“Janata Garage” (Telugu Film Review)

Koratala Siva is a director who believes in making meaningful commercial films with an underlying message. His previous films “Mirchi” and “Srimanthudu” have met with huge success even if the initial response has been slow to muted. What sets him apart from the usual mongrels directing commercial films is the unhurried pace of narration, and honesty in story-telling. Even the audio tracks of his films released have a touch of this honesty. Many times, the audience keeps guessing on the order of songs in the audio CD because the makers juggle the order of songs. But from the film “Mirchi” onwards, Koratala Siva insists the songs on the catalogue appear in the same order they appear in the film – that’s quite remarkable. It is proof of the director’s intent to never cheat you – either by meaningless side-shows or flippant comedy for the sake of it. How does Janata Garage fare? First half of the film sizzles with good romance, towering performances, great songs and impactful scenes. But the second half loses its way after a brilliant scene in a government office starring NTR Jr. and Rajiv Kanakala.

For NTR Jr. the film is one major step in the right direction – of moving away from lineage-heavy dialogues and mass-image roles – of becoming a metrosexual, uber cool actor who will pack a punch with subtlety and method acting. He excels in his dances and gives another career-best performance by staying true to the mood of his role as a nature-lover and environmental activist who tames villains. The best part of NTR is he takes a backseat in few crucial scenes to elevate the Superstar Mohanlal wherever he needs to – right from titles (where Mohanlal’s name appears) to the last scene of the film (where again Mohanlal finishes off). In a film with mighty starcast from Mohanlal to NTR to Saikumar to Sachin Khandekar to Samantha and Nitya Menen, rarely do you find the hero’s introduction delayed by 21 minutes after the film starts.

The story is not new: Mohanlal is a self-made repairman who builds a giant garage called `Janata Garage’ in Hyderabad repairing all wheeled vehicles. He also attends to the worries of people and hence the caption “All things repaired here” which brings his troop of men in direct conflict with a billionaire called Mukesh (sounds eerie, right?). NTR, on the other hand, lives in Mumbai with his uncle Suresh’s family pursuing his interests in nature conservation. Destiny and family history eventually brings NTR into the portals of Janata Garage but there are some hidden sources of conflict from within which pull the story. Even though the story is familiar, the treatment and the characters built into the story build it out for a watchable though predictable narrative  - something that is bereft of regular formula stuff.

What pulls down the film is the second half with a heavy dose of violence, an item song (that is avoidable and deplorable) and monotonous. It smacks of lazy writing and momentary lapse in clarity that pulls the graph dramatically lower than the feeling you get at interval time. A lot of ends which could have got tied up in the second half hang out loose – the character of Samantha who cutely tailgates NTR in the first half peters out, Suresh and Sitara who doted on NTR never come back in his life again, the environment activist in NTR who is so vocal in the first half goes to sleep once NTR takes up the causes of JG in the second half…It is things like these which make the 162 minute film a little less savory than a four-course meal, it is okay to skip the desert but don’t take the breads away from the table, the audience may ask. However, what redeems the film is the measured characterisation of the principal and side actors in the film – Mohanlal, NTR, Sachin Khandekar, Unni Mukundan (as Mohanlal’s son), Saikumar, Suresh, Rajiv Kanakala, Ajay and Bhargavi. 

Of all, the surprising elevation comes from unexpected characters like Rajiv Kanakala and the subtle romantic track between Ajay and Bhargavi. Rajiv’s character also elevates the crux of the message that Koratala Siva wants to spread through the film about principled and integrity-based living. Ajay’s characterisation leaves you with a heavy heart. Almost all the rest of the pack from Saikumar, Suresh and Sachin Khedekar make their moments of impact on screen. Unni Mukundan, the Malayali actor who plays Mohanlal’s son stands out with a good performance that shows calibre – there are shades of the film “Shakti” (Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan) in the way his role develops. Interestingly, Sachin gets to dub his own voice in Telugu whereas Mohanlal (who dubbed himself for “Manamanthaa”) borrows another baritone for his role. Of all the roles, Mohanlal’s role is consistent throughout the film – he stays in the zone of a comatose, good Samaritan and can fire up a lighthouse without even a twitch on his chubby cheeks, his eyes have that magical power. Even the way he takes to stunts ought to be a lesson for NTR and other macho heroes – you don’t need to bash up baddies till they crumble like nine pins, you just need a symbolic fight once, the rest is banality. That’s what makes the film a bore in the second half. After a dramatic fight by NTR showing the five elements of nature in a demonstrative fight with the baddies, he keeps using his brawn instead of brain in the second half to tame the villains which dilutes the intensity of the original character – a cardinal mistake.

On the whole, the film dazzles in technical departments – dialogues, cinematography (Thiru), music (DSP) and set design. Thiru’s cinematography is great but if greatness is all about showing “yellow” colors oozing out of every frame, then the eye clamors for more. Music by DSP is just about apt both in the BGM and songs – he uses silence more at crucial screen moments which build a subtle tension in the film. The song, set design and choreography in “Apple Beauty” make it a visual treat to watch with B&W images of fallen motifs from modern wonders of the world. The song showing a nature trek by the hero and the two heroines Nitya and Samantha can ensnare anybody into love for nature and serenity. Had the editing been sharper in the second half, this film would have got a blockbuster status but for that to happen, the excessive stunts, the item song on Kajal (what a waste!) and a few dragging scenes should have got mercilessly chopped. NTR’s twelve minute oration in the Government Municipal office will become the most famous scene in his career and that itself is a paisa vasool scene for me which can rebuild foundations of a moralistic society in a corruption-free India.

