runs a family business. One day, he is astonished to come across a website about doppelgangers.

On that website, he comes across two of his lookalikes — Manjunath and Michael. They meet up.

After a fun holiday in Goa, they come down to Hyderabad to help Siddharth with his love life.

The love interest here is Ishika (Ashika Ranganath), a girl who wants her husband to have superman qualities.

But things take a drastic turn with the entry of NIA. They are after one of the lookalikes. The rest of the story is about why NIA is hell-bent on catching this guy and how this affects the other two.

What works out and what doesn’t?

Amigos begins off on a slow note. The initial portions feel more like a setup and certain restlessness creeps up.

But things take a turn for the better when Siddharth meets his lookalikes.

The scenes in Goa are fun to watch. Scenes where Manjunath and Michael help Siddharth have their share of amusing moments.

The interval bang when the NIA catches up with one of Kalyanram’s lookalikes raises the stakes for a pulsating second half.

The second half is much better as there is an engrossing cat-and-mouse game between Siddharth and the antagonist. The antagonist is also played by Kalyanram.

Some tension-filled moments make the audience root for Siddharth.

The climax involving the doppelgangers is the biggest highlight of this enterprise. There is a certain joy that the audiences get when Siddharth gets rid of the bad guy.

The big issue with Amigos though is their formulaic nature in terms of the treatment. This is best reflected in the portrayal of NIA.

The NIA comes across as rather incapable on many occasions. On more than one occasion they look like buffoons. A stronger portrayal of NIA would have elevated the antagonist more.

The commercial elements of comedy, romance and action are a hit and a miss; particularly, the romance aspect.

More than the music, it is the background score that elevates the film. Ghibran provides a rousing BGM that adds to the characters, particularly in the scenes of Michael.

The remix of “Enno Ratrulostayi” deserves a mention here as it provides some relief.

The performances

Ashika Ranganath is pleasant but her character Ishika’s dreams of wanting a superman husband also come across as rather clichéd.

Amigos is mostly a Kalyanram film as the actor is present in almost all the frames. He is successful in showcasing the variations between the three characters.

He is most effective as the villain who would go to any lengths in his mission.

The actor also deserves appreciation for the distinct voice modulation in this part. His portrayal of Manjunath’s innocence also deserves appreciation.

Bramhaji is the only other actor who stands out. He has a lengthy part and the senior actor does well as expected.

Verdict

In a nutshell, this tale of doppelgangers will make you curious about finding your lookalikes even though it comes with its own set of dangers.

Posted on

Writer Padmabhushan: A Simple Story With A Lot Of Heart

Do not miss!

Writer Padmabhushan (Telugu)

  • Cast: Suhas, Tina Shilparaj, Rohini, Ashish Vidyarthi, Gouri Priya, Goparaju, and Ashok Kumar
  • Writer-director: Shanmukha Prasanth
  • Producers: Anurag Reddy and Sharat Chandra
  • Music: Shekar Chandra and Kalyan Nayak
  • Runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes

A well-made underdog story is always good to watch irrespective of which field it is set in. On the surface, Shanmukha Prasanth’s Writer Padmabhushan may appear to be just another tale of an underdog.

But it packs in some major surprises along the way, particularly the climax which the audiences don’t see coming.

The plot focuses on a middle-class family in Vijayawada. Padmabhushan (Suhas) is an assistant librarian with a huge dream of becoming a famous writer. He has already written and published his first book Tholi Adugu (First Step).

There are scenes where he often daydreams of fans squabbling to get his autograph. However, the reality is different. He gives free copies to those visiting his friend’s salon in the hope that someone will read it.

Padmabhushan’s parents – Madhusudan (Ashish Vidyarthi) and Saraswati (Rohini) – have a firm belief in their son’s abilities. Madhusudan is a clerk in a registrar’s office while his mother is a housewife.

In a turn of events, Padmabhushan suddenly becomes famous with a new book coming out in his name which, apparently, is written by an anonymous person. The person also runs a blog in his name.

Padmabhushan is initially uncomfortable but soon starts revelling in his newfound success. His personal life also undergoes a huge change with his marriage getting fixed.

But then, all these changes suddenly when the blog becomes stagnant and questions are raised about why he stopped writing.

The rest of the story covers multiple aspects. The most important among them is the anonymous person’s actual identity and why he/she is using Padmabhushan’s name.

Relatable & hilarious

Writer Padmabhushan is relatable even for those who are not aspiring writers. At the very outset, the director makes the viewers identify with the protagonist’s love for books.

Whether it is the scenes of him imagining that his book is a massive success or the scenes where he slips in his book to members of the library along with other library books making it look accidental.

The middle-class lifestyle has an authenticity to it. The family portions between Suhas, Ashish Vidyarthi and Rohini have plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

A good example of this is the scene where the entire family switches from auto to cab just to make their presence felt at a wedding.

The romantic angle between Padmabhushan and Sarika (Tina Shilparaj) begins off on an awkward note but becomes better as the story goes along.

A particular mention must be made of the scene where the two visit an almost empty theatre. There is a hilarious bit that raises some chuckles.

However, it has to be said that the love story could have been done with more plausibility in terms of how Sarika agrees to marry Padmabhushan.

The second half becomes even better with the introduction of a new character played by Gouri Priya. There is a different angle that the director brings in with this track.

