"Oopiri" (Telugu Film Review)

My review:

https://www.telugu360.com/oopiri-review-rating-live-updates-nagarjuna/

"Soggade Chinni Nayana" (Telugu Film Review)

My Review:

https://www.telugu360.com/soggade-chinni-nayana-movie-review-rating-live-updates/

Akhil Akkineni: The Next Superstar?

Link to the latest article on Akhil:

http://www.telugu360.com/akhil-audio-launch-a-perfect-platform-for-the-next-superstar/

25 Years of "Shiva"

You have to give the devil his due sometimes. Just as director Krishna Vamshii remarked: "Shiva" is indeed the "Sholay" of Tollywood. Ram Gopal Varma definitely deserves credit for unleashing it on celluloid.

When the film released on Oct.5, 1989 I was in college. The promos looked exciting. A busty wall-like logo of the film with the Telugu letters "Shi" and "Va" symmetrically attached in vermillon red color and a hand-fisted cycle chain piercing the letters sounded like a promising film. The backdrop was black. And no one was highlighted in the poster. You only find four names - Ram Gopal Varma, Venkat Akkineni, Yarlagadda Surendra and of course, Ilayaraja. It was too tempting to go to college that day. So a bunch of all of  us - old friends - bunked college and decided to do what is a safe bet those days - Morning Show - at Devi70mm. Someone got the tickets easily - the last thing you ever heard relating to this film. After the release and the talk from matinee show, tickets were near impossible in almost ever single-screen theatre those days even in places like Bengaluru and Chennai. We knew when we watched the opening scene of JD smoking fumes on the face of a lecturer that there is a blockbuster in the making. And then the tempo built frame after frame after frame. In 142 minutes of taut screenplay, stylish presentation and crisp dialogues embellished by Ilayaraja's never-before soundtrack and songs - RGV has arrived. The film's greatest achievement is that it has redefined the film grammar for an entire generation of Tollywood audience that will set the agenda for the next 25 years. In my view, despite the glorification of violence in the film which is the only unfortunate byeproduct of the blockbuster, most film-makers follow the pattern of "Shiva". It had such a gargantuan impact.

I remember we were stunned into silence after watching the film till interval time and then right till the end. We were ecstatic and thrilled to watch something our minds were not used to processing on screen. Like someone once said about "Sholay". It seems there was one exhibitor in Mumbai who told Ramesh Sippy that "Sholay" will be the biggest blockbuster because when the interval curtains were down, nobody from one of the theatre halls moved from their seats - because they were thrilled to see the film and they can't wait for the next scene after interval. A similar experience greeted everybody who watched the film "Shiva" in 1989.  On that day, after the morning show, I somehow felt my family also had to watch the film - so I struggled for balcony seats for the second show and took my parents and brothers to the film. They were equally thrilled to bits by the unique presentation and punctuation of the film.

The film ran for 155 days in Devi and more in many theatres in AP and outside. It collected almost Rs.7crores in those days with all the runs across India. If you translate it in today's terms inflation-adjusted to current factors, it works out to Rs.44.50 crores. A mighty figure because the population must have been half of what it is today. The film had freshness, energy, intensity and spine that was rarely seen in Telugu films of that era. To Nagarjuna's luck, most of his films before "Shiva" except "Gitanjali" had the same mugshot appeal. "Shiva" made him a youthful superstar. And he never looked back. For Ramu, "Shiva" will remain a much-studied classic because he made the film on a bootstrapping budget and delivered a modern classic for the ages that will be referred to, again and again. The crew who celebrated "Shiva"@25 recently at Annapurna Studios rightly said that there were more than a handful who became directors after working under Ramu. Krishna Vamshi, Rasool Ellor, Teja, Puri Jagannadh,, S Gopal Reddy, Gunasekhar, Siva Nageswar Rao, etc. all have become independent directors from the RGV school of less melodrama, higher intensity and epic intensity that scales up from buildup.