Finally, one needs to assess this film differently despite scant comedy, lack of fan-hungry entertainment, incomplete romance or a lousy climax. In the past, class directors used to get atleast a dozen films or more to establish their credentials as makers with a different idiom and style and who are here to stay. Nowadays, the directors get only two or three films to establish what they stand for and how they mould their film templates. Koratala Siva has established himself as a meangingful director in just three films – and despite flaws, deserves praise for making a film worth watching once. NTR Jr. too is directionally moving correctly towards a mass-affluent image and this film underlines that intent one more time after “Naannaku Prematho”. He may have erred on the overall finishing of the plot because he doesn’t have the benefit of a mega family where about half-dozen people hear a script before okaying it with more modifications. But that doesn’t make the film less worthy. It can be watched with family too.

Rating: 3/5

"Shivam" (Telugu Film Review)

My review of "Shivam":

http://www.telugu360.com/shivam-predictable-and-long/

When DSP Met Superstar Mahesh, again

On the choices of music composers by the ruling Superstars. An analysis over the years:

http://www.telugu360.com/when-dsp-met-superstar-mahesh-again/

"Srimanthudu " (Telugu) : A Film Review

My review of Srimanthudu:

http://www.telugu360.com/srimanthudu-a-touching-family-drama-with-a-message/


 

Interview with Rama Jogayya Sastry

My interview with Rama Jogayya Sastry:

http://www.telugu360.com/i-never-felt-pressure-writing-for-a-superstar-ramajogayya-sastry/

 

"Srimanthudu" - Audio Review

My review of Srimanthudu Audio:

http://www.telugu360.com/srimanthudu-a-good-balance-of-melody-and-rhythm/

"S/o Satyamurty" (Telugu Film Review)

The much-awaited film from ace director Trivikram starts out with an ominous censor certificate that puts the movie length at 162 minutes. You expect plenty of fireworks because the starcast itself calls for a Tollywood party - Stylish star Allu Arjun, Kannada Superstar Upendra, Mollywood cutie Nitya Menen, Samantha, Rajendra Prasad, Sampath, Rao Ramesh, Ada Sharma, Sneha, Sindhu Tholani, Vennela Kishore,  Kota, Brahmanandam and of course, late MS Narayan. With that kind of a starburst and the scale of budgets of a generous producer like Radhakrishna, one would expect Trivikram to deliver a blistering output that will glow on screen. Instead, what you get is a not so entertaining stuff and despite a lavish extravaganza and touchpad characterisation - the persona of the film slips and something  pulls down the rating of the film in the wake  of Trivikram’s celluloid capabilities.

Get it straight, there is nothing wrong with the film or the plot or the characterisation. The story itself is narrated first like a trailer of thirty seconds with visuals cut and pasted across the length of the film and then winds its way back to the inception. Anand (Allu Arjun) is the son of Satyamurty (Prakash Raj) with a networth of Rs.300 crores. Prakash Raj dies in a car accident and the world of Anand and his family of brother, his mother and himself is turned upside down. They lose the crores because half the net worth is leveraged or no, half the networth is in equity shares or wait, there is a land parcel. Whatever the rigmarole, Anand sells the assets and pays the dues disregarding the advice of Rajendra Prasad (friend of Prakash Raj) to dupe the public and make away with the debts. Because of the values that Prakash Raj instilled in Anand and because of the goodwill of his father, Anand takes the onus of repaying all the debts by fair means. And he embarks on a journey - first to earn something to pay off his niece’s school fees. This journey takes him on voyage of self-confidence as he gains good name wherever he goes - Rao Ramesh who breaks the marriage of Allu with his daughter Ada Sharma, Samantha who gets smitten by his level-headedness in giving up three hundred crores. Destiny takes him to Rajendra Prasad again because his daughter Samantha  is in love with Allu (Anand). Anand now enters into a bet with Rajendra Prasad to get original title deeds of a property in the custody of a quasi-government authority Upendra who heads dozens of villages and maintains an army of 600 (Looks like double the number of “300”) and marry his daughter. Upendra has another daughter Nitya Menen - and there is a twist in the tale but that comes after  a lengthy characterisation. On the whole, the story despite a complicated structure is not inexplicable. It is just about a young man who is determined to keep the reputation of his dead father high long after he’s gone  and how he succeeds thanks to a strong set of values imparted by his father.

What helps the film is the framework of story-telling with utmost dignity and class. Performance by Allu Arjun breathes life into many listless moments of canned jokes and quotations and the pet peeves of Trivikram on middle class moralities and values. His dancing skills are outshined by his emoting this time - using variety of accents and impressive one-liners, Allu Arjun packs quite a punch. Upendra with a baritone voiceover by Ravi Shankar makes his formal screen appearance after interval and gives an electrifying performance - something steals the thunder from everybody including Allu Arjun. His character has the X factor that elevates the second half despite everything else coming unstuck. Rajendra Prasad whose chemistry with Allu Arjun worked in “Julayi” extends that in this film with greater length and impact. He gets many genuine laughs especially the scene where Ravi gets killed while eating lunch with Upendra. Rajendra Prasad gets the best one-liners in the film. Samantha doesn’t have the depth in her acting to supplement the over-dosage of giggly vivacity she gave us since her first film. Nitya Menen has been grossly under-utilized and she gets short shrift in every frame  - at the cost of Samantha. Since Nitya’s next film is a Mani Ratnam release, this role is neither fulfilling nor memorable. Prakash Raj - whose character is the reference point for the entire movie and climax hardly gets to speak. His dialogues must be about half a page, Trivikram could have highlighted more instances of what made Prakash Raj such a principled man - you could have built a few scenes highlighting him because the message kept ringing that he was a man who stood for public good through Anand but not from Satyamurty himself. Others like Kota Srinivas Rao and MS Narayan have a handful of impactful dialogues. MS Narayana, especially brings out tears with his hug with Rao Ramesh - it’s a pity he died while shooting for this film. The result: dubbing for MSR is done by- someone else. Brahmanandam’s character has become ad nauseum - again, demand for a “Bakra” and all that. There has to be a saner way to bring Brahmanandam to life. If one has laughed heartily in the film  - and that happens in 3-4 scenes, it is not always with Brahmi on screen.Sampath is wasted. Fights by Peter Heins are well-composed: the fight with water hosesand the one in Upendra’s house stand out for their variety. Music by DSP is not in the same league of Trivikram’s or Allu Arjun’s earlier films. All songs are mass beats or fast beats. 

