Bhadram - Telugu Movie Review

Bhadram

Synopsis: Vettri joins a detective agency and is assigned a series of subjects to observe. He falls in love with Madhusree, one of his targets, and just when everything seems to be going fine, Vettri's subjects start dying mysteriously. Can he save Madhu before it is too late? 

Movie Review: Thegidi is the latest in the list of new-age Tamil films that are popping up at regular intervals since Karthik Subbaraj's trendsetting Pizza. It has all the elements that characterize these films —relatively new but familiar actors, impressive cinematography, likable music, competent direction, recognizable locations, and a little of envelope pushing (though nothing radical). There is even a Pizza-like post-climatic twist here that leaves the film an open-ended mystery.

So, it comes as no surprise that the film works. The plot has the feel of a 80s Rajesh Kumar/Subha/Pattukottai Prabhakar potboiler, in which an intrepid detective finds himself in an intriguing situation and solves a mystery with his daring and (a little bit of) cleverness. Here, Vettri, a young criminology graduate, lands a job in a private detective agency (Radical Detective Service), and is given a few subjects to track, observe and report. Like any beginner, Vettri is enthusiastic and passionate about his work and does a flawless job, impressing his employers Sadagopan and Sailesh.

But when he given the task of observing Madhusree, Vettri breaks the rules of his work, and falls in love with her. She too reciprocates and everything seems to be going smooth until one day, Vettri discovers th
at two of the subjects have died under mysterious circumstances. He senses that something is amiss and tries to warn a couple of them but they too are murdered in front of his eyes. Now, he becomes convinced of a sinister plot and tries to save Madhu, who doesn't know the actual nature of his work. 

What's refreshing about Thegidi is how director Ramesh manages to keep things understated even when the situations seem to turn overwhelming. Barring a couple of scenes, there is a matter-of-factness in the approach that keeps the movie from turning into a bombastic thriller in which everything is at stake. This is the film's plus and also its weakness. While this low-key approach helps to keep the events realistic and believable, it also takes away the nail-biting quality (even the fight that you get is more of a scuffle than a choreographed action scene) that we expect from films in this genre. But the earnestness in the actors' performances helps sidestep this flaw to an extent. 

Of course, there are some developments which are baffling. Despite realizing that Madhu's life is in danger, Vettri doesn't immediately try to inform her of the threat. Even when she walks out on him after coming to know of his true identity, he doesn't explain the situation to her. And, we can't help but question his bravado when he goes snooping inside an antagonist's house, after having taken the issue to the police. He even puts his life in danger at this point, which only makes the character seem like a rash person. And, given that he has only a handful of characters, it becomes easy for us to guess the master brain behind the antagonists' scheme, while the final twist is just rug-pulling for the sake of a twist.

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Veerudokkade - Telugu Movie Review

Veerudokkade

Synopsis: A straightforward man, who uses violence to settle disputes, decides to mend his ways for the sake of his lover, but when he learns that her family is in danger, he decides to save them at all cost.

Movie Review: Right in the opening segment, director Siva lays out his cards. There is a fight between two groups in a college and the new principal, who wants to put an end to this, goes to meet the elder brother of one of the parties involved in the scuffle. And, there, we see that the brother himself is a ruffian, who will feed people before beating them as he wants them to be strong to take the blows. But since this person is also the hero of the film, he is what we could call a genial rowdy, and the scene plays out mostly for laughs. The district collector, who is his friend, is present at the scene, happily requesting a similar "entertainment" the next day as well. If this is what your of idea of fun is, then, hop on aboard, the director seems to say.
The film is a template masala film — a superhuman hero, his cronies who will sing his praises all the time, a beautiful-looking heroine, a raging villain. It has no room for logic, moving from one hero-worshipping scene to the next and is aimed at our visceral tastes. The story is in service of its star and, it is unapologetic about it.

The plot, which kicks in only in the second
half, and revolves around Vinayagam (Ajith) and his four brothers, who are do-gooders who will not hesitate to meet violence with violence. Vinayagam falls in love with Koperundevi ( Tamannaah), the daughter of Nallasivam ( Nasser), a pacifist. He tries to mend his ways for the sake of his lover, but when he learns that a revenge-seeking convict (Atul Kulkarni) wants to annihilate her entire family, he decides to stop him at all cost.

The very purpose of Veeram is to be a showcase for its star, Ajith, and that it does quite well. Right from the hero introduction scene, Siva creates moments specifically designed for his hero to shine — you see him being praised by those around him, mouthing punch dialogues, being nice to kids and elders, fighting on a running train, and in the climax, coming back from the dead to destroy the villain and his men. The best scene among the lot is one where Vinayagam goes to meet Vanangamudi, a goon with whom he has had a few run-ins, and orders him to do his bidding, all the while making it seem like he is begging for mercy, for the sake of the peace-loving Nallasivam. And, Ajith effortlessly conveys the heroic nature of his character and completely plays to the gallery.

