Ala Vaikuntapuramlo

When a movie has ALL elements required of an entertainer, the expected outcome is, at best, a disastrous potpourrie of ideas. Yet, what turned this imminent debacle into a super success is Allu Arjun's  energy and style quotient  that took Ala Vaikntapuramlo to another level altogether.
The movie begins with Murali Sharma, in a hospital, swapping his new-born child with that of Jayaram as he wished for his son's luxurious upbringing in the latter's house. Arjun, despite being constantly mocked by Murali, turns out to be smart and intelligent. On the other hand, Sushanth, the son of Murali turns out to be an unassertive failure, pampered as he was in the lap of luxury. Half way through the film Arjun discovers the truth of his parentage and then on tries to bring his alienated parents together and help his family.
The first half of the movie was fun to watch, with Allu Arjun's (rarely seen) restrained performance. He struggles through  middle class living with Murali's constant put-downs. The first half was well-paced, representing a nice, comic and well-paced family drama.
In the second half, it looked like the director decided to put in all the elements that the mass audience expects of a Allu movie. Gone was the restraint of the first half, the pace quickened, throwing in as many characters as possible...reducing super talents like Navdeep, Ramakrishna, Tabu, Tanikella, Rajendra Prasad, Brahmaji, Sunil, Vennella Kishore, Nivetha Pethuraj ... to caricaturish portrayals. Sad to see the blink-and-miss roles.
Navdeep's presence, especially, made you look forward to watching the magic created by the duo in Arya 2 repeat itself. But alas, this was not to be!
Only three characters were etched well. Allu Arjun as hero, Murali Sharma as the villain and Sachin Khedekar as Arjun's grandfather. And what remarkable performances by all three!
Sachin' s character is a catalyst to all the important twists that the story meanders though and he made sure he involved Arjun at every pivotal point to highlight his grandchild's prowess.
The heroine is Pooja Hegde's  beautiful, long legs which are used to portray the message, 'when a girl says no, it means a no." That's the role and significance of the heroine in the movie.
The songs also have everything in them, local, melodic, folk, item song et al...Samaja makes a significant impression with its melody.
And for the very first time, I noticed fights in a movie. They were very stylishly choreographed  and quite gracefully executed by Arjun.
Despite the flawed second half, slick execution by the director, Trivikram and super energetic performance by Allu Arjun has helped create yet another successful movie by the duo
A 3.5 on 5 rating for the sheer entertainment value.

Prathi Roju Pandage...really?

There is no panduga (a festival/ a celebration) in this Prathi Roju Pandage (meaning every day is a celebration).
On the contrary, it is slow, preachy with a very thin story line stretched to two and half hours.
It is for people who like Baghban. Got the drift, I guess.
The story is about Sathayaraj who, diagnosed with lung cancer, is given five weeks to survive.
He lives in Rajahmundry leading a happily retired life after having ensured the successful future of his four children. Three of them are abroad and are busily engaged with their projects, deliverables, deadlines. They all come to a mutual agreement that they can only be in India for the last two weeks of their father’s life and a total of four weeks which  included two weeks to perform the last rites. Sai Dhram Tej, our hero, is the son of the eldest son, Rao Ramesh, who could not be as calculative and lands in India at once.
He urges his grandfather to celebrate his last few days and do all that he had ever set his heart on. But the grandfather seemed to be content in his life already…not the one to pine for his missing children and feel neglected.  There’s very little value that Sai Dharam Tej adds to his grandfather’s life.
The movie has so many characters coming and going that you don’t really know who is who after a while…and frankly you stop caring after a point….
The heroine, Rashi Khanna looks beautiful and portrayed as a dumb head who is obsessed about tik-tok videos. So, you get an ideas about her contribution to the story.
Two people who do well are Ajay and Satyam Rajesh who play the comic villains.
Similar to Venky Mama, this movie stands on the shoulders of veterans like Sathyaraj and Rao Ramesh.
Rao Ramesh has outdone himself. The movie can be watched for him alone…
What the director forgets is that its nearly 18 years since Baghban. Times have changed. People are financially stronger. Parents have learned to live without depending on children and vice-versa. We have drawn our own lives in compliance with our needs that seldom concur. Yes, the loneliness persists but you don’t need someone to come redeem your life.
I expected to see some great family bonding and a comic relief but what I ended with was an unnecessary sermon about how one must take care of one’s parents.
Went with great expectations after seeing the trailers but just a 2/5 experience for me. This movie will make sense more to people who are still financially dependent on each other as a family and therefore need each other in their lives
A VenkyMama for me anytime over this if one must experience the 90s kind of movies.

Venky Mama

Movie trends keep changing every few decades. After the 70s wave, we now again live in the era of experimental movies and new form of story-telling.

Also, the era of bio-pics, the Dirty Picture heralding a beginning ...now milked to exhaustion! Tired of watching these bio pics, (esp from our hero of hysterical nationalism), stories drawn from real-life incidents, the historicals, the gangster movies and all, the heart was yearning for the good old entertainers with a simple story-line. 

In Telugu movies, the 90s was dominated by Venkatesh kind of movies, attracting the family audience. Many of us would be dismissive of Venkatesh's stardom calling him an actor who catered to ladies' sentiment alone. 

Now again, we have in Venky Mama, a commercial, which has all elements of a pure entertainer. And we can only watch admiringly as Venkatesh emotes so effortlessly and so well! It was a treat watching him again in his original form after a couple of decades. Sorry Nag Chaitanya, your uncle has outshone you in this joint venture.