What undermines the film is the length - you could knock off forty minutes and still convey the kernel of the message. Trivikram has, for the first time faltered in this film. IN his bid to make an intelligent film, he lost his sharpness and clarity of thought. It is not clear how the Rs.300 crores networth ended up, how  it shrunk the lifestyle of the hero, what the company’s business is that suddenly skyrockets the valuation to ten crores, what is the connection of property papers lying with Prakash Raj and the business he is in. There is title justification but if only Satyamurty’s character is illustrated well, more key messages of relevance to today’s youth would have registered; it is important to inherit the values more than the assets of your elders. For a long time, Allu keeps mouthing clever aphorisms from Ramayana and Mahabharata which bore you like a vegetarian meal without salt and sambar. In spite of the load taken by the hero in preserving his dead father’s goodwill, there are inconsistencies in Anand’s character. He uses a short cut to fabricate stamp papers at the behest of his friend, he doesn’t reveal to Upendra first that he is not in love with his daughter but with someone else. There are inconsistencies with Upendra too - for twenty years, everybody except his wife knows his super-violent streak - that is highly implausible. Treatment-wise, the film is burdened with the same  genres that Trivikram likes to deal with. If you take “Julai and “Atharintiki Daaredi”, and mix them up with a bigger starcast, you get the experience of “S/o…”. Trivikram has mellowed in his aggression in violence and his story-telling is still a pretty above-average throwback to the old movies of B&W era where producers and directors collaborated with a mission to deliver quality films  - high in production values and high in morality. In fact, if you take many of Trivikram’s dialogues which have received dizzy heights of popularity, there is an undercurrent of old movies’ one-liners which are repackaged with modern makeup. For example, “Luck has come to give you a shake hand but Misfortune has jumped the gun to give you a lip-lock kiss.” Or something to that effect. These kind of dialogues were dime a dozen in old Tollywood films but Trivikram’s copywriting approach has sharpened the wordiness - despite sounding repetitive. He will also use one or two Telugu words which are incomprehensible to the current generation who ceased to have Telugu as their third or even optional language in curriculum. For example, in this film just like “Ayimoolagaa (Or Diagonally)” used in “Jalsa”, he uses “Manovarthi” or “Manovyatha” in the context of divorce. He creates that spark of curiosity to learn a word or two in Telugu which is lost on today’s generation. But if he has to take his story-telling to the next level, he has to prove his mettle lies beyond assembling an army of artistes, giving stars a good push, and trying genres different from each other. Otherwise, the dangers of familiarity will breed contempt. This film is alright in frames and conveys a compact story but there is no extra factor or layering in the screenplay or characterisation that makes you watch his movies again and again  - hoping to catch a new glimpse every time. He has the spark to move out of comfort zone - this movie should be a wakeup call to move out of that comfort zone in making films that test new genres and content delivery; he has the grip on narration, sense of good cinema with appeal for family audiences - even if he forgot to entertain much in this film - but he has to concentrate on more aspects than verbosity that got him massive fan base. “S/o…” finally ends in a climax that surprises you and despite a rocking first half, it leaves many things unanswered and a big void in entertainment that he forgot to fill. You can watch it once with many lags and drags but don’t bet on this film becoming a blockbuster.

Rating; 3/5

#S/oSatyamurty #AlluArjun #Trivikram #Tollywood #MovieReviews #Upendra #MSNarayana

"Yevadu" (Telugu) Film Review

RamCharan strikes back. And he strikes gold with a sure-shot winner in "Yevadu" - a high octane commercial potboiler from Dil Raju. "Yevadu" has been the most-postponed film in recent times and with the release syncronising wih Sankranti today - his film might fare better with the festive audience longing for family drama and simple entertaining fare. Is the film different? Not different from the commercial fare - same old stunts and bone-smashing violence, item girls and cussed duets with cute girls. Infact, the film is longer too with 166 minutes of typical masala fare with a surfeit of villains  - Saikumar, Kota Srinivasa Rao, etc. Then what makes this watchable. Its the plot with a unique cinematic twist that comes in the first half hour and then again at interval block. I do not want to spoil the fun for your viewing experience by telling you the story. But suffice it that, Ramcharan takes off after half hour with a trail of sequences left by the other cameo star Allu Arjun in combating regular villains until a routine revenge drama takes over. 

Director Vamshi Paidipally weaves a simple story with a Shakespearan twist which gives an excitement in watching. Intermixed with loads of comedy from Brahmanandam on lines you have seen him before, the film takes off with good narration, characterisation and screenplay leaving the hero without any romance in the first half. Infact, much of the romance is on the side of villains with a new girl before Shruti Hasan takes over in second half. It is quite a typical commercial fare but novelty in treatment makes it eminently watchable. I believe the storyline with a twist is invested into by Vakkalanka Vamshi (the effervescent ETV newsreader of an era) and director Vamshi. Music by DSP has been the most hummable in this season and atleast two songs are chart-busters already. BGM score amplifies the emotions and the peformances well. 