The challenge with this sort of film is that it should keep moving forward without losing momentum. And that is where Veeram slips, at least in the initial stages. The entire first half involves the shenanigans of Vinayagam's brothers who, with help from their lawyer Bail Perumal ( Santhanam) try to get their brother fall in love with Koperundevi. Throughout these episodes, we are left wondering where the plot is heading and the film doesn't make it clear even by the interval point. The brothers too are uniformly uninteresting — all the four of them look the same and behave the same, and their characters are hardly defined. The romantic portions and Santhanam's quips, while entertaining, travel through previously trodden ground.

As for the second half, it coasts along once the plot kicks in and for a while, we are engrossed in Vinayagam's efforts to track down the various teams of hitmen sent to wipe out Koperundevi's family. But, even here, the villain doesn't come across as too much of a challenger to the hero, and, despite having an actor like Atul Kulkarni, Siva fails to build a truly terrifying character.

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Hrudayam Ekkadunnadi - Telugu Movie Review

Hrudayam Ekkadunnadi

He's not only an architect by profession, he deems it only right that he be the architect of his own life. But when he falls in love with a schoolmate, it is a clash between his heart and head. His heart wants to marry the girl but his head refuses to bow to her father - something that the girl suggests only so that her father's heart could be won by him. 

Madhav (Krishna Maadhav) bumps into Divya (Anusha) at a restaurant and immediately recognises her as the girl he had a crush on when in school. They get talking and its leads to talking about marriage. In two months Divya will complete her studies but she's scared that her father will get her married to someone of his choice. Madhav is not perturbed. They make plans together on how Madhav will impress her father. And that is where the clash between Madhav and Divya takes place.

Just so that he can get an entry into her house, Divya introduces Madhav to her father and sees that he gets to design the new restaurant the family is planning to open. The architect gets on the job rightaway but when Divya asks him to show respect to her father by touching his feet, the level-headed man will not. That is only the beginning of differences between them. And then, there's also someone who is keen on seeing that Madhav does not finish the work in time. 

It is when things seem to be getting out of hand and there's too much pressure on him that Madhav encounters another problem: Nitya. 

Nitya (Samkruthi) objects to the construction work during the night as her father is a heart patient. Madhav handles the situation se
nsitively and in due course is drawn towards her. 

With whom does Madhav end up? That the question even on Manmadha's mind as the 'captain' who oversees all love affairs in the world. 

As a subject, the film has hardly shown that it can interest an audience. The pace of the movie is also painfully slow. Krishan Maadhav could do well to hone up his histrionics and dancing skills. Anusha is expressive and Samskruthi makes sure she limits herself to her brief. 

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Hyderabad Dreams - Telugu Movie Review

Hyderabad Dreams

Each one has a dream. The urge is to leave their village, land in Hyderabad and realise their dream. Hopes get crashed, dreams turn nightmares and burdens refuse to sink into the Tank Bund. The movie's main purpose is to tell everyone with a dream not to get disappointed or disgusted with life just because the path has not been easy or rosy. The director chooses to tell the story from the points of view of different people. 

Instead of studying, a child would rather want to be seen on television as a dancer and leaves home to Hyderabad without telling his parents. Ditto with a young girl who is simply fascinated by the silver screen and wants to enter tinsel town. Encouraged by her friends, she leaves her home without informing her parents and much as she might try for that elusive chance that will make her a heroine in Telugu films, she lands up a disappointed girl. To make matters worse, a manager in a film production takes advantage of her and she even loses her self-esteem.

Another character refuses to take up a job in his village because he has a Dubai dream. He lands in Hyderabad but the agent che
ats him of his Rs 3 lakh. There are similar stories of others who struggle to realise their ambitions. They are crestfallen but at a crucial juncture a professor enters the scene. At the Tank bund in the city, he encourages them not to give up on their aspirations. That is exactly what they want in life - such encouragement. 

Technically, the movie falls short of minimum expectations, though as subject it is good. There is nothing entertaining also in the movie, so it does not exactly fit into those commercial film categories. If you are looking for all those filmi elements to entertain you, the film is 'poor'. If you want to watch a docu-drama, you have no right to complain.

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Nuvve Na Bangaram - Telugu Movie Review

Nuvve Na Bangaram

Story: ​Haritha (Sheena) has a fight with Surya (Sai Krishna), a scooter mechanic. ​A girl calls up Surya one day. They talk. ​Haritha tries to get his attention away from the girl he has never met at all but speaks only on the phone. Haritha loves Surya who is interested in the girl who he speaks to always. Is there a way out?

Movie Review: ​The doting father's only condition for sending her father all the way from Vizag to Hyderabad is that she should assure him that she would not fall in love. The man's got a reason to be protective of his daughter because his son, rejected in love, commits suicide. The girl gives her assurance to her parents and lands in Hyderabad - and not realising it herself - in love.

