Friday, May 25, 2012

Movie Review - Daruvu (Telugu) - Sound of Mass with a Touch of Class!!

Ram Charan: Asalu neeku RACHA ante emito telusaa!! 

Jr NTR: DAMMU anedi pattukunna katthi lo kaadu blood lo vundaali!!

Ravi Teja: Edayinaa aata aadalante veyyalsindi DARUVU!! 

Imagine an intro song in which the hero plays hockey using a football on a cricket pitch. Bizarre, thy name is Ravi Teja!! This scene and many others showcase his character in the most bizarre way. Adding to the surprises, the movie has got Vidya Balan and Nitya Menon as male comedians, footage of NTR, Chiranjeevi and Jr NTR from earlier franchisees of Man Vs Yama movies, funny reference to Rajamouli's Eega, and the hero donning the combo role of Kanchana and Chandramukhi to eliminate goons in a fight sequence. The movie has got enough elements to tickle your funny bone. 

Daruvu is a socio-fantasy film with an age old yet successful formula of "Man meets Yama," but with a twist in the tale. The movie has many moments of glory coupled with right concoction of comedy and emotions. Certain moments make you fall from your chair laughing and certain moments are syrupy tearjerkers. But nothing takes you out-of-bound because everything seems to be controlled and calculated. It's one of the few movies in recent past where the second half outsmarts the first and has got a perfect interval block and a soul-stirring climax.

Ravi Teja's character is full of energy and this time he is revered for his cameo in negative role than the usual positive one. This guy has loads of talent, so next time he should be eclectic and judicious in selecting films that proves him as a versatile actor. Unlike the past debacles, Veera and Nippu, he didn't try anything super-humanish. He effortlessly carries the film on his shoulders, but nothing can hide poor writing and bad execution and this movie also falls prey to it. So the few good moments and high octane second half stand as saviors for this film.  

The movie is entertaining in the first half and engrossing in the second half. You will be surprised to see such a second half in a Ravi Teja film. Though impratical, the director has shown new ways to give the hero a good samaritan tinge. The fast pace of certain scenes makes you aghast and gives an edge-of-the-seat aura to the film. But Alas!! Like loads of other Telugu films, this movie also has its share of half-baked supporting cast. The comedians Brahmanandam and Vennela Kishore shine all through the film, but heroine Tapsee, villian Sushant Singh and other negative characters in the second half have a subdued presence. 

As all that glitters is not gold, Daruvu has its shades of dark. Poor graphics in the yamalokam set give us a feeling of characters walking on an uneven terrain. Lengthy narration could have been curtailed and certain lifeline moments should have been packaged well. Some scenes are silly and serious at the same time, they take you on a joy ride for some time and suddenly give a deep impact to give a turnaround to the story. Despite being illogical, scenes such as Amma, Naanna oh Nimmakaya breaks you into laughter. Again all the credit goes to Ravi Teja.

Vijay Anthony's music in the mass entertainer, except for the song Athili Chirabara Mass Raja, is thumbs down. It's there to extend the movie's length and otherwise does no good. To churn out a number that's appealing to local masses you need the magical touch of Devi Sri Prasad and nothing beats him. He only can understand the local flavor and deliver entertaining mass numbers in the present era. As a tribute to him, Dinka Chika is used many times in the film and it becomes a character's signature as well. Most of the times, the background score is loud and too darn loud.

Bottom-line: Daruvu, as the title says is "sound of mass," but with a "touch of class." The movie is a laugh riot and a treat for Ravi Teja fans with right dose of songs, fights, chases and twists. In the land of pseduo-successful Rachas and Dammus, this comes like a whiff of fresh air. Barring few flaws in script and execution, the movie is an entertainer and has primarily got two things that most of the films don't possess - SOUL and STORY!!

Review adirindaa... Cinema inkaa aduruddi!!

My Rating - Expectation: 7/10; Reality: 6.5/10

2 comments:

  1. I was little disappointed. This film was nothing like Mirapkaya or Don Seenu. Even the comedy was stupid and irritating. Nevertheless good review :)

    Here check out my site http://movieroundup.in/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haricharan... I accept there were certain dull moments in comedy and other areas, but we can't simply send it to recycle bin for that reason. What I liked in the movie is the sudden turn of events in the second half that gives it a great soul and the right dose of melodrama. Coming to finding logic in Telugu cinema - No comments. Every Ravi Teja film has the same stuff and his comedy is enjoyed for that very reason. BTW checked your site. Great stuff. It can be called one stop for all movie needs. Every review is crisp highlighting the vital areas. The language is divine.

      Delete