The best part of Writer Padmabhushan is the climax where an important revelation is made regarding a key character. This revelation is intermixed with the film’s opening scene which takes in a government school.

The performances

Director Shanmukha Prasanth is supremely effective in conveying an important message without making it heavy-handed or preachy.

The climax cannot be revealed here for obvious reasons but it definitely adds more depth to the proceedings.

Suhas essays Padmabhushan with a lot of sincerity and is successful in carrying the film on his shoulders.

The surprise package, though, is Ashish Vidyarthi. He is someone who is generally known for his negative roles. But here, the actor plays an adorable dad which has a good mix of fun and emotions. He makes the character even more adorable with his performance.

Rohini brings a lot of warmth to her part and her performance in the final portions is particularly heartwarming.

Verdict

Despite minor blips, Writer Padmabhushan is worth your time, particularly if you want to take a break from the mega action films which, of late, have become a norm.

It is a simple movie with emotions everyone can relate to.

Posted on

Michael: A Stylish Action Drama That Is Bogged Down By Déjà Vu

Ranjit Jeyakodi michael

Substance missing!

Michael (Telugu)

  • Cast: Sundeep Kishan, Divyansha Kaushik, Gautam Vasudev Menon, Varun Sandesh, Vijay Sethupati, and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
  • Writer-director: Ranjit Jeyakodi
  • Producers: Bharath Chowdary and Pushkar Ram Mohan Rao
  • Music: Sam CS
  • Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes

Gangster films are one of the most clichéd genres in the history of Cinema, across all languages. It has been attempted in different forms, starting from the classic Godfather series directed by Francis Ford Coppola. There is hardly anything new left to explore.

However, a well-made gangster film is always exciting to watch, provided the director can bring a different dimension within the familiar territory.

Ranjit Jeyakodi’s Michael is well-mounted with a lot of technical finesse. But all that sheen is not enough to cover a weak storyline. At more than one place it looks like he wanted to make another KGF.

sundeep vijay michael
Sundeep Kishan and Vijay Sethupathi on the sets of ‘Michael’. (sundeepkishan/Twitter)

Michael is set in Mumbai in the 90s. Sundeep Kishan plays an orphan (titular role) who grows up in Mumbai.

Gurunath (Gautham Vasudev Menon) is a leading gangster in Mumbai and Michael saves Gurunath from his enemies, not once but twice. Gurunath treats Michael as his son, much to the disdain of his real son Amarnath (Varun Sandesh).

Michael quickly climbs up the ladder and soon becomes a vital cog in the circle of Gurunath. Gurunath even hands over the business of a bar to him. This bar is frequently visited by some of the worst gangs in Mumbai.

Things take a turn when Michael is assigned a huge responsibility. Gurunath gives him the task of finding out the last living member of his rival gang who wants him dead.

Michael heads to Delhi and his path crosses with that of Theera (Divyansha Kaushik). He gets close to her with a particular purpose and ends up falling in love with her, despite Theera’s repeated warnings.

However, Amarnath, who is meanwhile burning with jealousy, has his plans. The rest of the story looks at multiple things.

Is Michael successful in his mission? But more importantly what is the true motive of Michael in saving Gurunath?

The performances

Sundeep Kishan is someone who is known for a particular image. But, with Michael, the actor is successful in showing a different side of himself.

As Michael, he doesn’t speak a lot but is super effective in conveying the character’s mystery and menace through his body language.

Gautham Vasudev Menon makes for a classy antagonist. There is a certain swagger that the filmmaker-actor brings to the table.

Anasuya Bhardwaj’s role is an extension of what she did in Pushpa. But still, she is effective in conveying the anguish of a mother who has lost her son.

Vijay Sethupati and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar appear midway through the second half. They have extended cameos and the presence of these two momentarily lifts the second half.

michael poster
A poster of Sundeep Kishan’s Michael. (sundeepkishan/Twitter)

In spite of the familiar terrain, there is no denying that Michael starts well. The introduction of Sundeep Kishan and his makeover as an action hero is wonderful to watch.

Also, the interaction between Michael and Gurunath is peppered with some wonderful lines.

There are certain scenes where Gurunath reads lines books from such as “Macbeth” and “The Godfather”. This adds a certain layer to the role of Gurunath.

Even Varun Sandesh’s hammy portrayal of a jealous son keeps the audience invested.

The initial portions between Michael and Theera have a certain intrigue about them.

The romantic portions start on an unusual note and we are constantly guessing about the real motivations of Theera. But the film soon starts slipping and never really recovers.

After a point, Theera spends most of her time crying. But at no point does the audiences feel any emotional connection with her.

A major reason for that is weak writing. As a result, Theera ends up being just a prop in the larger scheme of things.

The technical crafts

The second half, in particular, tests the audience’s patience with endless action scenes.

The big reveal in the climax isn’t hard to guess as it is an amalgamation of Yash’s KGF films and Prabhas-starrer Munna.

There is also a long-drawn voiceover at the end which goes on and on.

The action scenes choreographed by Dinesh Kasi are definitely effective when viewed in isolation. But when viewed in the context of the film, they feel never-ending, particularly in the second half.

Technically, the film comes across as a polished product.

The cinematography by Kiran Koushik is excellent. Sam CS’s background score and music are also in perfect sync. They hugely contribute to elevating the scenes even though the script lets the film down.

The 90s of Mumbai have also been successfully recreated.

Verdict

This Michael has the required style and swagger but the missing element is substance!