The film's background score by Ilayaraja must make it one of the best soundtracks of all time from anywhere in the world. All those rhythms of drums beating up in rapid succession with a fear-mongering  effect whenever Nag's friend is chased and killed will haunt you. Then there is that melodious refrain that defines the romance between Amala and Nagarjuna that has entered Ilayaraja's "Hall of Fame" soundtracks available on I-tunes. The tune is so burnt in our minds that one of the antagonists of the film JD Chekravarthi used the tune as a BGM in one of his sensational films released as a no-title film which later was renamed as "Paape Naa Praanam". The songs in "Shiva" also played an anchor role in getting the youth repeat viewing in droves. "Anando Brahma" and "Kiss Me Wrong Number" are my personal favorites. Amala looks ravishingly beautiful in the songs and little wonder, sparks flew between her and Nag from the start of this film to the remake of the film in Hindi  - a courtship that ended only with "Antham" another RGV starrer that actually bombed. Years later, RGV was asked why he never worked with Ilayaraja again in his career (until "Shiva 2006" a reprise of the original in police uniform).  RGV said the intensity of Ilayaraja's music and his interpretation of the scene was so unique and unparalleled that RGV simply couldn't come up with a script as equal in magnitude to merit Ilayaraja's output. Of course, Sitarama Sastry the lyricist had his presence noted in some of the best modern lyrics that connected with the audience. 

The film turned out to be Tollywood's answer to ManiiRatnam because Mani was upping the ante in those times with hit after hit. Later, buoyed by the success of Ramu, Mani sought his collaboration for one film - "Donga Donga" ("Thiruda Thiruda" in Tamil). "Shiva" was dubbed in Tamil as "Udayam" which ran successfully. Only, because of alleged lukewarm response to the song "Sarasaalu Chaalu Sreevaaru..", the distributors deleted the son in Tamil version. That song was actually directed by noted director Vamsee and won applause for a creative kitchen song full  of sounds created from shining utensils and homely love-scenes.

"Shiva" definitely was an epic in Tollywood that had its unintended consequences - unleashing violence on a scale the world has never seen before in Telugu films. Of course, besides the mythologicals, only one movie directed by T.Krishna depicted violence so grotesquely before - "Pratighatana". In that film, Vijayashanti uses an Axe to behead Charanraj in the climax. That was in 1987. But in "Shiva", RGV has made ordinary instruments into weapons of mass destruction - cycle chain, compass divider, gold chain, mini-pick-axe and so on. In most Tollywood films before, you only hear gunshots from silly pistols and sten guns. But in "Shiva" what you commute with and play with have become murder-instruments that even flight attendants must take note of. I wrote about this in a letter to the Indian Express after waiting for nearly 100 days of the film being released because I wanted Nag and RGV to celebrate 100 days of run. It was too late! (sic). "Shiva" already entered our society's consciousness. 

#Shiva #ShivaMovie #NagarjunaShiva #25YearsOfShiva #RamGopalVarma #Ilayaraja #Tollywood #MovieReviews #ShivaBoxOfficeCollections #RGVSchoolDirectors #AnnapurnaStudios 

"Manam" (Telugu) Film Review

"Manam" is a beautiful film -  a flowing tribute to ANR and his lasting legacy. In the works for over two years, the film was making news for many happy reasons until it became clear that this will be ANR's last screen appearance. Directed by Vikram K Kumar ( "Ishq" fame) and produced by Reliance Entertainment, the film has all the elements of a sugar-syrup family comedy with minimum distractions. No villain, no side-tracking comedy and no vulgarity - it has a stamp of class and well-directed sweetness all-round. There are not many families in the Indian film history which had the luxury of appearing on screen in all the 3-G glory. The last time such an act was performed, according to me, was "Kal Aaj Kal" (starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Ranadhir Kapoor). Now, it is the turn of ANR, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya to give us a magical story of improbable origins.