Allu Arjun and Kajol Agarwal create a looming presence for themselves by selecting a role that gives them their own space in a film dominated by Ramcharan and Shruti Hasan. Dialogues are quite classy even if they occasionally hark back to vainglorious family fame. It is the violence that makes you squirm which doesn't usually have Dil Raju's sanction as he prefers everything toned down to family melodrama. First half is better than the second half because of tighter grip on narration and screenplay. Since everything adds up to the climax in the second half, director had brought in lot of elements and formula points for Ramcharan fans post-interval. That gives you some predictable and boring moments. If Tollywood continues to make films in this format, it may not get us anywhere in creative highs, but it will continue to ring in cash registers. Ramcharan improves his poker face and looks tidier and portly. He dances well and sustains himself in both the flashback and the first half. He doesn't grade his storylines well enough to select different films and infact uses regressive methods to taste success at Box Office like use of excess violence,  old comedy fare, over-mention of family tree and dynasty, and tried emotions. This time, the elements of family drama, revenge, emotions of mother-son sentiment and power-packed action with a unique twist could ensure a sustained run at the box office for "Yevadu". It should be the first hit of 2014 and could wipe out the deficit of the ten-odd films released so far. My rating for the film for its surprise thrill and watchability despite cliches is 3.25/5

"1- Nenokkadine" (Telugu) Film Review

Director Sukumar has made some of the most intelligent films in commercial genre  - "Arya", "Arya-2", "Jagadam" and "100% Love". His films usually have an air of native touch with intelligence, wit and comedy that sticks well. Coming from the background of a Mathematics lecturer, there is a lot of sprinkling of concepts of logic, puzzles,algebra and mathematical induction running undercurrent to the main storyline which is usually romantic in most of his films where he tries to weave abstract themes into a cogent story. "1-Nenokkadine" is another film in that genre except that the director forgot to entertain us and also thought Mahesh Babu will not mind doing a role that pigeon-holes him into one of the most boring characters of his career. 

The story appears to be copy-pasted from some foreign film where a boy Gautam (played by Mahesh's real son Gautam) grows up with half-registered memories of his loving parents being killed by three villains on a trip to Goa. The boy grows up to become Mahesh who has an acute "Integration Disorder" which is a simpler term for "Schizophrenia" where Mahesh gets hallucinations about the three villains who killed his parents -  Kelly Dorjee, Pradeep Rawat and Nazar. He books himself solid everytime with the police only to be found out that his acts are unreal or sometimes real. These get him into close contact with a TV journalist played by debutante Kriti Salon. Both of them fall in love and the scene shifts to London where Mahesh unearths more clues about his parents - he eventually finds out the villains and the truth about his parents and why they were killed. Is that all the story? It's a bit more complicated than that as there is an angle of GM foods and seed companies using Hydrogen Cyanide in crops. Then there are three kinds of clues of Rubik's cube, a locker key and a 1992 British coin which finally lets Mahesh go and find out the truth about his parents. 

While the story appears ingenuious it is circuitously told without any respect or sensititivity towards an audience who have never been trained to think logically, linearly and sometimes abstractly - all at the same time. Sukumar must have always taken more additional sheets during his examinations, and this film is also unusually long at 169 minutes which collapses so many things in one plot that it reminds you of too many films - "Ek Niranjan" (where the hero hunts for his parents), "A Beautiful Mind" (where the hero is schizophrenic and solves cryptic clues), "Nenu" (where the hero talks to himself as if his wife is around) and "Athidhi" (which was a disaster for Mahesh because he does nothing but brood).  A film like this can be fitted better into a graphic novel or a page-turner instead of allowing itself to run like a multi-grain bread gravy-train which is running on too many engines. It failed to register - there are atleast seven brilliant clues which are too fleeting to notice. (I missed two of them which my wife, a Maths teacher could easily catch). Then a lot of repetitive scenes and surreal stunts take the thunder away; only two  stunts, one  in Goa waters and another in tunnel road where the hero skids off under a car that is skidding off in the opposite direction, stand out. Comedy is nil and the lose lines that Posani Krishna Murali mutters get you no cheers. Mahesh gets louder laughs than others when the joke is on his hallucinations. 

Mahesh looks fab and fitter than before - he seems at ease in dances with a few groovy moves. By baring his torso and his skin below the neck, Mahesh has proved a point or two. His stunts are becoming mediocre and implausible - there is no emotion or build-up of adrenalin. It is just one risky jump after another with the acrobatic guidance of Peter Heins. One of the stunts post-interval look like a repeat of "Dhoom-3". At this stage in his career, Mahesh needn't prove his mettle in mindless stunts but look to enhancing his market-cap by doing entertaining scripts because thats what draws out the best family crowds. In this film, there is not one scene which gives a high to Mahesh in upping the ante in acting, emotions or comedy. By picking a plot which keeps him serious throughout, Mahesh has erred on the same side which took him back with films like "Athidi". Incidentally, "Athidi" was produced by UTV and "1" is produced by Eros International apart from the producers who gave us "Dookudu". 

Kriti Salon as the tall journalist who stalks Mahesh and later becomes his lover is a promising fresh face. She looks ravishing, cute and is able to hold on her own against the persona of Mahesh. Her character is the most clearly etched one in the whole film. Nazar has few good lines and tried to do an image change by playing the main villain. Usually, he plays Mahesh's dad or a relative so playing a villain has pulled down the emotional connect both have had in several films. Music by DSP is great in background score but falls flat in main songs. The song in Goa with Kriti Salon wooing Mahesh and the one that comes immediately after interval are well shot. Dialogues are below-par and contribute their bit in making the audience uneasy. The lack of clarity and consistency in screenplay mar the film throughout. One, the title is not justified. You don't know whether it is about superstardom or aloofness. Two, the director misses out that audiences don't come to watch movies to solve puzzles in Sankranti season. It's harvest time for many not exam time. Three, Sukumar is overawed by Mahesh so much that he is blinded by admiration. In the first half, there is a bike parked by an ATM user flinched by Mahesh  - the number says AP 09 MB 1. Again, he drives another car where the number is AP 09 WZ 1. Why does he have to show stranger cars as no.1 that Mahesh likes to drive? Lastly, a lot of gaps in tight narration make the story-telling hazy and lazy. The gamble taken by Mahesh also is risky because Sukumar has ruined the film with over-worked story, hazy screenplay and scant disregard for entertainment value.  Which makes it one of the forgettable films in Mahesh Babu's career. 

