Masala is a ridiculous film with retrograde humour imported from Bollywood's hit film "Bol Bacchan". Infact, its a remake of the same film made by Rohit Shetty. In Telugu, quite a few big names got associated with the remake - Suresh Productions, Victory Venkatesh (plays Ajay Devgn), Ram (plays Abhishek Bacchan) and the female leads, played by Anjali and Shahzad Pudamjee. Directed by K Vijaybhaskar, who was the titular head in most of the hit films enriched by the vigorous penmanship of Trivikram Srinivas.
The story is set in a village called Bhimarajapuram where Venkatesh is the chieftain who settles disputes and lords over the village folk. Posani Krishna Murali is the antagonist to Venkatesh. Into this village enter Ram and his sister Anjali, who lose their house and savings in a court dispute. Ram tells one lie after another to win the trust of Venkatesh, that he has a lookalike brother, a mother who has a lookalike and so on. The drift of the story is all stretching this absurdity further and making Venkatesh a joker in the pack led to believe all the drivel that Ram and his gang dish out. A comedy of errors is what unfolds as the story moves in garrulous overtones of cheap drama with just a few good laughs and a banal ending.
Venkatesh provides the good laughs in the film with his Butler English. Infact, that is the only saving grace of the film and but for that, most of the plot is crass and unequal to the standards of Telugu film comedy seen in recent times. Telugu film comedy is far superior to the levels of no-brainer comedy imported by the remake of the Hindi film and its an insult to the audience. Anjali, who looked so bright and promising in SVSC has a forgettable role in the film. Ram who plays the twin shades of a Gay metrosexual and an innocent youth carries off well.
Venkatesh, despite a frivolous role that doesn't elevate his stature or earmark his career with the portrayal as a village don. He pulls off a fiery performance despite the shortfalls in the characterisation. He has the best lines in the film and what he speaks in English should make this film a brand ambassador for Russell's Spoken English. Here are some of the best lines which are the only paisa vasool in the film. "Today, I want everybody down to earth." "It is not hell, it is pine apple." "Let's give her a supervise (surprise)." "What a family hysteria." (history). "I want one night stand with your family." "I suspect all religions." (respect). "Take my sarees." (sorrys). "Please pest control yourself." "Shut up in the mouth and get out of the house.". "Without interest, I trust you." "Honesty is the best mutual policy," (you mean, mutual fund or insurance policy?) "Bloody burgar take him to jail." "You are my brother in law please become my sister's umbrella." "Cat under my hand, searching the whole motherland". "This is not normal marriage sir, this is pot exchange marriage." And finally, he says,"Watch the climax in my IMAX". Jayaprakash Reddy is the only other character who fires salvos and heightens the impact of Venkatesh's faulty one-liners ("My English better than the British!") by riposting as "Horrible Sir Horrible Sir! or "Bull Shit Sir Bull Shit Sir!).
Music by SS Thaman is average and could have been better. Duration of the film is 140 minutes and but for the dialogues by Venkatesh, it would have been a tastless comedy. 2.5 out of 5.