The improbability is the only weakness in the plot - where Nagarjuna is the son of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha and ANR is the son of Nagarjuna and Shriya Saran. How these five people you will not otherwise meet in heaven actually get enmeshed with each other's lives in a cute inter-mixing of two love stories spread over two generations is the bone of the matter. Beyond this, it would be puerile to elaborate the story as it may snatch the thrills of watching a clean film not seen since  the likes of SVSC. The implausibility of the plot is tolerable as today's films have more illogicalities than the subtle cinematic liberty taken by the story-writer of this plot. So the illogicality is passable in the name of delectable entertainment that the film offers.

What are the highlights of the film? Undoubtedly, the scenes between Nagarjuna and Samantha as some of the best supermom moments get unfolded on screen in a rarely seen combination. Then the scenes between ANR, Naga Chaitanya and Nagarjuna - the drinking scene, even if slightly overdone. Then the delicate scenes between Nagarjuna and Shriya in the rural backdrop where bucholic charms haven't erased the purity of some souls. Finally, the roaring screen chemistry between Naga Chaitanya and Samantha for the nth time which makes the film youthful. Performance-wise, Naga Chaitanya gives the best shot amongst everybody as he shares screen space with Nagarjuna and ANR for the first and last time. This is his film, not really Nagarjuna's or ANR's. Samantha and Shriya get their sunshine moments and naturally have a blast. Nagarjuna looks old but carries himself better than some of the commercial roles we are used to seeing him. He should quickly migrate to being part of more such meaningful cinema such as "Manam". ANR is seen for less than ten minutes but by making a delayed entry minutes before the interval and staying the course right till the end, he gives out a dignified performance before he bowed out. Director Vikram used the limited availability of ANR's footage deftly by spacing him to re-surface again and again until that last shot of his where he smiles and waves you goodbye.

Whichever way you look at, "Manam" is a terrific film to watch that doesn't bore you despite the over-extended goodwill messages and sweetness. Infact, the emotions in the film choke you at times and remind you of the beauty of life and the miracles that pour out of love of all kinds. Vikram Kumar is quite a talent in the way he used a venerable starcast including Brahmanandam and MS Narayana. After a long time you get a feeling of confidence of a director in showcasing his mastery with a clean narration, good performances and messages that won't embarrass you in front of your mom. Except that little cheeky jingle of why we say "ladies first", nothing is offensive in the film. What makes the film different is the treatment of the story playing out between different generations of characters and the quality of output. Music by Anup Rubens, his 25th musical score deserves a high five. All the songs are exceptionally peppy and melodious. By using three different scores for each generation of Akkineni family, Anup Rubens has shown he has a talent for matching  song composition skills with a standout BGM. The director's class also shows in his selection of team in dialogues, cinematography. Vikram Kumar sure has a fresh mind that needs more backers  - how he thinks in telling a good story better is a case study. One example, in the song "Ta...Taaa....Tatta Tattaa...." which has Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya shake a leg with the old clippings of ANR song, any other director could have used an item girl to add to the stomping on the floor. But by not going for the predictable, Vikram proves he is different. More power to such directors and cinema. In many ways, Vikram's style of commercial cinema reminds me of the class of Radha Mohan, the Tamil director who made many successful films for Prakash Raj.

You wished the film's length of 163 minutes were cut down but I sense some scenes of ANR were not possible because of his passing out so they had filled in with other stuff. Good to see Amala and Akhil get roped in this family drama for the records. Akhil's entry in the end gives an inkling he will also join the family business soon. No less a person than Amitabh Bachchan did a 45 second cameo as a tribute to ANR. What a way to finish off a glorious career! In as much one feels compel to judge a film, "Manam" has surprisingly few shortcomings - which I have already qualified. You will walk away with many good feelings after watching it.

My rating: 3.5/5.