Nag's character gets orphaned in childhood and Venkatesh brings him up. The movie explores without emotionally exploiting this uncle-nephew sentiment. It touches your heart as you know that they are real life uncle-nephew and that Nag's father had indeed separated from his mother in his childhood. The story mostly builds on this sentiment, and how they try to get each other married and how misunderstandings are built around the grandfather's belief in astrology. The heroines don't really have much to do.

Those who yearn for movies based on  good family story (without again the trend of a large joint family kind of set-up), will love this movie.Towards the end there is some villainy, perhaps to showcase Nag Chaitanya's action abilities but that still doesn't help. Despite Nag's very sincere performance, Venkatesh, even at this age stands out with his brilliant comic timing, and the movie belongs to him alone. Go watch and be entertained!

I don't need to rate this. Sufficient to say it is the 90s Venkatesh kind of a movie. The Telugu movie buff will know :)

Evaru

Writing a review for an Adivi Sesh movie seems an exercise in futility. I went to see the movie without reading a review or even viewing the trailer. His movies beckon the rarest cine-goer to the theatres. Evaru is brilliant too but a tad less than his previous Goodachaari.
Its time Adivi Sesh (à la Atul Kulkarni of Hindi films) gets his due with his brilliant line-up of movies... besides the very handsome looks.
Evaru, like his earlier movie Kshanam is an edgy thriller. Adivi Sesh is a cop who doesn’t care too much about inane stuff like scruples. He is assigned to a murder case involving Regina Cassandra to help her.
Every step is a brilliant mind game between the two characters Adivi Sesh and Regina Cassandra. Every detail provided by Regina is countered with an opposite view by Sesh. Writing Evaru review can be a very tricky exercise because any unthinking remark can give away the plot. There are very few characters in the movie…only those that are required to take the story forward. Naveen Chandra & Murali Sharma have important roles in the movie. Naveen has a meaty role that is very different to the ones he played in his movies so far. The plot takes you through many surprising turns and reveals deeper and darker secrets, each adding to more intriguing elements to the story, leading towards the climax.
Its drawback lies in the fact that it should have ended five minutes before it did when Sesh walked out of Reguina’s room. It would then have led to a stunning climax. But adding one more twist post that seemed pretty contrived.
It is based on the Spanish film, The Invisible Guest. But that’s just the premise. The screenplay is its own and keeps you engaged from start to end.
A 4/5 rating from me. Go watch!

Telugu Films: June-July 2019

The cine-goers have been hankering for a ‘different’ movie. We were lapping up girl-meets-boy-running-around-trees storyline for decades.
But soon enough, the tired audience wanted different. And different is what the Telugu audiences are getting in abundance these days. Each of the films, especially the low budget ones, come up with stories so widely varied!
To name a few:
Falaknuma Das: A Malayalam remake, is adapted to fit into the image of Falaknuma, Hyderabad old city, its streets, its flavours, the botis, the payas, Irani chai, lassis, the street brawls et al. It is about how the hot-headed 23-year-old protagonist, VishwakSen, mellows down after many high-drama experiences in life. 3.5/5

Mallesham: Priyadarshi, who has only been playing the hero’s comic friend from the beginning of his career chooses to portray the true story of Mallesham and his travails in trying to improve the ilk of Pochampally weavers by inventing a machine to make weaving easier. Priyadarshi was brilliant in this movie slipping effortlessly between different moods and moments. The movie is a tad slow though, reminding you of the ‘art’ films of the yore. 3/5

Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya: Naveen Polishetty a relative novice, playing the role of a wannabe sleuth with some fixed, (unintentionally funny) ideas in his mind about how a detective ought to be and behave. A comic thriller that has you engaged with its myriad twists and turns as the hero gets inadvertently drawn into a 'big' case that he was hungering for. Brilliant acting by the hero. And some great comic scenes. 3.5/5

1st Rank Raju, a Kannada remake, speaks about the futility in the mad pursuit of people (parents) who measure success in terms of ranks in academics. About how important is an all-round development. 2.5/5

Brochevarevaru Ra: For me the best of the lot. This movie is a writer’s narration to a female lead. How the characters from the narration and reality interact and affect each other’s lives forms more than an engaging narrative. Sri Vishnu, Nivetha, Ramakrishna and Priyadarshi playing their roles brilliantly. 4/5

Make use of this weekend to view some of these movies with story lines as different from each other as possible.

De de pyaar de

De De Pyar De trailer looked interesting. There was a prospect of comedy I was looking forward to watching.
To summarize, the movie is about a 50-year old romancing a 26-year young thing. So, what’s new, you may ask. Let me tell you, then.
This movie takes you back to those days when comedy need not equate to crassness. It need not be slapstick to be entertaining. It shows how one can have a decent storyline with all elements of drama, melancholy and comedy woven into it.
It starts with how Rakul Preet Singh, the 26-year-old meets the 50-year-old Ajay Devgn and what starts as a random acquaintance blooms into a full-blown romance. Much time is wasted trying to establish the bond between the two, though.
You get to sink your teeth into the juicy parts of the story only after interval when Devgn, who his daughter had declared dead to her fiancé, lands bang in the middle of her betrothal along with Rakul Preet. The ill-prepared Rakul Preet then discovers that Devgn has two grown up children in their 20s; that he has a sexy looking ex-wife (Tabu); that he has a set of parents who blame Devgn for the break-up between Tabu and him.
What ensues is a set of emotional moments between the bitter daughter and father, the son’s crush on Rakul Preet (who is introduced as Devgn’s secretary), the father (Alok Nath)’s caustic comments about the age difference...
Tabu has some powerful lines written for her and seems to remain in control through all this chaos as she tries to bring the groom’s family and hers together.
There are moments, mostly unspoken, which reflect fine lines in relationships. It does not boil to a simplistic 'Age doesn’t matter in relationships’ theory. It is that hesitant touch when Devgn wants to draw Rakul Preet close but feels awkward when he realizes that she had worn his daughter’s clothes. About when Devgn’s sense of responsibility towards his daughter overpowers his attraction to Rakul Preet. Despite that, his brooding moments through his daughters’ engagement reflecting his longing for Rakul Preet. This tells us that age doesn’t take away our longing for loving and being loved. It only awaits the right person to re-ignite it.