Haritha (Sheena) has a fight with Surya (Sai Krishna), a scooter mechanic. He's rude and she's brutal. So, the chances of them ever exchanging even a pleasantry or even a glance are remote. A girl calls up Surya one day. They talk. The calls become more frequent. But the girl always avoids meeting him until, when she surprisingly agrees and asks him to meet him near her college bus stop. She does not come. Surya is terribly disappointed. When he calls her, she explains to him why she was not able to meet him.

Unexpectedly (for him), Haritha shows up before Surya and quite expectedly, he's mad at her considering that they've had a fight earlier. In subsequent meetings, Haritha makes him forget the fight just so that they could at least be friends. He agrees. Haritha tries to get his attention away from the girl he has never met at all but speaks only on the phone. Somewhere along, Haritha loses her heart to Surya. Now, that's quite dangerous for her. Sh
e had given her word to her parents that she would have nothing to do with the emotion called love. And moreover, Surya is interested in the girl who he speaks to always. Is there a way out?

Tanikella Bharani as Surya's father plays an uncharacteristic father. He's got to even handle his son Surya's undiluted honesty and truthfulness. Because the truth hurts, he wishes that it would be better if his son lied to him. Suman as Haritha's father is happy because of the name he has in society as one who brings up his children with discipline. He fits into his role well. The deliberately intended coarse comedy completely spoils the show. The raw and vulgar dialogues (wonder how they escaped the censors!) remove the focus from what could have been meaningful entertainment.

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Bangaru Kodipetta - Telugu Movie Review

Bangaru Kodipetta

Story: A sales girl Bhanu (Swati) and a small time thief Vamsi (Navdeep) collaborate on a heist. In the course of the con job their paths cross with two brothers from Bheemavaram - Dorababu and Errababu and an aspiring actor Venu (Santosh). 

Movie Review: The most remarkable aspect of the movie is that it does away with all the unnecessary frills that are staple diet of mainstream Telugu cinema. By doing away with songs, forced comedy tracks, cheesy punch dialogues, gravity defying stunts and perfunctory sudden twists, and sticking to plain simple story telling the filmmakers managed to make a bold statement at least, if not an undeniably good film.

The movie begins on a reasonably engaging note with Vamsi desperately trying to start his car when an unidentified man pops into the car out of the blue. Vamsi pulls out a gun and after a brief scuffle shoots the guy accidentally and dumps him into the bushes at a desolate side of the road, a little ahead. On returning he is surprised to find the car missing and gets run over by a speeding SUV. Even as an airborne Vamsi is landing on the ground a voiceover kicks in to take you into flash back mode.

Characters are introduced one after another. The most endearing is Bhanu, an eight class fail sales girl who gets fired for faking her educational qualifications. She is sick of living with her sister who is m
arried to a drunk and wants to get a home for herself. Desperate to raise fifty thousand to pay off the installment of her home she plans to rob a truck carrying gold, belonging to the company. She seeks out the help of her subordinate Vamsi, who happens to be a thief. He dotes on her but Bhanu isn't interested.

Disconnected from the duo is a wannabe actor Venu who doubles up as a pizza delivery boy while looking for that elusive big break. He accidentally gets drawn into a hostage situation involving two warring brothers from Bheemavaram. Thanks to a combination some smart screenplay and voiceovers all the characters bump into each other towards the second half.

Save Swati and Navdeep to an extent, none of the characters' journey really succeeds in making a strong enough emotional connect. Swati puts in strong performance but seems to lack her trademark spunk. Navdeep looks natural but there really isn't enough electricity happening between them on screen. The rest of the casting seems to have gone awry.

That said, the plot just doesn't pack in any adrenaline rush, especially the bit surrounding of the heist. It all seems to play out sans any edge of the seat thrills. Also there aren't enough funny moments either. Visually it does look pretty slick and the background score is pleasant and leaves you wishing there was more of it.

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Basanti - Telugu Movie Review

Basanti

Story: A terrorist gang takes 80 students hostage in a college building. There's fear all around. In such an atmosphere, Arjun tells Roshni that he loves her. Bang! The terrorists mean business.

Movie Review: Karachi-trained Ghazi Naseeruddin's wants another terrorist cooling his legs in a Hyderabad jail, Babur Khan, to be released. Until then, he will not release his hostages. He even tells the police commissioner Ali Khan (Sayaji Shinde) that along with Babur Khan, 20 students will also have to be flown to Muzzafarpur in Pakistan along with the released terrorist. Ali Khan realises, his daughter Roshni (Alisha Baig) is also among those taken hostage by the terrorists.

Arjun (Gautham) overpowers all the security personnel and enters the Basanti college building that the terrorists have taken over. Predictably, the terrorists give him their kind of treatment. It is now a war of nerves between the terrorists and the police.
Ultimately, the police give in and get ready to free the dreaded terrorist Babu Khan. Arjun, meanwhile, is not one who will allow the terrorists to have the upper hand. A commando who disregards the advice of the police commissioner tells something in the ear of Arjun before
he is shot dead in the building which he enters stealthily.