"Uyyaala Jampaala" Movie Review (Telugu)

Over 70 per cent of our population lives in rural India. In AP, we are more agrarian than many states. Proof:  take the massive human migration that happens around Sankranti season in AP: the cities look more deserted and the villages  mill with millions of city-dwellers binging on village talk, cock fights and family get-to-gethers. Isn't it ironical that Tollywood makes less than 10 per cent or even 5 per cent of the films based on village themes? For many years now, Telugu films are getting made only for the multiplexes. Last year, we made 256 films -  58 more films than in 2011 (and  35 films more than Hindi film industry) and yet  fewer than 13 films based on rural India. This year, SVSC came in Sankranti and then there was a vacuum until one or two small films came and went, hardly noticed. Until now, when "Uyyaala Jampaala" came. 

Produced by Ram Mohan Paruvu, UJ is refreshing, entertaining and evocative. Ram Mohan is an IIM grad and a sensible producer who is building a catalogue of memorable films irrespective of when they are released, even if in between star releases. "Ashta Chamma" and "Golconda    High School" were two of his acclaimed films which proved  families will flock if you offer a message with  a youthful flavor. "Uyyaala Jampaala", his latest breaks the mould and it is not a novel story. It has a classic three-act story of a boy and a girl born into relation, grow up fighting each other and eventually unite in happy ending after late realisation and triggers from a forced arranged marriage. What can possibly be ingenuine in this plot? The treatment, the straight narration with a momentary flashback, a mint-fresh starcast thats neither theatrical nor super-articulate giving them an unmatched natural advantage, motifs from rural backdrop that underpin the roots of our culture - simple friendships, grand-parent wisdom, village naivette, unalloyed emotions, sylvan scenery and bucholic charms. In less than two hours (I couldn't believe this included the interval), director Virinchi Varma takes us through a roller-coaster of emotions of what we go through on a daily basis with far greater impact than what some of the surreal madcap movies we see  with akimbo dances and adipose dialogues that only create noise pollution. 

Virinchi has used the dialect  closest to Bhimavaram-Kakinada belt in most of the characters including the hero who is at stellar ease with the slant. Avika Gour is the heroine who is well known to audiences as the cute girl in "Baalika Vadhu" dubbed in Telugu as "Chinnari Pelli Kooturu". She  is sharp and bright in the film even if she lacks the glamor rampant in commercial films. Raj Tarun is the hero who looks an underdog but walks away with most of the honours despite having an unusual and almost unremarkable personality. Its a credit to the director that if you infuse the right characterisation with the right lines, it doesn't require brute stardom to burn the screen with memories, you can create a stir with basic sensibilities and sincere emoting. Thats exactly what Raj Tarun achieved in UJ. Among others who created impact were Anita Choudhary and Ravi Varma, both playing powerful characters on opposite sides. They show that talent in serials is in huge supply that is untapped. Music by Sunny is impressive. Last heard in "Swaami Ra Ra", Sunny scored some soulful melodies with distinct instrumentation and vocal rhythms. Again hard to believe that a movie this short has just four songs. Virinchi uses the classic director's lag - the first song always starts late and the last song always finishes early - that's the only way to avoid the audiences getting restive. Seeing the film in good old Shanti theatre, I noticed that neither the smokers nor the leakers left their seats during even one song. The title song transports us to a magical world of romantic dreams minus the dirty drills and the foreign frills that today's movies mandate.