The Indian hero always shows himself being much younger than what he actually is. In such scenario, it takes a lot of courage for Devgn to allow himself to not only be shown as a 50-year-old but also to be called a ‘buddha.’

Javed Jaffery, a psychiatrist, plays the practical voice of the societal expectations from such a skewed relationship.

Like the many movies cautioning the teenagers of the perils of hastily venturing into inappropriate relationships, this one too cautions about the possible long-term effects of this age difference on a relationship.
This hitherto unapproached subject of age difference is supported by a powerful statement like ‘In earlier times also we had marriages with huge age differences but at least this is happening with the girl’s consent.’ 

A good entertainer this one with splendid performances by Tabu and Devgn. There is nothing intense about this movie. But, rest assured, it is not a Total Dhamaal either. 

Maharshi

The movies of Mahesh Babu that I like are far and few between. I do not like those commercially-oriented ones with barely-there story lines. To his credit, he does try different genres in his films.
What evoked my interest in watching Maharshi was Allari Naresh’s presence. That Naresh is a good actor (forcibly confined to certain genre) is no secret. I am so glad that in this film he got to do something other than hare-brained comedy (though he excels at those too).
The 3-hour film is divided into three phases of Mahesh Babu’s life. A college, corporate and village life.
The movie starts with a college scene with blossoming friendship between Mahesh Babu, Naresh and Pooja Hegde, the heroine. (Suspended belief called for.)
It is the usual college scene except that Mahesh Babu has extraordinary intelligence (and loads of attitude).
He has mapped himself to a path of success wherein relationships don’t hold much meaning and are seen as impediments. He loses the two friends he makes in college before he sets forward on the journey of his life to the US where his innovative ideas in mobile applications, find him soon heading the company he works for. Just as he starts wallowing in his long-dreamt success, a blast from the past makes him visit Naresh in his village. The visit sets him re-thinking the meaning of success and this forms the third and final part of the movie.
The next act in village and the ensuing confrontation with Jagapathi Babu forms an interesting duel between two minds.
Both Naresh and Jagapathi Babu shine in their performances. Mahesh Babu looks uncannily like his father. Of course, with far better dancing skills.
The very brief almost cameo- like appearances of Tanikella Bharani, Prakash Raj , Jayasudha and Vennella Kishore remain inexplicable. I mean such powerful performers in such blink-and-miss roles? To the extent that even Pooja Hegde, the heroine’s presence was just not required. When will we get rid of the obsession with glamor quotient in Telugu films?  The heroine for Naresh is completely justified though. Without all the song and dance, we would have a crisper movie on hand. and, the fights too...too many of them just to showcase Mahesh's action skills.
The story, though not really new, is very predictive but still gripping throughout, so much so that I never realized when the 3-hour long film got over.
What works for this film by Vamsi Paidipally, is that after a long time, we have a message delivered very effectively in a film without sounding preachy. At the end of the movie, your heart will go out and want to do something for the farmer.
Brings to mind the slogan so aptly raised by Shastriji “Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan!” So true! Where would we all be without the two?
Yeah, go watch the film while remaining vigilant of the above-mentioned minuses.
A 3.75/5 experience for me.

Jersey

The tag ‘Natural Actor’ sits on Nani well. This aspect is reinforced in the Telugu movie, Jersey.
 That, after a plethora of attempts at larger-than-life portrayals, he has returned to his Amol Palekarisque role brings great relief to his audience.
This is what he does best and not the Krishnagadi…Krishnarjuna etc. etc. kind of movies. (Perhaps the word Krishna doesn’t suit him?)
Neither Nani nor the movie fight shy of portraying the hero in a grey shade, a rarity in Telugu movies where even heroes over 50 want to show themselves as young and inviolable. In this movie, Nani’s age is a year older than what he actually is in his real life. He allows himself to be amidst 19-year-old youngsters bringing forth the stark difference in age and physical sprightliness.
As is his wont, he doesn’t seem to act. He lives the role. He portrays a successful but an arrogant cricketer who loses both, cricket and a government job, giving up the former and suspended from the latter. He now sits moping at home watching cricket and, in general, wasting time as his wife works, albeit reluctantly, in a job that doesn’t pay her much and in which she is humiliated from time to time.
But his love for his son keeps him going. Nani must have had an emotional attachment to the role as he named his reel son Nani and himself Arjun (his son’s name in real life) in the movie.
The son’s simple wish of getting the Indian jersey for his birthday is what forms the premise of the film. Nani feels humiliated and helpless as he sees himself unable to fulfil his son’s one wish.
The awakening happens when his wife catches him taking money from her purse. That triggers the end to his inaction.  He now wants to do something about his life instead of whiling away his time hoping to get back his job (by bribing the lawyer, which he refuses to).
Nani has played the role seemingly with lot of ease. In reality, how hard he must have worked, how much he must have practised to get those perfect shots with his bat. Not once does he make you feel he is a novice at cricket. At the same time, he allows his efforts to be noticed in his attempts to fit in and show himself as physically fit as the 19-year-old cricketers.
The movie is simple with no twists and turns. The hero tries to shed his looser label and fulfil a purpose in life. The journey from an insignificant existence to a meaningful one is what makes it so endearing to the audience. Plus, the fact that Nani is one of us, adds to the appeal.
The heroine, Shraddha Srinath’s acting was a little forced as she doesn’t have much to do but keep yelling at Nani. The kid is cute, a tad too cute perhaps. The cuteness factor could be turned down a little to concentrate more on some unspoken moments between father and son.
Sathyaraj as Nani’s coach and mentor is brilliant. Brahmaji, Rao Ramesh and Sampath Raj do well in their cameos.
There are times when you feel the movie is pursuing too many sub-plots. The more the sub-plots, the greater the difficulty in tying them together and bring them to a cohesive end.
Go watch for the Nani who was before Krishna etc…you will find him again in this movie.
After the director takes you to a crescendo in the post-interval portion of the film, the end was a definite let-down.
What works for the movie is the sincere efforts of the director, Gowtham Tinnanuri, a relative novice who knows how to cash in on Nani’s histrionics.
For me Jersey is a 3.5/5 experience.