My rating: 2 out of 5.

"Atharintiki Daaredi" (Telugu) Movie Review

"Atharintiki Daaredi" is a smashing film power-packed with terrific performances by Power Star Pawan Kalyan, Nadia, Rao Ramesh, Brahmanandam, MS Narayana and Ali. It is definitely the most awaited film of the year because it involves star director and ace wordsmith Trivikram who can make the screen dance with his style of comedy, emotions and words that stir your senses. After a long drought since Ravi Teja's film, Tollywood's magic comes back with "AD" and credit must go to the entire team that made a family entertainer dripping with action, comedy, romance and emotions. 

"Atharintiki Daaredi" is a familiar phrase in Telugu which is played with babies held up close in arms - it begins with a few poetic lines and ends with an affectionate hug that tickles the baby. The film also oozes out the ticklish tone filled with one man's quest to find a place in the hearts of the people residing in his paternal aunt's home in India.  Siddhu (Pawan Kalyan) is the heir to a billion dollar industrial empire in Milan, Italy run by his father (Mukesh Rushi) and grand-father (Bomman Irani). His grand-father has become a vegetable on a wheel-chair but his only wish in life is to see his daughter who he threw out of his home because she dared to marry someone despised by him. That couple, Nadia and Rao Ramesh, now live in India with a huge family and their pretty daughters - Samantha and Praneetha. Pawan Kalyan vows to get his aunt back to see his grandfather. How does Pawan Kalyan charm the household by first masquerading as a Chauffeur and later on, as Siddhu as his aunt already knows is the story with a narrative that runs like a non-stop comedy show with a rich assemblage of characters  - the usual characters seen in a Trivikram film except two missing members - Tanikella Bharani and Dharmavarapu Subramanyam. A major plus is the music by DSP, almost all the songs including the one sung by Pawan Kalyan are hummable with high melody score, one song that shows DSP on screen with Pawan borrows the kinky style of Ilayaraja in one "Charanam".

Trivikram has returned to a thorough family theme that shows only the non-invasive villainy for the sole purpose of showcasing Pawan Kalyan in some fabulous stunts. Otherwise, the film doesn't have villains in a conventional sense, most of the screenplay is between the central characters of Pawan Kalyan, Nadia, Rao Ramesh and Bomman Irani. That's a healthy comeback for Trivikram because that puts him miles ahead of the rest of the pack of directors who tend to be caught up with crass commercial sensibilities. A Tollywood film today runs on few pillars  - narrative that runs with a straight bat, comedy that fires on all fours, characterisation that can run its full course with consistency and distinctiness for each principal and peripheral character that shows up as minutes pass, screenplay that ties you to your seat, technical mastery over the aspects that make up the medium- cinematography, shot selection, logicality, editing, aesthetics and of course, music. Besides all these, dialogues that sync so well with the many worlds we live in daily life. In almost all these aspects, Trivikram has been a pro who is at the peak  and this film is a fine showcase to all those who want to see him taste mega success. The thing with Trivikram, I noticed from his first film (Is that a film with actor Suresh, "Praarthana" or Venu ("Churunavvutho"?) that he has this ability to weave a narrative with a built-in thermostat that guides when to explode and when to stay under a leash, it is almost like a sleeping volcano that erupts only at the cusp of a major twist or defining moment of the story. Even if his filmography in the earlier films have been occasionally nativised adaptations from Hollywood films or best-seller novels ("Manmadhudu" was a Mel Gibson film, "Athadu" was a Sylvestor Stallone film, "Nuvvu Naaku Nacchaav" was a Ben Stiller film; try google out yourselves), his films have a shelf life that ensures repeat magic on successive telecasts on TV or your own DVD re-views. In this film, Trivikram falters only with editing  - he might have had constraints in chiselling huge portions which do not add value like that club song with Mumtaaz or those long Brahmanandam tracks which could have got shorter to make a point. Clearly, 169 minutes is a bit long even if the director, to quote his own words in the film hasn't told a "story of Ben Hur in Burra Katha format". 

Trivikram has ensured every character in the film gets a line that makes them stand out. For a change, he has breathed new life into the characters of MSN and Ali. Nadia as the title character "Athagaaru" has given a stylish and dignified performance making her role one of the most nuanced "Aunt" roles in Telugu Cinema, never once loses class in her portrayal. Rao Ramesh gives another well-articulated performance, he and Pawan Kalyan together get the best lines of the film, but more on Pawan later.  Brahmanandam's performance is sometimes puerile sometimes garrulous but overall just-above average. His best laughs come in the elongated skit of Ahalya, Gautama and Indra. Between Samantha and Praneetha, Praneetha has a better screen presence and looks more gorgeous even if she appears in one song. Samantha will fade out faster than a one-trick pony at this rate of exposure, pun unintended, even if she is a lucky mascot.