Cinematography by Vishwa has its highs and  lows - it captures the essence of village life, at times, it dullens the frames. Still, it delivers. Dialogues are apt and raise many laughs. After a long time, entertainment and comedy is enmeshed with the storyline - most of the funny one-liners come from the hero and his gang. There is subtle and refined humor lurking at every dialogue if you catch the lingo and the local idioms. In a film of this variety where the story draws you intensely with its rustic charm, the only weaknesses are those you didn't notice and they may be impertinent to the overall feel of the film. What is cliched is the use of stereotypes typical of patriarchial society that defines villages - too many symbols of even children playing wife and husband games etc. are bad examples in a society thats outgrowing those qualms. This is in bad taste and must be shunned in films even if it evokes sick laughter. There are also more examples of how the heroine feels disempowered till the end on asserting her love or her independence as a grown-up, such stereotyping does more harm than good to the society because in cinema, the medium is the message and we must be careful in projecting the right messages. It's the same stereotype that Srikant Addala used in SVSC - where a girl grows up in household with the sole objective of marrying the eldest son. Here, Avika is culturally weak and traditional and closer to her regressive picturisation in the mega TV serial that propelled her to stardom. Despite these blemishes, the director and the producer pull off a surprise family-clean entertainer that will rake it in well till the big releases. It may even be a giant-killer if the audiences bless it. It certainly has a repeat viewing quotient because of arresting simplicity despite state-of-the-art references to skype and facebook etc. We need more of such films to resonate with what majority Indians live like. Good returns for co-producers D Suresh and Nagarjuna Akkineni for partaking in the sweat equity of Ram Mohan Paruvu. 

My rating: 4 out of 5 for a clean fare that lingers on with freshness.

ANR and the Art of Living

My piece on ANR as an inspiration for healthy living.

http://www.news4andhra.com/details?contentId=1861

"Greeku Veerudu" Telugu Film Review

"Greeku Veerudu" is a rehash of past films and despite  familiar tweaks, is going to be a forgettable film of Nagarjuna. Nag is a vagabond businessman in America who only believes in living life without commitments and value for relationships. His philistine ways land him in a financial mess, and he suddenly gets a missed call from his native place in AP to let his ailing grandmother catch last glimpses of him. He takes off with Nayanatara who happens to be his bete noire's (Aashish Vidyarthi) sister. The sparks fly and Nag ropes her in to play his wife. The family bonds with him and he makes amends with some familiar drama. I have never seen a film where a director (Dasaradh) has cannibalised so many of his own films  - "Sambaram", "Santosham", "Mr.Perfect" in order to create an umpteenth version of sentimental, sick family drama. He has remixed a few of scenes of "Athadu" and "Manmadhudu". The travails of the film do not end there and I will spare you the onslaught I faced for 150 minutes with a feeble mention of the tortures inflicted.

They used what is called "Demat" (sounds like a Stock Exchange term) technology to shoot sequences in US - New York and San Francisco. But what I noticed in credits is a mere mention of Zurich Airport whereas most of the American shots are all floor-adjusted in a clearly visible frame looking out of sync. For example, the Statue of Liberty is shown as a fixed shot but it looks dangerously similar to our own Tank Bund Buddha statue. NASA space centre is shown with graphics like you are floating in Birla Planetorium. Entire sequences are shown with backgrounds suggesting Europe (must be in Switzerland) but the background is meant to be in the US. It is obvious that producer of Kamakshi Movies - good friend of Nag - has cut corners with everything to give the sloppiest film of his career. Despite his 800-calorie diet and botox injections, Nag looks woefully old like never before in this movie which has an oft-beat role of lover boy-turns-saint. His body language also looks inept - in some scenes with Nayanatara and K.Vishwanath, he doesn't know what to do with his hands - the typical dilemma of a public speaker. Comedy with MS Narayana and Brahmanandam is inspid because Dasaradh uses an over-familiar terrain to crack lewd jokes and cheap tricks with Kovai Sarala in remix of blockbuster duets. When a director is overawed by the starcast and a Superstar, he will get a performance worthy of rotten tomatoes. Thats the bane of this film - something that fan-serving websites and star-struck reviewers will never accept. Watch it if you are a hardcore fan  - atleast there are a few good songs and one by S.P.B in which he creates new steps. For others, including Nayanatara and Kota and Brahmanandam and MS Narayana and Aashish Vidyarthi, this is not going to be a film to remember. Thaman SS scores a few good songs but seven songs will breed contempt in a film elongated with needless sequences, lazy shots, cheap photography and deadpan dialogues. It should be a below-average film that deserves no better than 2 out of 5.