Apna Time Aayega

Indian cinema trying to replicate a success story has become quite a hackneyed theme.
In this scenario, though based on a true story, Gully Boy offers a fresh approach, a fresh story and is different from all the movies (biopics being the latest trend) that get churned out regularly.
Apart from the odd Lootera in the beginning days of his acting, Ranveer is known more for his loud expressions, attire and persona.
In Gully Boy he has proved he can also underplay and do it well. The movie is about the underdog and pursuit of his dreams. When I heard this one-liner, my reaction was a yawn…so, what’s new?
What’s new, however, is its treatment by director Zoya Akhtar and execution by the lead actor, Ranveer Singh.
The hero doesn’t portray the typical larger-than-life persona. His no make-up look shows him as a very real person. The body language accentuates the humble demeanor he displays when in the presence of his employer, (eyes bend down, speaking in controlled voice).
Ranveer is accepting of his vulnerabilities and makes mistakes just like you and I do. He witnesses a deep rich-poor divide when he works as a temporary driver to his rich employer, yet there is no bitterness in him…. only a quiet note to himself ‘apna time aayega’ (my time will come). He defies his father who believes that they are born for and meant to serve the rich meekly all through their lives. Despite his poverty, Ranveer exhibits a strong set of values, standing by his friends, his mother…
The movie is filmed in Dharavi, the famed slums of Mumbai. Zoya speaks of the humdrum of life; of how the lead pair of Ranveer and Alia meet unknown to their parents; of their daily commute together in the local train; of their respective lower middle-class households; of Alia studying to become a doctor. All this is shown in a very matter-of-fact way without belittling the people of Dharavi or their surroundings.
Ranveer, on the other hand, is clueless about his life and its goal. He is happy penning lyrics for rap songs. Life has its plans when he happens to meet Siddhant Chaturvedi (an Emcee himself) who nudges him into singing (or is it called rapping?).
I don’t understand rap much but what I can empathise with is the yearning in the mind of a young boy who is from an impoverished background and hopes to make it big one day. Alia adds the subtle counterfoil to this ambitious Ranveer.
The movie could be considered as a take-off from where 3 idiots left. it will appeal more to the suppressed lot and not to the middle & upper middle class where lot of us have already allowed our children’s dreams to take wing.
Chaturvedi adds greatly to the energy but seems, unfairly, to be left out of the so-far-shared success journey towards the end. What could distract you is his uncanny resemblance to Shahid Kapoor.
I loved the simple synergy in this movie. One need not get unduly stressed wondering who is backstabbing who. The emotions of anger, happiness, friendship are never camouflaged. At 153 minutes, especially post interval, the film does drag a bit though.
I’d rate it a 3.5/ 5.

Rangasthalam

Can something in this world be described as being ‘too’ perfect?
Sukumar, the director of Rangasthalam, has achieved the state of near-perfection with this movie. So perfect in fact, that it’s eerie!
While watching a film through a critic’s eye, one tries to see beyond what is apparent on screen. Waiting to watch for discrepancy in the screenplay, maybe a backdrop that should not have been in a period film, a garment that looks a tad too modern, a diction that betrays a background that’s not in line with the ethnicity portrayed in the movie…
Rangasthalam is a tad too perfect. The hero’s beard, for example, is the perfect length and trimmed oh-so-well, with not a hair out of place. The hero's is hard of hearing. Because there is never a flawless human being, no?
Again, there is no irrelevant moment in the movie. Before you start wondering, the deafness too has a role to play.
The one place I caught him out, was when he calls the ‘doctor’ with a soft ‘r’ ending and not ‘daaktar’ as normally the villagers might do….
But let me set aside the mind that looks to nit-pick…
The movie is charming. It has a great script supported by some great acting.
Everyone has done his/her best in the allotted roles. Ram Charan is supported by a strong author-backed role. Samantha may not have an equal screen presence in terms of the length of the role but how well she lights up the screen when she appears on it! And how natural she looks in her simple non-matching cottons!
And no, she isn't just a dumb belle. She was the first among the villagers, in fact, who questions the President's clique about the debt repayment, mentioning that she was '6th-pass' and therefore knows that she had actually repaid the loan and owes nothing more.
The simple dance moves are a delight to watch…reminding you of how you hop, skip and jump around when you feel happy and there’s no one to watch you.
Naresh and Rohini as Ram Charan’s parents, Aadi as the brother and Jagapathi Babu and Prakash Raj are so right for their roles! Jagapathi babu, especially, portrayed as a man of a few words, makes for such menacing presence!
The story is about how the villagers of Rangasthalam live like frogs in a well, thinking that this is how their lives are meant to be…living in poverty and debt, believing that the President of the village is their God and savior.
But Aadi, Ram Charan’s brother, who is educated and Dubai-returned, makes the villagers realise the need for changing their leader.
What ensues is, politics at its worst…wicked deeds executed silently.
The movie keeps you riveted through all its twists and turns. Didn’t feel it was 180 minutes long.
Do see the movie on big screen. You will come back feeling it is worth it.
People, who aren’t Ram Charan fans will also succumb to this simple, yet, engaging movie.