The movie deals with a gripping subject and does not pamper those with voyeuristic instincts. There's situational humour but not comedy in the sense of the term. The film has a much more purpose than entertainment. It inspires one not to give in to a situation but rise above it, even if it means facing a risk.

Not once do you get the feeling that the hero, whose got perfect timing in his action sequences, and who impresses with his straight-faced and honest expressions is the son of comedian Brahmanandam. Neither Gautham's looks nor mannerisms remind you of his famous father. That actually should be a tribute to Brahmanandam as it only proves how he has mastered the art of comedy and his mannerisms do not come naturally to his son.

Alisha Baig does a fine job in the way she reacts when confronted with peculiar situation. She's speaks in English most of the time and appears quite natural in her surroundings. The director has done well to have a character, a girl student, who with her pithy comments, lightens the situation most of the times in the college atmosphere. The cinematography and music enhance the impact of the movie.

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D for Dopidi - Telugu Movie Review

D for Dopidi

The movie has this irreverent sense of humour that makes up for the apparent lack of finesse in the filmmaking. There's a scene in which Raju, Vicky and Bannu are at their wits' end when Harish is missing on the morning they're supposed to hit the bank, only to find that he'd stepped out to wish his girlfriend a happy birthday.

Later, after they regroup and are about to enter the bank, a police jeep arrives on the scene at the precise moment, forcing them to abort the mission. Next, they decide to time their loot minutes before the closing time, only to discover that the manager has left early. After they defy all odds and pull off the robbery, Harish throws a fit, protesting against looting double the money they needed. In come another set of unlikely robbers, armed with real guns this time. 

For most part, the movie offers a bizarrely funny spectacle arising out of half-baked attempts by a bunch of loony characters trying pull off a bank heist. Raju is a junior artiste who needs Rs 10,00,000 to land his maiden hero role. Vicky's Casanova lifestyle lands him in huge debts, Harish needs to make a fortune to win his lover's hand and Bunny needs money to get the six-pack that his dream girl fancies. Tanikella Bharani and his sidekick, who lead the other gang, need to pay up a farm labourer Rs 10,00,000 because they are fooled into thinking so. We also have a joint-smoking wannabe script writer, Chevaula Pilla, an eccentric bank manager who would do anything to hold on to his impeccable career record etc. 

The acting is adequate, with Sundeep and Varun dominating the rest. But Naveen and Bannu hold their own with their roles, as does Tanikella Bharani. However, trouble arises when the filmmaker tries to unnecessarily dramatise the proceedings in the second half in a bid to dish out a social message to the youth that there can be no substitute for hard work. It's unfortunate because the film stays relatively clear of the usual commercial elements until that point. The writing and humour also veer a little too much towards the slapstick brand as the movie progresses. 

The camera work and screenplay are patchy at best, but the music makes the cut. Guess the inexperience of the debutante director and the intention to pander to a wider audience messed up what could have been a much better final product. 

Note: It's an absurd comedy bereft of commercial elements. You'll need to have a predisposition to wry humour to enjoy this one.

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Uyyala Jampala - Telugu Movie Review

Uyyala Jampala

It's a simple good natured love story without the usual frills - over the top romantic numbers, melodrama or smart Alec style philisophising about the nature of love or fidelity and the works that we usually see in Telugu cinema. Yes, it does play on the "Bawa-Maradalu love" that has been explored in countless Telugu films but the subtleties in screenplay and cinema sensibility separates it from the rest.

It's hard to recall the last time such feel good romance was made in Telugu. Nuvve Kavali (made in 2000) was the last perhaps. Unlike that Tarun - Richa starrer, this film doesn't pack in the mandatory five songs, forced comedy track and a heavy climax and from a filmmaking stand point, this movie accomplishes much more. 

Set in the backdrop of a village, the film offer just enough glimpses of reality in the characterizations and the ambience it pac
ks in. Be it the village setting or the slant of Telugu we get a reasonably authentic flavor of coastal Andhra. 

The acting by debutantes Raj and Avika are easily the most endearing part of the movie. Though Avika has the author backed role, Raj might just have stolen the thunder with his natural performance. 

Raj convincingly plays the cocky village guy who doesn't realise he is in love with Uma who is his anti thesis. While Raj is the more responsible of the two having lost his father at a young age, Uma is more of the pampered daughter of her indulgent mother. Avika also does a pretty good job of playing the village girl whose eye brows meet. The romance between the two evolves over countless arguments and bouts of one-upmanship played out in their backyard and pristine village settings. 

The writing is clean and entertaining while the music and cinematography also pack in enough innocence and freshness to keep you hooked. Whether you like it or not, you wouldn't feel too bad about the time spent on watching it. 

Note: If romance is your genre of choice then this movie will leave you with a good feeling in the end.