"Shadow" Film Review (Telugu)

"Shadow" is one of the most-publicised films of Victory Venkatesh. The publicity was imperative because in an era of fast-changing tastes of the audience, Venkatesh has fallen way behind both in terms of recent content and record. His films were becoming monotonous and shallow - the same family drama, trump-like character played by Venky, out to sacrifice his lover at the altar of marriage with another, and then the banal ending sometimes happy and sometimes sad - he even slashed his tongue in a film. No wonder, for the last year's Sankranti, his "Bodyguard" became a washout and couldn't stand the onslaught of "Businessman". Earlier in 2013, he co-starred with Mahesh Babu in "SVSC" which became a classic hit re-starting the trend in multistarrers. But his market-cap was clearly on the wane, he got paid a mere Rs.3 crores for the blockbuster while his co-star walked away with Rs.8.5 crs. (which was more than the satellite rights earned for the entire film Rs.7 crs. won by Gemini TV). Venky and Nagarjuna, who entered Tollywood a good decade or so after Megastar Chiranjeevi never could reach the dizzy heights of either Chiranjeevi or afterwards the range of box-office collections achieved by the likes of Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, Ramcharan and Allu Arjun. Venky and Nag might have touched a bare Rs.30 crs. if you count all the multiplex price collections and openings overseas. 

Why am I plodding on such long preface in a film review of "Shadow"? Thats because, given such a background, Venkatesh tries to don a different role in every sense. It has a negative shade but is positively highlighted in a manner that fits his body language and persona. "Shadow" directed by Meher Ramesh ("Billa" fame) shows Venky in a dashing new Avatar that could be lapped up by his thick-like audiences. It shows him as a multi-masked hero who  comes in different getups to finish off each villain responsible for the killing of his father Nagababu. Each time, he uses a different manner of slaying the villains from Shinde to Aditya Pancholi. How does he do it? By tail-gating Srikanth, a cop who almost nabs the villain only to pip him at the post.  Quite a fast-paced narration and gripping story with a few pointless excursions into comedy that sucks and a passable light-hearted love track with Tapsi. On the whole, what sustains the film is a commanding narrative with an occasional comedy by MS Narayana to give relief. Venkatesh, contrary to what the press and twitterati lambast, is quite good in the many costumes and hairdos. He remains the same rugged, tough-looking Venky of the earlier years, even if age catches up with him. A dignified swagger, controlled heroism, and stunning stunts make Venky a treat to watch. The composer of the season, SS Thaman scores peppy and trendy music including a haunting BGM  that uplifts the film and moves the narration. Picturisation of the songs and choreography by Raju Sundaram is quite a treat to watch. Srikanth and Tapsi hold their own in a film which tries to show Venky in his full-blooded range in all frames. Aditya Pancholi is an impactful villain whose dubbing lets his screen presence down. MS Narayana gets a few laughs with Krishna Bhagwan though he gets repetitive later. His jibes at casteism by commentating on a character called KammaReddy KapuRaju is hilarious.  Meher Ramesh's strengths are in slick direction, moving narrative and good editing (unlike in "Shakti"). He seems at home in shooting sequences in Malaysia, maybe he bootstraps the film's budget with grants from Malaysian Government to promote tourism. What bores the film is the insincere characterisation of Venky as "Chanti" before interval. 

Every actor goes through a hump in a career that gets truncated by invasions from nextgen of actors. Venkatesh, who has had an amazing run of box-office successes has given some of the most-watched Telly films in Tollywood with a selection of themes that appeals to family audiences and loyal audiences. There have been worse films in the past but "Shadow" is definitely worth a watch as I found it slick, riveting and different from the last five films done by Venky. It is not as bad as many reviewers have rubbished it to be. I am a fan of Tollywood, not a fan of Venkatesh and feel that everybody deserves a second-chance  and change of image - whether it is Balayya, Chiranjeevi, Mahesh, NTR Jr. or Prabhas or Nagarjuna. An actor like Venkatesh  deserves better reviews for "Shadow". It was a paisa vasool for all of us who watched the film. 3.25/5 it deserves.