Dear Sri

Amma brahma devudo

Kompa munchinavuro

Entha goppa sogasuro

Yeda dhachinavuro

Pula rekkalu

Konni thene chukkalu

Rangaristhivo

Ila bomma chesthivo

Asalu bhoolokam

Ilanti siri chusi untadha

Kanaka ee chithram

Swarganiki chendhi untadha

--Ram Gopal Varma's tribute to Sridevi's beauty in this song from the movie Govinda Govinda
His love and admiration for her could not be expressed better. All meaning, passion and feelings will be lost in translation to a non-Indian language, but here is an attempt.

Oh God!

I am devastated

by this charm

where have you been hiding it?

Some petals

a few drops of honey

mixed together

to transform into this doll

Has the earth

ever beheld such richness?

therefore this miracle

must surely belong to the heaven

Yes. Indeed such ethereal beings do not belong to earth. She has returned to her right home.

Sunday morning I opened my sleepy eyes to view this whats-app forward. Shocked, I quickly searched the internet hoping it was just a hoax. But it was not to be!
And the posting of these messages was not with a feeling of grief, as they would be followed by the usual cheerful  'Good Morning' messages. All eager in their attempts to sensationalize, nothing more!

On phone, someone calls and says, "Do you know that your favorite Sri has..."
I froze when I heard that word, wondering, 'how can you say that about her?!'
I couldn't and haven't till date said that dreadful word.

Within a few hours, even before the news could sink in, an analysis about she, her beauty regime, her surgeries etc. stormed the internet.
I couldn't tolerate this nonsense.
Never more have I been thankful of absence of a TV connection at home. I protect myself from allowing the image of Sri from being tarnished and blindly delete any forward I receive about her.
For me, she is a goddess, someone inviolable, sacred, ethereal, a blemish-less gossamer fantasy!
From my childhood, I have worshiped many an actor but sooner or later they would be unseated by someone more good looking or talented. But not Sri..
Someone made a very insensitive remark in one of the newspapers about 'her mediocre movies in Bollywood, apart from one or two'.
But that's what Hindi cinema extracted from her! Have a look at her rich repertoire of movies down south. Her movies with Kamalhasan remain unsurpassed to date
Just look at her big, round eyes and the gamut of expressions they capture in this bewitching lullaby with Venkatesh, both at the peak of their beauty and talent. (another RGV ode to his muse)

Even before the dhak-dhak song was enacted in Hindi, Sri had already done it in a Telugu film with an actor who could match her step-for-step:

Coming to pairing, where else have you seen an actress paired with, both, father and son, ANR and Nagarjuna, in not just one film but many of them, fine tuning herself according to the pairing all the time?
Where else have you seen an actress playing the grandchild (of NTR)  and romantically paired with the same actor in several movies?
Films have proved time and again that beauty and tragedy go hand-in-hand.
So, with Sri.
We are blessed to have captured her on screen for eternity with all her pristine beauty, charm and  performances in tact.
I am glad she is free of all the strife that she had to undergo in her temporary abode here.
We have proved ourselves unworthy of her in her existence on earth and beyond!
God will now take care of this special child!

Hello: a charming love story

Has Akhil proved the Akkineni lineage with this movie?
Saw Hello with not much expectations and was pleasantly surprised.
The movie opens with a fight and chase scene. The filming in the yet-to-be-inaugurated Hyderabad Metro is something a proud Hyderabadi will very well relate to. Akhil tries to nab the thief who is running away with his phone. From here, you are taken back to Akhil's childhood and into the reason that phone was important enough to warrant this chase.
Akhil, an orphan, befriends Kalyani Priyadarshan (a debut) and their bond strengthens as they hang out playing childhood games together.
This goes on till Kalyani's father gets transferred out of the city. Very filmy as the heroine throws the phone number scribbled on a 100 rupee note and throws it out of the window which in turn gets stolen by the thief...the same thief who steals his phone years later!
In pursuit of the thief, the hero dashes into Ramya Krishnan's car. Ramya and Jagapathi Babu adopt him later.
Though separated, Akhil and Kalyani pine for each other through their growing years.
Years later, and through a wrong call, Akhil hears a tune in the background, A tune that he had composed in his childhood for Kalyani. How he, after the phone gets stolen, tries to trace the caller and finds his childhood love back forms the rest of the story.
The movie is clichéd to the core. There is nothing that you have not seen before. But then why does it work?
Remember the movies of the 80s?  'Love Story', 'Qayamat se Qayamat Tak...'? This belongs to the same genre...a very cute love story, without being silly.
The director, Vikram (of Manam fame), has taken care to not portray the villain as too  wicked. With shades of comic, he (Ajay) is just vile enough  to allow Akhil show off his skills in action.
Both the hero and heroine at 23 and 22 respectively look convincing for this love story. So, if you are ready for a mushy-mushy film and want to come home feeling good about it, this is the movie for you.
Ramya Krishna and Jagapathi Babu's acting makes you long for seeing them back in main roles.
My rating a 3.5/5

