Once upon a time, cinema used to
be an integral part of the society. It acted as one stop solution for all our
entertainment needs. Then came television, then came internet, and finally came
facebook, posing lot of challenges for film-makers, who are still struggling to
bring audience to cinemas. Earlier, we were under the impression that heavy-duty
star cast gives huge openings to films, but that’s not the case these days. Yesterday,
while watching Srimannarayana, we witnessed a silent Devi 70mm without the
usual furore on the first day of a movie’s release. Where has gone the fire-crackerish
welcome that movies used to enjoy on Day 1. Is it the heavy dose of entertainment
from myriad sources acting as an impediment to movie-watching at theatres?! Or is
it a regular fare at any Balakrishna movie these days?! Read on…!!
Director Ravi Chavali made some
films before, but he’s known only for Samanyudu (*ing Jagapathi Babu). The
expectations were sky high when he started making a film with Balakrishna. In Srimannarayana,
our hero plays the role of a daring journalist who unearths scams easily and
bashes goons mercilessly. The director chose a current burning topic and
gave it a thriller tinge to engage the viewer till the end. But what falls out
of place is he resorting to typical execution with formulaic scenes patented by
Telugu cinema for decades.
The first half is entertaining
with some flashy songs and two heroines. The SIM card/mobile phone analogy for
Balakrishna’s dual relationship with damsels is hilarious. The dialogues are
fun too. You feel that you finished watching the half in a jiffy amidst songs,
laughs and fights. After a perfect interval block, the second half suddenly
takes pace with many unfolding events. So, the viewer who’s relaxed while
watching the first half is suddenly on toes and takes some heavy dosage in the
later half. There are some creative touches in visuals esp. songs, and surprisingly,
such effects never crossed the mind of great directors such as Shankar.
Coming to Balakrishna, he’s the
lifeline of the film and looks much younger. Don’t be surprised to watch him
use a combo of technology - video calling and GPS - to save his colleague from
goons. Unlike Okkamagadus and Adhinayakudus of the world, he never went
overboard with acting and maintained a perfect poise. Time and again, he proves
that he’s tailor-made for portraying emotions on screen and no one else can match
him. Parvati Melton plays the role of a journo with size zero – In one scene,
Balayya says, “Bonguku pant shirt vesi natlu nuvvu, nee aakaram!!” The real
show stealer is Isha Chawla, who’s more than gorgeous in the film.
Bottom-line: Srimannarayana is a
much better movie than Balakrishna’s previous films of recent past. However, it
remains another pedantic saga of Good vs Evil and how a hero weeds out wicked
elements from a society and curbs their atrocities. Umpteen references to scams
and Government/CBI’s inefficiency to stall them is shown in the film. Watch out
for Balkarishna who shuns the routine superhero stunts and uses ingenious ways
to finish the villains. The film is a treat for Balakrishna’s fans, and non-fans
will be content with many elements of grandeur induced in the film, thanks to
its lavish budget.
My Rating: Expectation – 6/10;
Reality – 5/10
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