Picture this… An urbane bloke
from the most urbanized surroundings lands up at rural premises to square
things off, a family head melts like a slice of butter towards the end, a gal
unleashes her vigorous side when with friends but shifts to a different gear
when at home, a generous exchange of gibes by the lead pair, a rival family
tries to use the village for their selfish goals, a member of the house with a
villainous shade, more colors splatter on the frames than those seen in any
commercials for a paint brand, chlorophyll soaked landscapes, larger than life
sets and a magical ‘yellow’ light. That’s a warm welcome to the world of
Krishna Vamsi.
In a time tested formula; Ram Charan
plays Abhiram in Govindudu Andarivadale,
whose objective is to unite the family. He crosses paths of a Pawan Kalyan from
Attarintiki Daredi, a Jr. NTR from Brundavanam, a Venkatesh from Kalisundaam Raa, and not to forget a
Meena from Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu.
Even other films of Krishna Vamsi fall in the line of the character sketches,
conflicts and resolutions. However, every aspect of the film gets a proper
shaping with KV’s mark style and sensibilities. You may feel such kind of
emotions and expressions can’t be churned out in a daily humdrum, but the
perceptions take a detour in this entertaining throwback to other films, with its
lead performers firing on all cylinders. Though some characters get a miniscule
screen time, the casting never goes wrong.
Prakash Raj is not the regular patriarch
limping with a stick but holds a prowess of gyrating it to make a hard-hitting
statement. Jaya Sudha does lot of talking through her eyes and her climactic
breakdown is sheer brilliance. There’s an electrifying chemistry between Ram
Charan and Kajal that sets off a fiery romance laden with a sacrifice. Albeit
wearing a dark hue, Srikanth adds humor to the proceedings and acts as a key
plot driver. Kamalini looks endearing but still tries to breathe in the mould
created by Sekhar Kammula. The other bunch of actors just get their act right.
The protagonist’s character needed some
pruning to ward off few character incoherencies. He is seen as a Telugu
speaking lad in a foreign nation, but all this goes for a toss when he comes to
India. He mouths only ‘Dude’ and ‘Bro’ while talking to people. And his pretext
of entering the village to learn the nuances of agriculture never sees the
light of the day. He is only busy fighting, romancing, emoting (for lack of a
better word) and setting things right for all the members of the family.
However, the rugby playing skills of the character are used to good effect in
crucial fight sequences.
The cameraman Sameer Reddy takes a pat on
the back and also the writers for inducing the concept of mood based lighting
in the screenplay. The lighting is soft, ambient and makes a hyperbolic
pronouncement of the vibrant nature of the family. On the other side, it is
dark and surfaces the gloomy side of the villain’s house and also in the climax
when Jaya Sudha talks about the consequences that may force a family to become separated.
The ‘yellow’ light makes its presence felt in most of the frames. The music
also pumps soul into the narrative. Thanks to Yuvan Shankar Raja, we could
listen to lot of wind instruments in the background. This comes as a relief
when our movies are replete with heavy percussions.
Govindudu Andarivadale may be an effort
to dig deep into the same genre again and again, but this time it gets a master
stroke from Krishna Vamsi on a colorful canvas. The wafer-thin storyline is
supplemented with an ensemble cast of performers, overcrowded frames and dollops
of melodrama to bring a gleam on your faces.
My Rating: Expectation - 8/10; Reality - 6/10
This review was originally written for Metro India newspaper.
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