MCA entertains well

Perhaps this will be my last movie review for the year. I don't foresee any other movie worth reviewing in the near future
These days, not watching any trailers, I go to a movie with absolutely no idea what it is about. The drawing power, this time around, is Nani. Don't we all wait eagerly for his movie releases?
It is believed that there are only a fixed number of stories in the universe retold in various forms. With this movie, the director has mixed in a spoonful of every 'rasa' and attempted to give us all Navarasas in one as all story ideas seem to be exhausted.
Lest that give you an impression of a bad movie, let me tell you, it isn't. The movie is pure entertainment and Nani's 'natural' acting ensures you empathize with all emotions along with him. Sai Pallavi, the female version of 'natural' Nani, has proved her brilliance once again in her second movie in Telugu.
The story may not be new but the way the relationships are treated is new and refreshing to watch. Have you ever before in our Indian movies watched a girl woo a boy? And when since the days of Rama and Sita have you seen a Lakshmana-like devotion to one's sister-in-law on screen?
The emotions are handled well and the first half of the movie runs at a brisk pace but the second half loses its tempo.
Priyadarshi is going the Brahmandam way. Seen in every second movie, it wont take long for him to be labelled blasé.
MCA  is Middle Class Abbayi. This concept seems forced into the movie dialogs without actually showcasing many examples from a middle class life. Another funny interpretation of MCA is Mandu, Cigarette Aarogyaniki hanikaram...according to Nani
Veterans like Aamani and Naresh shine even in the small roles they play. The not-so-veterans Rajeev Kankala and Bhoomika also do their fair bit. But, somehow, in the second half, Pallavi seems to be reduced to what every other heroine does in our films.
Vijay, who debuts as a villain, doesn't intimidate us with either his physical presence or his acting skills. Or is it that they didn't want too treacherous a villain in this middle class family drama?
Well, the story, in short, is about how the hero fiercely protects his sister-in-law, a Collector, from the local goons.
The plus side of the movie is the energetic performances by most of the actors. Second, the whole family can happily watch the movie together with not one instance of vulgarity or obscenity.
On the minus side, the songs are completely unnecessary and only break the rhythm of the narattion. Also,the movie needs a stronger plot to continue the tempo and entertainment of the first half
Nani's acting makes the movie worth watching
A 3/ 5 from me. 

Gruham /The House Next Door

It is a month since this movie released and not once did I have a thought of watching it.
Two reasons:
When I was a child my mother used to narrate experiences from her younger days. Some of those stories included movies screened in her college. Through all those memories, one movie stood out stark and sharp and that was: The House of Wax. Her story telling and compelling power of imagination had me swear off horror movies forever.
Two, my father-in-law, a great movie buff, used to take us to watch movies of all kinds, horror being one of the genres. I was like a kid then and would obediently tag along. And...the (regional) horror movies that he made us watch were so comical that I decided not to watch these ridiculous movies any more. Catching an occasional one on different TV channels or internet further reaffirmed the belief.
But, because it is Siddharth, an actor I have a soft corner for, and because of the interviews in which he kept insisting that it is not like your typical comic horror drivel in the name of watching horror, and his assurance that this movie measures up to international standards, how he worked for 4 years, polishing the script to produce it in 3 languages...all these compelled me to go watch it.
I was prepared to literally run out of the theater screaming in fright. But thankfully nothing of the sort happened. It was scary but not to the extent I expected. Maybe I should watch some more 'real' horror movies to compare.
Well, the first thing that goes right with the movie is its brilliant casting. Each character, small or big, so apt for the role he/she plays! Second, the very crisp writing with not a wasted moment in the movie. Third, the startling, hair-raising moments that catch you unawares abated by the equally intimidating music.
The story is about a haunted house and why the ghosts within compel the new resident, Atul Kulkarni, to vacate the premises by possessing and controlling his daughter, Jenny.
Siddharth, a neuro-surgeon helps Suresh , the psychiatrist in this process. A sorcerer and a priest (Prakash Belawadi) are roped in too to get rid of the ghost who possesses Jenny. Of course, after each of these people  go through various trials and tribulations, the ghost is rid of. But even as we think the movie has ended, there is still a twist waiting at the end.
I like this one. Horror movies...here I come!
This movie is for me  3.5/5 experience. On a scare-o-meter, it scores a 2.5/5.

Secret Superstar

Aamir Khan's name, whether associated with acting or producing, always raises one's expectation. Going by that standard, Secret Superstar doesn't meet the anticipated bar. It is produced by Aamir Khan and directed by his manager, Advait Chandan, a debut director
Yet, there are a lot of pluses which make the film watchable.
For me, this movie is a little behind my times. We don't stifle our children's dreams like that these days, do we? Secret Superstar is a voice for all those children from middle class households where following traditions and fulfilling the expectations of the society is more important than fulfilling one's dreams.
That's the plot premise.
Okay, now what really works for the movie is Zaira Wasim's outstanding performance. After watching her in Dangal and now in Secret Superstar, it looks like she can play any role with an enviable ease.  She is also well-supported by her mother, played by Meher Vij.
The strict father's role, espoused by Raj Arun, is against his 15-year old daughter playing the guitar and her singing. He wants her to be educated just enough to make her a good prospect for a marriage and not remain uneducated like her mother. Therefore, the only way Zaira can fulfill her dream is to post her videos on You Tube wearing a burkha. Zaira's confidants in this journey are her mother, younger brother and her classmate (Tirth Sharma) .
There are some powerful yet subtly delivered messages on women empowerment and how, a woman when she discovers her inner strength, becomes indomitable..
Aamir Khan, in an extended cameo, plays an obnoxiously arrogant music director who had once touched the peaks of fame but has now slipped as he tries to adapt himself to the requirement of modern music. Later, he helps Zaira in both, her journey of music and her life journey.
What will really touch your heart is the innocent friendship between Zaira and Tirth. You feel transported to your younger days as you remember your childhood crushes.
The minuses come from the fact that the film lacks a cohesion. Beautiful parts but not stitched together seamlessly.
I will go with 3/5

Where's the food, Chef?