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Biryani - Telugu Movie Review

Biryani

Venkat Prabhu definitely knows how to have a cake and eat it too. Fun is certainly the core of all his movies — not only the fun he has while making a film but the fun the audiences have while watching them — even when the genres are varied, be it a sports movie (Chennai 600028) or a thriller (Saroja), or even a noir (Mankatha). That is the case with Biriyani as well. It is essentially a murder mystery but Venkat seasons it with his brand of wink wink nudge nudge filmmaking, and turns it into an engaging entertainer. 

The plot revolves around Sugan (Karthi), a compulsive flirt, and his friend Parasu (Premgi), who is always unfortunate when it comes to women (Sugan is mostly to blame). Sugan has an on-off relationship with his girlfriend Priyanka (Hansika), a TV personality, and he makes an impression on business tycoon Varadarajan (Nasser), who is being investigated by CBI officer Riyaz Ahmed (Sampath) for a quarry scam. Meanwhile, the duo encounters the sultry Maya (Mandy Thakkar), who invites them to her hotel. They pass out in her room but when they wake up, the cops are chasing them, blaming them for the disappearance of Varadarajan. What is the mystery here? 

It was only recently that we had Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham, which was based on the premise of The Hangover. And, now, we have Biriyani, which seems to be the Venkat Prabhu version of The Hangover. Early in the film, Venkat shows a scene from The Hangover playing on the
TV. Parasu jokingly remarks that it is not a great film because he remembers everything even when he is stone drunk. At that moment, the scene seems like a mere pop cultural reference but it is only when we see Sugan and Parasu trying to remember what happened in Maya's room do we realize that it is Venkat's way of foreshadowing things. This happens quite a bit in the film — with the occupations of Sugan's friends and girlfriend (which come in handy when they try to solve the mystery) and their fracas on the road with another car, and you understand the thinking that has gone into the script. There is even a plausible reason for Hansika's bad lipsync — she is Priyanka Sharma!

There are also clever employments of modern-day fads — when Sugan searches for Maya, Parasu 'watsapps' the picture to their friends, a flash mob in a crucial scene not only becomes a provider of one more clue to Sugan but also functions as a tribute to actor Ajith. The director also smartly strews his red herrings — Varadarajan's son-in-law (Ramki) who stands to gain most from his disappearance, Riyaz, a hitwoman who could have been employed by Varadarajan's rivals. 

The film does take some time to get take off despite beginning with a car chase (too much time is spent on establishing Sugan's flirtatious nature), there are a couple of instances that are too much of a coincidence (the people with whom Sugan and Parasu have a quarrel just happen to have a Varadarajan connection, Riyaz's cop friend Vikram having something to do with the case) and the climax gets a little convoluted as Venkat goes for a twist ending (much like in Mankatha) rather than a straight one, but the script is racy enough (in both sense of the word) that you do not mind them much.

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Bunny N Cherry - Telugu Movie Review

Bunny N Cherry

The movie title sounds like a deliberate pun on the nicknames of Allu Arjun and Ram Charan aimed at creating some harmless curiosity about an otherwise ordinary film. Quite frankly the movie could have been called sausages and bananas and it wouldn't have made a difference. To draw the analogy a little further the movie is based on the premise of what happens when a sausage and a banana get their identities reversed due to a miracle of medical science.

Ok we'll dumb it down. The two central characters Karthik (Bunny aka sausage) and Charan (Cherry aka banana) are faced with a situation where their respective memories get swapped because the doctors perform an unprecedented brain surgery to save them from dying. The duo develop lethal blood clots near their 'hippocampus' (the memory bank of the brain we are told) after crashing into each other.

But soon after getting discharged they realise something is amiss about them. To make matters worse the genius doctor who performs the surgery is unavailable so they have to on each other borrowed brains to get on with their respective lives. Naturally, a lot of forced comi
c situation arise due to their mental dispositions. To make matters worse the filmmaker also tries to weave in a couple of well intended messages about the state of engineering education and the predominant obsession with NRI bridegrooms as well.

Even Brahmanadam's comedy track looks like a rehashed version of all the bad stuff he's done till date. The film has a couple of love stories also packed in. Well they are more of an excuse for creating room for the leading ladies to make their presence felt. Not that they get to do much more than provide some visual relief and dance around the trees. By the end of it all it just descends into an extended test of your patience and kindness. There is very little about the movie that is really worth talking about. Save a couple of songs and some funny moments the movie just has too many bloopers.

Note: You will have to count on the wisecracks of the audience to enjoy this one.

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Madhumati - Telugu Movie Review

Madhumati

All that she has to do is act as his wife and make money. She agrees. Way to make easy money, she thinks. The man is comfortable that he has made an arrangement but things go drastically wrong.

Madhumati (Udaya Bhanu) is into flesh trade. She's got a rate. And she makes it clear that she gives no discount. Karthik (Vishnu Priyan) finds himself in a situation wherein he has to find a 'wife' for himself. He makes his family believe that he is married but when someone from home comes to enquire, he has to think of a way out. That is how Madhumati comes into his life. She's just the one they have been looking for and spot her on the escalator in a shopping mall.