"Shirdi Sai" Telugu Movie Review

“Shirdi Sai” is a biopic starring Nagarjuna playing the title role of the mystical phenomenon of Shirdi Sai Baba who is revered by millions of devotees across the world. Shirdi will be thronged by scores of visitors just like ants drawn to sugar, said Sai Baba. It has become as iconic as places of worship of major religions like Jerusalem, Mecca, Benares, Tirupati or Rameshwaram today thanks to a continuing upsurge of devotion to Sai Baba almost in every generation since the passing of the Saint on 15th October 1918. There have been quite a few films on the phenomenon of Shirdi Sai Baba but the most talked works are one by Actor Manoj Kumar involving the best of the Hindi artists and one in Telugu directed by K.Vasu starring Vijaychander in title role. Both these films are etched in public memory and are quite difficult to dislodge because they were simple, true to the main story as spelt out in “Sai Sat Charita”. In case of the latter film (“Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Mahatyam”), apart from evolved acting by Vijaychander and authentic direction without too much dramaticism there was timeless music by Maestro Ilayaraja. Normally, comparisons are quite repulsive but because of the choice of the subject and the fact that “Shirdi Sai” was most publicized before the release several months in the making, one cannot help compare the original movie with this movie.

If you leave out comparisons with the classic and also the overall essence of what made Sai Baba above any controversies, “Shirdi Sai” is good but not excellent by any standards. In fact, despite the huge cinematic exuberance shown by director K. Raghavendra Shankar Rao and the remarkable performance by Nagarjuna in giving an inimitable feel to the persona of Shirdi Sai Baba with his fitness, facial charm and charishma, the film doesn’t give a complete sense of the “Sai Tatva” or the characterization that that every devotee loves to see on screen, having read His Life Storyat least once or many times.



145 minutes is good enough time to settle all that there is to know about Sai Baba and to be fair, KRR tried his best to put forth the personality, the mystique and the salient snippets covered in books like “Sai Leela” and “Sai Sat Charita”. He has selected a reasonably good starcast but I felt that the storyline runs superfast and doesn’t register many scenes of the film like the essential grace, wisdom and guidance as a Guru that Baba gave throughout the fifty years he spent at Shirdi until his Mahasamadhi after entering the village as a youth two decades before the Sepoy Mutiny. He has chosen some lovely episodes to collapse into the narration which is edited beyond the brief. So, what I sense is that the pace of the film is so fast that for someone who has never read His Life Story as a “Parayan” (weekly reading for a wish fulfilment) or well-acquainted with His life, it doesn’t excite enough beyond a few exceptionally good songs and a neat performance.



The movie starts off with an exceptional title song that raises expectations, then wastes a lot of footage on his early origins in Himalayas and other nomadic travels and then alternates between a sketchy narration of Sai Baba’s meteoric rise as a Miracle Saint and unnecessary excursions into silly comedy with Shinde and Ali and gang. In the bid to make it entertaining, Raghavendra Rao has made it very elementary at times and fails to convey the subtler aspects of spirituality that Sai Baba has embraced all his life. Most of the film tries to be entertaining and the characterization of all the people who form part of Sai Baba’s closest disciples are shown hurriedly without extending the impact of His appeal and web of interactions with them for greater wisdom. Obviously, in an exercise of this nature, you have to be selective of the episodes that showcase the Seer’s magic but that’s what KRR should have done - if the movie is made for the current generation, there should have been more interesting elements weaved into the narrative – there were examples from Baba’s book of stories which could have connected with the young and old. For example, there was a story on Bhagawad Gita’s interpretation by Nana, there was a story of a boy who is counselled by Sai Baba not to believe in astrology when writing examinations, there is a story of how the cycle of birth and re-birth can affect our lives and our actions… My point is, a golden opportunity is wasted in most by selecting themes which are more populist in nature and appeal to a wide majority – like the unity of religions, being seen as the universal God by every visitor in Shirdi and being kind and large-hearted. The director could have done better if he had cut down on some characters like the Britisher Wales (played by Srihari blatantly imitating Mohan Babu), Brahmanandam and few others.