Pawan Kalyan seems to have a magical chemistry with Trivikram that sets the screen on fire. As a practioner of Vipassana meditation, martial arts and Zen Buddhism, Pawan has shown a lot of class, effort and style in this role with a body language that's a hit with his fans. His dialogue delivery has been a unique trademark that pack a punch in every scene, of course penned by the director; he seems to have outgrown some of his whimsical mannerisms as he gets quite comfortable under the skin of roles of a lover boy, responsible heir and a star performer amidst other comedians. His dancing skills, surprise, have also improved considerably even if he chooses to uncomplicate his movements, its a sign of a maturing actor who is aging but at peace with his world and his body chemistry. If "Jalsa" has been voted one of the best all-time Telugu hits, then "Athaarintiki Daaredi" will be another feather for Pawan Kalyan because his contribution if the film does well will be huge. Obviously, he has developed as an actor a quixotic mixture of non-chalance, innocence, poise and confidence that can sometimes ooze out more doses but so what if the fans like him. He has experimented with choking scenes in "Teenmaar" and he repeats more in "AD" which will connect with families well. In quite a few scenes of "AD",  like in "Jalsa", Pawan shows a repertoire of improvisations in acting that make him an explosive actor almost impossible to predict. His stunts have always held out a special charm because he is a warrior of sorts in real life too. In this film, Peter Hein composes stunts but the best stunts come later, the first two stunts are wasted. There is a jingle thats already popular sung by Pawan Kalyan himself in the film thats uproarious and electrifying that comes at a particular climactic comic scene with Brahmanandam. 

"AD" bears the stamp of Trivikram and the magic of Pawan Kalyan and makes it a riot  that will make it one of the most watched family entertainers ever. It is generally clean, upholds the traditions of entertainment of Trivikram  (even if some themes recur from his earlier films) and gives a rich treat of wholesome family fare. The triumph of this film will ensure directors and producers pay special attention to family themes. At a time when Telugu pride is wounded and at an all-time low, this is a proud showcase for a fun-filled, chimerical entertainer that makes you cry and laugh out loud.  My rating: 4.25/5

"Singam 2" ("Yamudu 2") Telugu/Tamil Movie Review

I watched "Singham" in one of the 2355 screens world-wide.  Thats a staggering number indeed - something that no Tollywood hero has ever achieved so far. Speaks of the all-pervasive appeal of Superstar Suryaa and Kollywood across global audiences.  His films combine action, intelligence, entertainment and a dominant theme that usually make a mark - something that interests film-makers outside Kollywood attracting the likes of Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn. Given the high bar of expectations, therefore, "Singham" created an unprecedented buzz. The buzz started off with an early warning that seemed a little ominous: the length of the film. That's killing: 2 hours 46 minutes 13 seconds. You expected better stuff from the makers of "Singam": because it is a sequel in the most authentic manner - it starts off chronologically at the same point where Prakash Raj gets killed by Inspector Narasimham (Suryaa) in the last plot. 

Inspector Narasimham is under-cover this time to detect why stuff is getting imported via Kakinada port. He is appointed by Vijay Kumar in a top-secret operation that even the top cops do not know. Narasimham works unbeknownst to all including his parents, his girl friend Anushka as an NCC guard and gathers details about two gangs operated by Mukesh Rushi and Rahman who peddle drugs via Danny, an International Drug Cartel Ganglord. The first half is all about establishing the links to this deadly nexus between criminals, romantic tracks between Suryaa and Anushka (two-sided) and between Suryaa and Hansika (one-sided from the girl). Santhaanam sprinkles his sparkling comic sense throughout the film, especially enriching the entertainment value in the first half. The block on interval comes with Narasimham deciding to take charge as DSP of Kakinada as criminals run amok and the gang-leaders tighten their grip. Until this point, the film is gripping and intense, intelligent and entertaining. The gradient of entertainment drops off after that and never returns to give you that wow factor which you need in the climax to make a film a blockbuster. 

What are the highlights of the film? Undoubtedly, performance by Suryaa - he looks the most complete cop ever - suave, stern and gentle at the same time and a body that today's policemen in higher rungs don't have - abdomen made of concrete and an exterior that even Hollywood Superheroes can't fake. Next, Santhanam's comedy which has now reached a colossal status - he seems such a vast improvement over the loud Tamil comedians that were never a match for the iconic Comedian galaxy of Tollywood films. What is helping Santhanam who seems to be born with a poker face all the time is the lines that his writers write for him - they are worth a million buck. Vennelakanti has written solid lines for both Santhanam and Suryaa. "Vayasu lo figuru, Vayasayaaka Shugaru.." is just one of the many fabulous mouthfuls that Santhanam gets to speak with uproarious laughter. You don't really need a Vivek in a film that has Santhanam tickling you. Infact, this film shows Santhanam better utilised than any Comedian used by a Tamil Superstar so much in recent times. It seems a tactic borrowed from Tollywood's heroes. DSP's music is just apt for the moods and oompish songs of Singham brand. Director Hari's team has created a good dancing groove that may become as famous as Gangnam style - thats Singam style. Anushka  and Hansika look good in their roles - Anushka should switch from her brand of Yoga to Pilates and Aerobics in order to look slimmer in future. 

What mars the film is the length, as mentioned earlier. You don't need to establish the sincerity of an upright police officer in a sequel but Director wastes some footage in creating scenes that re-establish the character of Singam. Stunts could have been more intense and less frequent. Dubbing care has gone for a six in the film which was better handled in recent years thanks to Producers who have their ears to the ground.  Most of the film is short in a coastal town which is supposed to be Kakinada in Telugu but the editor's slip shows it as Tuticorin, most street shots still show Tamil signages. Chennai Airport is shown as Rajahmundry Airport, Kochi Airport is shown as Hyderabad Airport, pincodes of Kakinada don't add up at all and the sea coast of Kakinada can't hold a candle to the magnificent beaches of Tuticorin. Even the police station of which Suryaa is the  lion-king loosely shows the portraits of Sardar Patel and Netaji  - it looks more of a deliberate intent than a best practice amongst police stations in India. Chief Minister's Peshi shows Anna Durai, Kamaraj and others of a state from where it is dubbed from. Loose ends like this haven't been seen in a long time  - with some careful makers who eye Tollywood as much as Kollywood market. While the plot builds up to an intense crescendo at interval time, it fails to register a good finish in the second half with a dragging story and a weak climax. But the first half alone is enough for a watch-once recommendation, embellished by the performances of Suryaa and Santhaanam and glamor quotients of Anushka and Hansika. Rating: 3 on 5.