Karthik and his friend are shocked when they discover that she's a commercial sex worker. 
Nevertheless, in his desperation, Karthik hires her not to make use of the services that she offers but to act as his wife for a week.
A rate if fixed. Karthik takes her to his hometown. The family is happy but not the nanny. The grandma, played by Telangana Shakuntala, is unhappy about the girl he has 'wed' because she had plans to get him married to a relative.

The family jewelry is given to the newly wed wife to adorn herself. She does but to Karthik's shock, he realises that she has vanished with all the jewelry. He finds himself in a piquant situation. There's more to the story that is as boring as it can be. Udaya Bhanu tries to woo Karthik, and in the process, the audience with her beauty that is not. The narration is too slow and the picturisation, to say the least, is horrible.

Note: Watching the film could be a nightmare. Stay away from this Madhumati, if you value your time.

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Second Hand - Telugu Movie Review

Second Hand

Unlucky in love, Santosh (Sudheer) and Subba Rao (Kireeti) share their tragic love stories over a chance meeting. Then they run into Sahasra (Dhanya) who is struggling to choose between two men in her life. 

It is more than a little unusual to see a debutante actress playing three different characters in the same movie. Well they are all pretty off beat characters. There is Deepu, who dumps her struggling photographer boyfriend, Santosh and gets hitched to a well to do groom handpicked by her father. Needless to say the guy is so heartbroken that he even considers suicide, ostensibly to teach her a lesson. But Santosh realises that his heartache pales in comparison to his friend, Subba Rao's tale of woe.

Subbarao it is revealed gets married to Swecha who just can't get over her ex-boyfriend. Unable to deal with it Subbarao literally runs away from her. Then there is Sahasra who can't make up her mind about whom to marry - her ex (Chaitu) who impregnated her or her best friend who stood by her during her abortion. Thankfully the filmmaker avoids going down the women are so calculative road that most budget romcoms in Tollywood do these days. 

While there is no woman bashing, the filmmaker does indulge in male heartache bit for the gags. Love is like a lemon crushed by a tractor goes a one liner. While another explains heartache as being
as painful as having a heart crushed in Salman Khan's hands. Then another cheeky one liner draws snide parallels between having a proper conversation being a snide reference to the act - of making love that is. The film is loaded with that kind of wry humor that the larky background score seeks to accentuate. But we're afraid it's all a little undercooked. 

The acting on the other hand is surprisingly competent. Dhanya has the author backed role and she carries it off with flair. She looks a natural and a lot of credit for her performance must go to the director as well. Kireeti stands out with his goofy act while Vishnu sparkles with his dialogue delivery. 

The cinematography and editing look a bit amateur like a lot of other aspects of the movie. All in all it's interesting to watch but how much bang for your buck does the movie offer is something you will have to decide.

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Aadu Magadura Bujji - Telugu Movie Review

Aadu Magadura Bujji

Siddu (Sudheer) loves Indu (Asmita Sood) but needs first deal with her brother possessive brother and a viscious uncle to win her hand. 

At the traffic junction, the young man on the motorbike loves those soap bubbles wafting in the air. He looks around to see where they are coming from. The camera in his eyes clicks pictures of the girl he notices who is blowing them and the pics are stored in his heart carefully. Well, since he is the hero and she happens to be the heroine, he's got to fall in love with her.

If there's anything that you'll like in the movie is the acting by a dog and his witty comments. In fact, the dog has a full length and his human voice dubbed is perfect to the hilt. What he thinks, what he feels, why he's scared and what puts him off raises the humour quotient of the movie. The dialogues of practically every character make the conversations a fun. What, however, is not so funny is Siddu (Sudheer Babu) always scheming and getting his targets to be beaten up. Such is his notoriety that even his father played by Naresh is scared to even be known as his father.

Just because Siddu happens to be the hero of the film, the audience is forced to think of his actions as being right. He does, what he does, for his lady love. Strictly speaking, he does not have to do it that way
. That is the characterisation of the hero and we've seen something like that in umpteen number of movies. All through the film, he has people beaten up. The 'Gabbar Singh' team has also been roped in and there is a police station scene. The police makes the gangsters beat up each other and enough humour has been incorporated into it.

As for the story of the movie, though Siddu loves Indu (Asmita Sood), there is a barrier in the form of her brother. He's got to overcome him and thinks of a way out. There is more confrontation with a political leader with big ambitions and aspirations. The politico is a menace on the roads and Siddu beats him up. Sudheer Babu shows off his six-pack, does his bit of dancing, fighting and romancing as required. Naresh puts up a sterling performance as Sudheer Babu's father.
They say every dog has his day. In this movie, it is the dog that carries the film on his shoulder.

