Chiranjeevi's brother Naga Babu made his debut first in "Marana Mridangam" which also earned his brother the title of "Mega Star" for the first time. Decades later, Naga Babu's son Varun Tej makes his debut from a family which already has many "mega" sobriquets. "Mukunda" is the debut film for Varun Tej directed by IIM post-graduate turned-director Srikanth Addala who made such refreshing films like "Kotha Bangaru Lokam" and "Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu". It is a proud addition to his catalogue of films with a earthy touch of reality and message. The message: Be Clear about life. Aim High, don't aim low.
Set in a village backdrop, the story is about politics and a cute love story, as the hero himself reveals in a flashback to a fellow traveller in a bus. Politics is dominated by Rao Ramesh who gets his career-redefining performance as a Municipal Chairman in a mandal. He is well entrenched in the post for the past 25 years and is yet unopposed for the upcoming elections until Mukunda enters. Mukunda is the Man Friday of Arjun who loves the daughter of Rao Ramesh which doesn't go well with his male order of son, brother, et al. They have repeated run-ins with Arjun and with Mukunda as well. These confrontations lead to many fights and dramatic scenes which kick up firebrand dialogues from Rao Ramesh, penned by the director himself. But the friction only grows even as elections draw near. Meanwhile, Mukunda, our hero, falls in love with the other daughter of Rao Ramesh, the lovely and demure Pooja Hegde who is decked up even in sleep to look stunning. The romance escalates tensions with Rao Ramesh; Mukunda also unexpectedly fields the good Samaritan Prakash Raj opposite him. Who will win the elections? What happens to the two love pairs? Is there a tragedy in the tail? Find out yourself.
"Mukunda" is quite gripping in most parts as director builds a steady tension in the plot showing steady conflict between a merciless and a crude villain Rao Ramesh who rides on the system to fuel his rent-seeking ambitions and a silent student Varun Tej who is ever protective of his friend Arjun but unafraid of fighting injustice. The highlight of the film are the dialogues of Srikanth Addala as he makes us think and join the bandwagon of emotions running undercurrent. Rao Ramesh gets standout lines which will make him as famous as his legendary father Rao Gopal Rao. Most of his dialogues are an outburst of his state of mind when confronted by opposition from somebody but in the words of Srikanth Addala, they come across as measured output with mathematical preciseness. Infact, he uses many mathematical concepts like Pascal's theorem, trigonometry, geometrical terms like diameter, circumference and perpendicularity which convey the essence of a manly volcano about to erupt in further violence. His dialogues and delivery in his carefully cultivated exterior in starch cotton aptly elevate his villainy to a level not seen in Tollywood recently. Because the last decade has seen mostly imported villainy and sidelining of native actors like Kota Srinivasa Rao, the audience is treated to dollops of freshness on what the original baddy in Tollywood looks like in-form. It is high time, producers take Rao Ramesh seriously and stop giving us pussilanimous spoonfuls of puerile gangsters and warlords in incredulous costumes sporting six-packs and Che Guera beards. Rao Ramesh is believable, original and just as apt-looking as the henchman who stood in your constituency last seeking your votes.
How is Varun Tej? He is promising in his first film with decent looks, good in stunts and dances. Lacks a bit in packing punches in emotional and romantic scenes. Director Srikanth probably estimated his strengths correctly, so he gives the apt characterisation of Varun Tej - building him up in machismo and heroism and showcasing him as a valiant protector of loved ones but limiting his play in love and affections to minimal. Can you believe, in 152 minutes duration of the film, the director shows the first face-to-face meeting between Varun Tej and Pooja Hegde only in the 79th minute? That speaks of the director who knows his plot, believes in screenplay as a wind that powers the narration and has a clarity of class. Any other hero in maiden launch would have peeved at the paltry screen time given to work out the chemistry between the hero and the heroine. So this shows Varun Tej has the maturity to believe in a story. I am sure this film will win Srikanth more fans from the Chiru family itself who usually seek the beaten path to commercial stardom, with the exception of Allu Arjun. Srikanth Addala has the calibre to scale peaks of commercial film success just like writer-directors such as Trivikram.
Performances-wise, everybody plays their part well. Pooja Hegde, the damsel who first debuted in "Mask" has a cute characterisation with few dialogues but stunning looks. When was the last time you saw a heroine dancing in devotional songs on Lord Krishna and clad in costumes that barely show anything? "Mukunda" is a miracle in that sense. Parachuri Venkateswar Rao as the hero's father haunts you with a handful of resonating dialogues. Prakash Raj's presence in Srikanth Addala's film is more like a mandatory over in cricket; his dialogues stir your middle-class anger but his characterisation lacks depth. He makes an unexpected entry, makes a point or two as a madcap preacher and then exits like Arvind Kejriwal without an excuse, Funny. Sustaining a plot like this without legitimate comedians like Brahmanandam is a crime in today's Tollywood, but Srikanth pulls off with ease. If at all something can be held against him it is that the confrontation between Rao Ramesh and Varun Tej ends without proper retribution and apology, you wish that Rao Ramesh who gets humbled every time but packs a thunder in every dialogue goes weak in his knees but that never happens. Similarly, Varun Tej shows up in all the fights, even helping girls harrassed by roadside romeos. But we don't get how he suddenly appears for Income Tax Officer's exam and even becomes one. That is the only cinematic license Srikanth takes to deliver a message. The hero's punchlines at the selection interview speak the director's mind: "The Biggest Crime in today's developing world is low aspiration. Low aspiration is killing our potential." Despite minor flaws, the film is a winner all the way, ably supported by Mickey J Meyer's impressive BGM and music. Few songs stand out and scoring BGM for the many moods in the film must give Mickey a new high.
Yes, there is a dose of violence in the film unusually associated with Srikanth's films - that earned it U/A. But we need more directors like Srikanth and movies like "Mukunda" to re-set our paradigms of entertainment. I recommend "Mukunda" as highly watchable film.
Rating: 3.5/5
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