Suave sophisticated, urbane, cool...this is the air Saif carries around him and these are the kind of roles that he can carry with an easy aplomb, as witnessed in Chef.
The (Airlift) director, Raja Krishna Menon, has done a brilliant casting in Saif as the Chef,  Padmapriya Janakiraman as his ex-wife, and Svar Kamble as their son.
Having seen Favreau's CHEF earlier I was a little reluctant to watch this one but I can safely state now that the story hasn't been messed with over-the-top performances.
So what works for this movie? It is not the typical hero-heroine-villain-songs formula. It is about a person (Saif) who follows his passion to be a chef instead of the engineer/doctor professions most prevalent in India. He runs away from home as a child, going to the US eventually and earning 3 Michelin stars.
Yet one fine day, he finds himself in scuffle with a customer who criticizes his food.
As a result, Saif is fired and he uses this break to be with his son who lives with his ex-wife, Padmapriya, in Cochin.
Milind Soman as Padmapriya's friend, with his chiseled body and a salt and pepper hair is a treat to the eyes. He is a business man and offers a run-down truck to Saif to conduct his food business from.
Mentionable is the driver of the truck played by Dinesh Nair who brings in the humorous flavor to the movie.
In getting the food truck ready for its journey to Delhi, is also a journey of a relationship  between Saif and his son, Svar. They together discover what it is to be a son and a father. The movie captures these moments beautifully. Credit to the two for the very cool casualness with which they handle these emotions.
Here you have a hero who is not afraid to show his shortcomings, his weaknesses and how he is willing to learn and pass these lessons to his son.
The movie, very predictably, ends with the success of the food truck and a family union.
In Chef, if you assume you will get to watch some great culinary experiences, some gastronomically delightful cooking, some tantalizing tastes and sights, you are in for a big disappointment. The movie only brushes through those much-anticipated moments fleetingly.
Also some incidents and characters are rather sketchily etched.
Despite these flaws, the movie is quite watchable and perhaps will help bring Saif that much-needed hit after the debacles in the last few years.
A 3/5 from me.

Mahanubhavudu: a fiasco

Going by the word-of-mouth propaganda, I watched this movie in a remote located cinema. The tickets were sold out in every other multiplex.
The opening song (Mahanubahuvudevera) and the trailers make you think it is some classic like 'Mithunam' or 'Rudraveena': a movie about relations and emotions. But till the end, it leaves you puzzled about what exactly it wants to convey.
Sarwanand's movies always send out mixed signals. When you go to watch his movies you don't know what to expect. It is true that he chooses his stories well and that he tries that they are different to the routine. Some of his movies are brilliant and some very run-of-the-mill types.
Therefore when I went to watch this one, and due to all the hype created with tickets sold out, I expected a lot out of the movie.
The character of Sarwanand is afflicted with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), a behavior which compels him to keep himself and his premises clean. Dirt and mess disturb him. This is established in the first half with all his reactions to situations when he encounters unclean people and surroundings.This intolerance hurts people close to him, including his mother. His brother (Vennela Kishore) just about tolerates this behavior and the only friend that Sarwanand has in his life.
He falls for Mehreen Pirzada as his first encounter is with her inclination to Swach Bharath.
Gradually the two fall in love . But his OCD makes him not even kiss her due to his fear of contamination. Eventually, this behavior creates circumstances that lead to a break up.
Yet, Sarwanand, who has managed to impress Mehreen's father (Nassar), travels to his village to take care of Nassar's health. He braces himself and tries to adjust to situations which make him face his fears many times.
The final test comes when he has to roll on the mud floor with a wrestler to restore the 'honor' of Nassar and win over the heroine. He passes out after this event due to his extreme reaction to the surroundings caused by his obsession with cleanliness.
There is nothing in the movie that makes you feel compelled to watch it.
The hero has a perpetual annoying smile throughout the movie and a more annoying hair style which makes you want to reach out and pin back that lock that keeps falling on his forehead. The heroine, as in most of the Indian movies, is ornamental.
But what was quite disconcerting was the treatment of OCD. It is not treated as a chronic disorder that it is but as something that is to be  made fun of. It might have been still okay if a character in a smaller role has this behavior and you laugh at it for the few moments that it lasts in the movie. But for this behavior in a full-length  role needs justice and a serious treatment.
Watch only if you are prepared for a typical Telugu film with a mass appeal. If you expect some brainy stuff, you are in for a big disappointment.
A 1.5/5 from me.

Jai Lava Kusa: the unexpected

Life throws surprises and so do movies.
Jr. NTR movies are to be watched on TV only...this has been my dictum since the time he started acting. The OTT performances in his 'mass' movies aren't the kind I enjoy watching. There have been a few exceptions of late. But he still roars in one of his movies, 'class anukunnavemo, lopala mass aalage undi'.
Ok...
So, watched 'Nannaki Prematho' with the same expectation but was nicely surprised with the intelligent story and combined performances of Jagapathi Babu and NTR. Perhaps this sentiment made me watch Jai Lava Kusa (albeit reluctantly) in its first week of release.The underlying thought was how do I put up with three NTRs in one movie? It also doesn't help to know that it is directed by K. S. Ravindra, known for directing/writing for pakka mass movies.
And was I surprised when I watched this one?!
The story is of triplets who, separated in childhood, develop into three different personalities with three different shades of gray due to the environment they are brought up in. One is Lava, the gentleman, Kusa, the petty thief and Jai, the dark villainy character. This portrayal is brilliantly showcased by the best in the VFX and the prosthetics department, equally supported by remarkable performance by NTR.  He played around with the nuances of the portrayal of the three characters so well that when he gave an interview post the movie release, I was wondering about the absence of the other two NTRs! The story concludes to show how blood is thicker than water.
The heroines (Raashi Khanna and Nivetha Thomas) are ornamental but catalytic to some twists to the story. Ronit Roy in his debut role as a Telugu villain does not look as comfortable or sinister as do his contemporaries from the Hindi cinema playing villain roles in Telugu.
It is still not a class act. You still have those melodramatic dialogs, dances, action, costumes, an item number et al. Go watch it with no expectation and you will be in for a pleasant surprise.
A 3/5 from me.