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Prema Ishq Kaadhal - Telugu Movie Review

Prema Ishq Kaadhal

The film tells the love stories of three couples Randy [Harsha Vardhan Rane] Sarayu [Vithika Sheru], Royal Raju [Vishnu Vardhan] and Sameera [Rithu Varma] RJ Arjun [Harish] and Shanti [Srimukhi].

It isn't a candy floss romance as the name might suggest. And for once we have women characters in a Tollywood movie that don't play dumb. We'll begin with a prelude to the most audacious episode in the movie. An assistant director, Raju hails from a small town Akkiveedu and is head over heels in love with Sameera, a fashion designer from the time he sees her pass out at a party. The two get to know each other while working for a movie, have a few misunderstandings before they end up in bed in a drunken haze at the party organized to celebrate the closing of the movie. But when Sameera tells Raju the morning after to not worry as she's taken the precautionary pill, he gets the shock of his life.

In another episode, RJ Arjun spots his love interest Shanti cozying up to her boss in a car in the parking. When he confronts her later on Shanti casually says that it was just a means to get a promotion she's been eyeing for a three years and asks him to buzz of unapologetically. The film packs a few such moments.

The acting by the lead cast comprising of mostly newcomers comes as a pleasant surprise. Just goes to show what correct casting can do. Harshvardhan Rane looks every bit the brooding rock star madly in love with a college student Sarayu who fits into her role admirably. Vishnu Vardhan has the most entertaining role and impresses with his comic timing and dialogue delivery. Harish is also very convincing playing a Casanova who meets his match in Srimukhi who does a great job as well. Sameera carries of the role of an independent fashion designer with elan.

The most striking aspect of the movie has to be the music which sets up an immersive ambience for three seemingly realistic romances to play out. The filmmaker seems to have taken care to ensure an allure of realism in the proceedings all through the movie. The characterizations, the romances, the writing and cinematography all seem to have been designed to keep it as real as possible.

Note: It's not your run of the mill romantic comedy, so don't go expecting one and you won't be disappointed.

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Venkatadri Express - Telugu Movie Review

Venkatadri Express

A train simple journey to Tirupathi goes horribly awry for Sundeep (Sundeep) and Prarthana (Rakul) after they miss boarding the Venkatadri Express. 

The movie begins with Allari Naresh's voice over, introducing characters in Sundeep's home one by one, setting the context for what's to follow - how the black sheep of the family atones himself. The patriarch of the family is a retired school headmaster, Ram Murthy (Nagineedu), whose blood group we are told is K for Kramasikshana which translates into discipline. He has a rule book of do's and don'ts for the family and every slip-up a family member makes is duly recorded.

The rule of the house is simple. Anyone who makes more than 100 mistakes will be disowned. Anything Ram Murthy disapproves will earn a red mark - his infant grandson urinating on him also goes on record as a mistake. Then the protagonist is introduced bang in the middle of what turns out to be his 99th blunder. 

It's a very painstakingly conceived introductory scene with Sundeep being chased by a bunch of goons amidst a riot of colours (ala the holi scene in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani) exploding in slow motion. Only after he gets back home do we realize that the guy had gone out to get garlands for his brother's engagement only to return much after the ceremony is completed without the garlands! 

When Sundeep rushes back home to fetch the magalasutram his mother forgets at home minutes before the family is due to board the Tirupathi bound Venkatadri Express, you expect him
to miss the train. But Sundeep inadvertently drags Prarthana into the conundrum leading to long chain of mishaps as the duo tries desperately to catch the train. 

The filmmaker has packed the movie with enough gags though. We have characters like Thagubothu Ramesh playing a drunk auto rickshaw driver, Sapthagiri playing a nerdy PhD scholar who's blackmailed to act like a railway hawker, MS Narayana playing an old man looking for thrills...that keep the entertainment quotient running. 

We also have a handful of tastefully picturised song sequences and fight sequences as well. The acting is well goofy at best but it works largely. The stand out element is the cinematography albeit seeming a little too inspired in places. It's a kind of comedy that isn't entirely original but works nevertheless, largely at least. To sum it up, it's one of those movies that do more things right than wrong and ends up somewhere in between "not a bad film" to a "good film." 

Note: The movie has got some gags, though mostly cliched but funny nevertheless. Carry a humorous disposition to make the most of it. 

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Masala - Telugu Movie Review

Masala 

Circumstances force Rehman (Ram) to pose as Ram, to land a job. His employer Balaram (Vankatesh) is a kind hearted jamindar who just can't stand lies. Rehman goes on spinning tales of twin brothers, multiple mothers and so on to get out of sticky situations. Eventually Balaram discovers the truth and all hell breaks loose. 

It's a comedy with gags aplenty. The humor in the movie works a lot like cheap whiskey that doesn't leave a great after taste but will surely do the needful. Lets just say the wit is more likely to get you go bhwahwahwah than wow! Truth opens when doors close...,shut up in the mouth and get out of the house..., don't get emotional just pest control yourself..., the doubt of the mind is the devil of the world.... Balaram keeps extolling to which his yes-man, Eddu (Jayprakash Reddy) responds with endorsements like terrible sir terrible, senseless, bulls#$t and other such gibberish.