"Mirchi" Telugu Film Review

“Mirchi” is a home production of Prabhas – produced by his brother Pramod. Directed by K.Siva, a writer who debuts with this film. “Mirchi” starts off like a conventional masala film with predictable fare and storyline but later unfolds a full-blooded family drama with a happy ending. It seems Prabhas has selected the right script after the disastrous “Rebel” which took megalomania to new heights.




The story begins in Milan, Italy where Prabhas rescues Richa Gangopadhyay from a gang of “roadies”. Prabhas falls in love with Richa but she is unsure how it turns out as her family back home in Palnadu is a bevy of factionists who live off blood smirks and bloody revenges – starting with her brother Subba Raju. Prabhas befriends Subba Raju who lives in Hyderabad living as a tenant of Brahmanandam. He changes Subba Raju and then moves to Palnadu to change the rest of the gang. Pretty average story. What liberates the movie is “dude” Prabhas with his altered body language and swashbuckling dressing to get new following. Dialogues by Director Koratla Siva are better than many mass films till date. The film has some good entertainment in the first half with Brahmanandam who is settling in as a comedy star tagging alongside hero - he knows what her is upto but not the gang, that’s his characterization lately. Prabhas is opting for family hero image with good mass following – he has the looks, the macho body and the original six pack and the cool looks. Anushka shines better than Richa Gangopadhyay even if she makes a surprising entry in second half – in flashback. It’s the second half that drags with lazy editing - 158 minutes is too much for a film of this sort.



Right from the times of NTR to Krishna to Chiranjeevi, the mass-hero space is up for grabs for anyone who can muck up the maximum adulation from masses and sometimes classes. Prabhas, like a few other superstars, has got the original mass appeal and a faithful fan base thanks to his uncle Krishnam Raju. Now, he just needs to innovate for more innovative scripts like Mahesh Babu and keep up the tempo. If NTR Jr. also joins the gang, they became the worthy trio with dynastic charishma and good face value (without plastic surgery and thirty one stitches that simian superstars get themselves into). They don’t need props like heroines and comedy gang to make 50-day runners. All they need is to invest in solid stories and make clean entertainers. The rest can be turned into gold from their stardust. Music by DSP is average. 3 out of 5 – not a super film but watchable for clean entertainment.

"Saarocharu" Telugu Movie Review

"Saarocharu" is Ravi Teja in "class appearence" (note the spelling of appearance again; just to drive home the point that most vernacular titles don't get vetted for class appeal when translating into English but thats digressing). Ravi Teja is always known for mass entertainers that make even the mundane sound raunchy. So, we were warned this is is his class appearance (correct spelling). Director Parasuram has picked up reputation for making sensible films with subtle messages. He made films like "Yuvatha" (talks about youth power and talent), "Anjaneyulu" (talks about responsible news channels). His last film "Solo" with Nara Rohit has been well-received as it shows why joint families can and must survive current nuclearisation of society. He has roped in good starcast besides Ravi Teja - Jaya Sudha, Kajol Agarwal, Richa Gangopadhyay, Srinivas Reddy, and a cameo by Nara Rohit.

The story is not very different from umpteen movies which came on finding the right life partner to connect with. Ravi Teja is asked to help his colleague Srinivas Reddy to win over a girl he is seeking. That girl's best friend is Kajol Agarwal who is obsessed with her own beauty, she is narcissistic and haughty to the point she tells it is difficult to fall in love with any man unless there are points of commonality. Soon she finds herself drawn to Ravi Teja, he tells her stories from his life and finds that he is actually married and about to divorce his wife (Richa Gangopadhyay). The story gets a bizarre twist in the middle when Ravi Teja confesses he actually made up the whole story in order to woo her as he finds her to be perfectly compatible with her. Kajol rejects Ravi Teja as she finds this deceitful. She is engaged to Nara Rohit (a cameo) and then the happy ending as she goes back to Ravi Teja. While the story is simple narrative, what is questionable in screenplay is that nowadays film-makers resort to a dishonesty on the screen by creating characters who never were meant to be. In this case, the hero created a character Richa Gangopadhyay whose life is lived out by another couple who get "love-married" and divorced. Such methods of screenplay and story-telling are actually wrong even though appear creative. This technique of showing characters which are a figment of hero's imagination was last shown in Prabhas movie "Darling" which met with average success.

But is the film good and clean despite the narrative loopholes? I think it is, thanks to director Parasuram and the characters played by Kajol Agarwal and Ravi Teja. For fans of Kajol, this is a revelation as Kajol delivers a fine performance which gives ample scope to show she can be mean and many-shaded. She steals the thunder from Ravi Teja which is not usually the case in his movies. Ravi Teja is going through the crisis that every Mass Hero goes through many times. At the peak of their careers, Dada Kondke and Govinda, after delivering record-breaking box office hits sudden make a 180 degree turn with movies that are atypical of their wont. It has to be seen whether Ravi Teja's attempt at being a decent guy with family values will appeal to the family audiences and class viewers. My guess is, Ravi Teja needn't become class-conscious as there are enough heroes in that genre.  He should continue to be mass-hysterical and madcap-oriented as he always is. As far as the film goes, its quite clean and entertaining despite the different looks. Comedy by MS Narayana in the flight fills the void created by Brahmanandam's absence. Music by Devi Sri Prasad is just average and hasn't given his best to Ravi Teja as in previous films. Parasuram attempts vaguely at the dilemmas of married couples and the blues of divorce and wastes the time in the movie with 150 minutes. Nara Rohit and Jayasudha make a commanding presence in the film despite the short length of their appearances. Richa Gangopadhyay is a star who cannot turn and may find offers deserting her. What gives the movie the best moments are Kajol Agarwal and Ravi Teja  - they have shown a different side to their personalities but I must admit you get the feeling it is more Kajol's film than Ravi Teja's. Good to be rated atleast 2.5/5.