Out of 145 minutes of the film, atleast 30 minutes of the film is taken away by repetitive comedy which is not required in a film of this genre, another 20 minutes of the film goes in some cinematic shots of showing celestial skies, origins and establishment of the character, then the story with characters gets built quickly almost like a précis of the book without highlighting aspects that people would have loved to watch – how Baba spent his day, how he lived, how he created the customs that are followed in Shirdi today, how Shirdi looked like in those days, and how he mentored and touched millions of lives. Because of little time for maneuver in the way of the treatment, he had summarized most of the aspects in song format leaving the audience to pick what they can. It doesn’t take even two minutes to explain what are the nine paths of devotion that Baba explained to one of his closest disciples Lakshmibai Shinde, as recounted in the Sat Charita, but we have none of it that way. Baba just hands out the nine coins to Lakshmibai and then tells her to remember the nine paths of devotion (these are actually, listening, devotional music, remembering, worship, obeisance, service, friendliness, self-surrender and feet worship). There are quite many scenes like these which make less impression on a mind never exposed to Sai Tatva. What redeems the film is music by MM Keeravani and performance by Nagarjuna and Srikanth and few others. Keeravani’s music doesn’t have the trappings of Ilayaraja but it has a unique hummability that give his music the enchantment it deserves. However, one of the best songs of the album “Maanava Sevee Madhava Senani…” is cut out in the film disappointing music-lovers.

To be fair, Raghavendra Rao has done better than his previous films in this genre by sticking to near-authenticity and above all, neatness on a scale never done before – he has captured only the simplest essence of Shirdi Sai Baba and made a poetic film within a concise format without too much authenticity or care to endear to all. For example, instead of showing Queen Victoria’s portrait in a police station, we see Queen Elizabeth-II. Instead of Rotis, we see Butter Naans. And so on. Because it is neither “Mahatyam” nor “Katha”, and the title is “Shirdi Sai”, he has shown a non-linear procession of how a Saint became a Miracle Man and later became deified for generations. There are many omissions and commissions but it didn’t create the urge to want to visit Shirdi as it did in me when I watched the older films on Baba few decades back. Nagarjuna, however, should be proud of his achievement and delivers an unblemished role as Baba – if the movie clicks mostly despite the shortcomings of the director, it is because of Nagarjuna that one must feel compelled to see it atleast once. That makes this movie get rated 3 instead of 2.5. It is a good movie but no way excellent.

"Ye Maya Chesave" Telugu Movie Review

It takes two to tango. Nag Chaitanya has a slick winner in "Ye Maaya Chesave" ("Vinaithaandi Varuvaaya" in Tamil starring Trisha and Simbhu) - his second movie, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, with lot of awe and skill. If the essence of a love story is conversations, Gautham navigates the portrayal of a relationship beautifully, showing all the moments that make it, break it, and restore. It shows why some make it and many don't with lots of evocativeness, passion, sensitivity and honesty. Refreshingly, A R Rehman's music (replacing Harris Jayaraj in a coup) feels at-home, competitive and enriching. You remember the output of his early years in this movie. Nag Chaitanya and newcomer Samantha excel in their roles. Sporting to see Mahesh Babu's sister Manjula produce a different film for Nagarjuna's son. Cinematography is another major asset. There are more pleasant surprises in the movie.