Arjun Reddy

With people raving about this movie; with no tickets available over the weekend for any of its shows, I thought that writing a review about Arjun Reddy is redundant. But I write as I have a slightly different take on the movie.
Ok, at the outset I didn't understand at all why the movie is A-certified. The expectation it sets is that it has copious amounts of sex or violence or plenty of expletives but no, it doesn't really have scenes depicting nudity, nor scenes of gory violence and has just a handful of expletives. (The censor board may need a rethink as those expletives are very much a part of the narration and beeping them, despite an A certificate, hampers the narration.)
So what's it about?
The movie is about a very passionate and honest love story. Vijay Deverkonda, the hero, is passionately in love with his junior in medical college. He turns alcoholic when he loses the heroine (Shalini Pandey, in her debut role). It is an unconventional love story as it persists through all circumstances. It stands against caste, religious, regional differences.
This is exactly why it has so strongly appealed to the youth. It will appeal to the youth who feel choked because of all these restraints imposed by conservative thinking of parents and the society. The nonconformists will easily be able to take this story in their stride.
Why else will the movie attract universal audiences?
For me, because it stands by values. This movie appeals to the higher intellect. It teaches you to respect every human being. It teaches you not to objectify a woman. It teaches you to be honest and truthful to life, and more important, to yourself. It teaches you to value love and relationships. It teaches you to be passionate about life, love and living and not live like an inanimate object. It teaches you to live fearlessly, without hypocrisy. It teaches you the value of friendship that stands firmly with you through all ups and downs of life.
The director, Sandeep Reddy, has extracted the best from Vijay Deverkonda who makes a deep impact with his superlative acting skills after his brilliant 'Evade Subramaniam'. Together they bring out brutally honest emotions that we all die to display but are scared to.
The movie also boasts of slick editing and story-telling. The heroine has a presence and importance throughout. Maybe her rather plain looks has a message that looks don't matter in love.
Happened to catch a sparkling glimpse of yesteryears' Kanchana, as the hero's grandmother, who has lost none of her radiance.
This movie doesn't bank on crass comedy, punch dialogs, heroine's midriff or the hero's deification for its salability. (All these easily get by the censors).
I definitely think the movie is not just for the youth but for everyone who has forgotten to live a life.
For all the above factors, I give it a 4/5.

Fidaa

Going by its non-Telugu title I hadn't cared much about watching Fidaa until I discovered it was directed by Sekhar Kammula.
The opening scene is very interesting and very different from the routine star entry of heroes in Telugu films. It has three orphaned brothers and their early-morning routine in the US with the hero cooking.Yes, this Telugu hero does the unthinkable! There is a disparity in age as the youngest is a late adoption.
One day, they decide that Raju, the eldest should get married so that the family is complete. Towards this, they travel to India. There they meet Sharanya whom they together select to be Raju's bride..
But it is the naughty sister of Sharanya, Sai Pallavi, who soon becomes the center of the story.
Varun Tej, the second brother and Pallavi are drawn to each other. Yet, a misunderstanding separates the two, with Varun returning to the US with his brother and the newly-wed bride.
But after returning, Varun understands that he isn't able to overcome his feelings for Pallavi and messages his proposal to her. Pallavi not only rejects the proposal but also goes on to get engaged to someone else. Heart-broken, Varun tries to forget her, in vain.
Later, Pallavi comes to the US to visit her sister. This allows the two to meet once again and realize their feelings for one another.
When Pallavi returns to India, her father convinces her to marry for love and no other reason.
The story line maybe thin but what makes the movie a run-away success is its execution.
One, as is his wont, Kammula knows how to direct his movies towards a youth appeal. The very bubbly and energetic acting by the female lead in combination with Kammula's known focus on women characters helps too. A big and bold move by the director is relying on Telangana flavor for his movie. He tells the story in this backdrop without making a mockery of either the region or the language. Third, is the way Kammula has kept his movie so devoid of all theatrics and close to everyday life. That village life doesn't equate to backwardness is illustrated well.
Sai Chand as Sharanya and Pallavi's father,  Geetha Bhaskar as their aunt, Aryan as Varun's younger brother have added great value to the movie.
I did not watch Varun Tej's movies earlier, wary as I am of the OTT performances from the Konidela stable. But Varun in the role of a quiet, educated and dignified NRI has done a very decent job.The giant personality also seems so apt for the role. Full marks to Kammula for a great casting in the movie.
Of course, there are a few weak links too. Sharanya looks like a wannabe in trying to fit into the western style and her acting seems a little forced. Pallavi's sudden transformation in the way she dresses in the US is inexplicable.The end, where Varun decides to stay back in India also doesn't look convincing. It isn't that easy to chuck one's dreams, no?
Pallavi is definitely NOT a looker. In fact, her very first scene has her running and screaming her gut out. I was hoping that this was not the female lead. Yet, she is the main draw. Kudos to a non-Telugu girl in learning Telugu and pull off the Telangana accent so well.
The movie is a smooth, light hearted love story which will appeal more to the youth in their 20s.
My rating 3/5. You will not be bored, for sure.