Our man Balaram has a thing for English and takes pride in his grandfather who could "crush, flush and finish the British with his English," or some such. "My first language English, second language English, my total body language English," Balaram keeps boasting to his entourage. Eddu, his sidekick is equally proficient in English. The exchanges between the duo can't speak a line of correct English but can't help speaking anyways are easily the most paisa vasool part of the movie.

The movie offers truckloads of such tomfoolery. We have Ram playing a very gay Rahman. Then Kovai Sarala plays a record dancer who hates being called an aunty. We have MS Narayana and Ali doing their bit and a host of character artistes who all chip with some madness of their own.

The script writers seem to have run out of ideas when writing for the two leading ladies though. Both Anjali and Shazahan look like props on the set that have little to do with what's happening around.

Venky walks away with all the acting credits in what seems like his most over-the-top act ever and he doesn't hold back anything. The music is silly enough to match up the madness and to get into matters like cinematography and editing would mean over analysis. Funny as it sounds, its a Rohit Shetty movie that is remade in Telugu.

It would be fair to say the movie lives up to its name, Masala, in so far as packing in all the ingredients, albeit in excessive doses.

Note: It's almost a frame to frame remake of Bol Bachchan, so leave your brains outside the theaters to enjoy this one to the fullest.

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Varna - Telugu Movie Review

Varna

In a world light years away from ours, timid Maravan (Arya) is smitten by the bold but wild Varna (Anushka). On Earth, medical college student Ramya (Anushka) is attracted to college lecturer Madhu Balakrishnan (Arya). How does their love story inspire romance between Maravan and Varna, and save their planet? 

Varna starts with a quote that tells us that there are many worlds in this universe, and people like us could exist in any of these worlds, and people who die do not necessarily depart us. The film's plot involves two romances — one that is set in our world and the other in a fantastical world. How one of these love stories inspires the other and what true love can do to a person is what the film is all about. 

The film begins in an unnamed world, light years away from ours, where the timid Maravan is smitten by the bold but wild Varna. But she is a woman who values her independence in a decadent land where there is no true love, and women are seen as a commodity by the men. So, despite Maravan saving her from the clutches of the king, who plans to keep her in
his harem, with a new-found bravery (courtesy, love, of course!), she detests the idea of marrying him. 

Meanwhile, on planet Earth, medical college student Ramya is attracted to Madhu Balakrishnan, college lecturer and more importantly, a do-gooder. He initially declines her as he feels marriage might come in the way of looking after his disabled dad, only to later fall madly for her. She has gotten engaged but he seeks her out after she embarks on a medical tour to Goa in order to win her back. An unexpected accident occurs and soon, Madhu finds himself in the other world, where he will act as a catalyst to kindle a romance between Maravan and Varna. 

Varna is thematically closer to Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain. Both these films dwell on themes of love and death; the lead actors play different characters in different worlds and are involved in a romantic affair; and finally, both are ambitious but ultimately maddening. And the reason for this failure is that Selvaraghavan seems to be undecided on the tone of the film — the Madhu-Ramya track has a comparatively serious tone while the Maravan-Varna episodes are campy. Given that these unfold as parallel tracks, it is disconcerting and we are unsure what to feel about the developments on screen. It doesn't help that Arya and Anushka lack the explosive chemistry this story demands. Both are generally comfortable in lover boy/ lover girl roles but here, they are called on to exhibit a bit more range and subtlety and come up short. 

That slightly off-kilter Selvaraghavan touches are visible only in the Earth-set scenes — you have girls sizing up a man part by part, a throwaway shot of a son helping his disabled father with the washing up in the loo, a very sudden tragedy. But whenever the action shifts to the other planet, we feel ourselves transported into 'dubbed movie' territory. This is not only because of the fact that we have white-skinned actors speaking in Tamil, but also because of the stilted dialogues. 

This alternate world is also not fully realized. Its skyline is dotted with numerous stars and planets, it appears in several hues both during day and night, it has bizarre beasts (which oddly feel like the discarded drafts of beasts from Avatar), and it has mushrooms that sparkle. But for these obvious fantastical elements, the place looks like a quaint little European village, with Caucasian-looking people sporting Medieval costumes. The tacky visual effects and the sub-par stunts do not help either. We do not really get a feel for the everyday life in this. We are told this place has a king, a commander, a rival clan and a Holy Mother (who gets Madhu into this world) who is the target of this evil group, but all this is conveyed in a very hackneyed manner, and there is no real tension. 

Given that this otherworldly planet is the film's USP (this is a plot that would have worked equally well even if both stories were set in two different cities or countries), this is disappointing. The disjointed way in which the scenes play out in this world at times makes one wonder if we are seeing the film version of a feverish dream Selvaraghavan might have had.

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