"Julayi" Movie Review (Telugu)

“Julayi” is definitely one of the most anticipated movies of 2012. It is an acid test for more than a threesome – Director Trivikram who struggled with form in “Mahesh Khaleja” , Allu Arjun who didn’t deliver a hit for a while, Producer Daanayya who’s missing his crores and dusky actress Ileana D’Cruz who is unable to capitalize on her early successes in Tollywood. All four of them needed a hit to resurrect their fortunes . I can’t say whether it’s a hit but the movie doesn’t disappoint – it is quite a wholesome family fare that’s worth a watch.

Director Trivikram Srinivas is one of the star writers who sharpened his narrative skills to make an Olympic triple jump into the hall of fame in Tollywood with terrific screenplay sense, story-telling with verve and an ability to weave many genres into one film. Besides, he can write dialogues that tug your hearts and make  classes and masses clap. Naturally, he is so skilled at writing, screenwriting and directing that one of the three has to outshine the other two. It started to happen around the time when he stopped writing for others (except “Teenmaar” recently) and went into directing. There’s an eclectic mixture of Western cinematic sensibilities with Telugu nativities in most of his narratives where he played a pivotal role in giving a tailormade script. “Manmathudu” drew inspiration from Mel Gibson movie “What women want”. “Athadu” which is a gold standard in modern Tollywood DVD collection is inspired from “Assassins” and so on.

There was some trouble with “Jalsa” and “Mahesh Khaleja” because he was carried away by the star charishma of Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu and the result was either a concoction of neo-Indian pseudo-mythologicals (like an Amish Tripathi novel) or an an urbane take on Naxalism and other economic issues. At heart, Trivikram is a socialist who is inspired by an array of writers from 1920s onwards and all his movies bear a stamp of egalitarianism, inclusive growth and a society that should benefit many not just a chosen few. In between, Trivikram can pack a punch of dialogues that spark off uproarious laughter with both senior and junior artistes. Over the few films he has made, Trivikram has graduated from making unoriginal, punny, school-boyish. joke-book-collection of snippets into more classy, ingenious and Wodehousian sense of humor that sticks. Nothwithstanding this long digression into Trivikram’s style and its origins as seen by a consummate bystander, “Julayi” is an outcome of a renewed Trivikram who has learnt from his experiments that were indulgent in the past. It shows Trivikram’s amazing sense of dialogues that are sharper, wittier and also a return to responsible film-making - a'la the likes of Sreenu Vaitla and Shekar Kammula. However, unlike Shekar Kammula, Trivikram has the ambidexterous knack of appealing to A-class audiences while giving what the masses want to see – non-preachy entertainment, plenty of action, dances and romance that sizzles.

“Julayi” is a balanced film in all of that – it has a huge starcast from Brahmanandam, Ali, Tanikella Bharani, MS Narayana and Kota to veteran Rajendra Prasad, Sonu Sood besides Allu Arjun and Ileana. The story is quite average but the narration is pulsating. Ravi (Allu Arjun) is a naïve youth who believes in making money in a non-linear route; he bets with his father one day that a 10k bundle of cash can be converted into 100k in just two hours. Obviously, Ravi had plans to bet on the IPL matches when he challenged his dad with the deal. His bravado leads him to an episodic run-in with professional killers led by Sonu Sood and Kota Srinivas Rao who plan to usurp a bank’s millions. It sets him off as a cat amongst pigeons because the villains realize that Ravi is a smart aleck who needs more than their mite to be outwitted. The ending is happier even if smaller - the hero polishes off the villains and returns to a cosy job that nets a salary of 25k per month. The message is loud and clear: – hardwork and accumulation of money through self-effort is sweeter than Manna from heaven or mad pursuit of speculative endeavours. The movie has  dramatic flashes of car chases, stunts and a sweet romance with Ileana and oodles of comedy with Rajendra Prasad, Brahmanandam and gang. Allu Arjun is clearly a striking style icon who has finally got a plot that showcases his acting prowessand a director who will give the outreach that he deserves. He is at ease with himself and with the mature starcast that shares the screen. According to me, he is the best dancer in Tollywood and his dancing skills need no attestations. In this movie, DSP’s music has given enough footage to Allu Arjun to get foot-loose. He excels himself again but the dance movements could have had a better frontal view than a sideward, silhouetted slideshow. He could have bettered there.

DSP’s music has topped the charts well before the movie and he has created just the right moods for all the songs. Picturisation of the songs could have been better for a couple of songs. The song before climax and the song before interval are quite vivid and memorable. Ileana would have wanted this movie to give a fresh lease of life. Unfortunately, her acting skills and the range of expressions never permit this – she is stubbornly stale and hopeless. The outage of glamor we saw of Ileana after “Kick”, I am afraid will continue nothwithstanding her role in this film. Rajendra Prasad stands out with a full-length performance that almost runs parallel to the hero – this should be heartening to all his fans.

One last word on the flaws of the film. Trivikram sometimes takes logic to onerously outlandish levels for one part of the story while implanting inscrutable logic to other parts. The manner in which the heist is done by the villains of a bank and their escape from custody with lot of bloodshed is illogical even as the hero Ravi tries to second-guess every move of the villain even as the police look downright dumb beats sanity out of mind. Nevertheless, Trivikram has taken the genre of entertainment to new highs with his characteristic ease of blending action and intelligent-looking plots with a rich ensemble of talent and still penning dialogues that haunt you forever. Even the best writers need better editors , Trivikram will realise– but for now, even 160 minutes of a not-so-sublime plot is good enough reason to open the champagne for those who like to see his report card. He’s earned an A not an A-plus and I will give atleast 3.5 out of 5 for the film.