Saturday 31 December 2011
Music: M M Keeravani
Cinematography: Shyam K Naidu, Anil Bhandari and Poorna
Art: S Ravinder
Action director: S S Rajamouli
produced by: Nagarjuna Akkineni
Story, screenplay, and directed by: Vijayendra Prasad
Release date: Dec 22, 2011
35mmrahulsRating: 5/5
What's it about!
Set in a village called Nelakondapalli in Adilabad district in early 1950's, the film tells the story of Mallamma (Annie) and her father Rajanna (Nagarjuna), a freedom fighter. After the death of her father and mother (Sneha), a villager brings up Mallamma and her only passion is singing. But the village's dorasani orders to kill this little nightingale. She is saved by her music teacher (Nasser) and he tells her to go to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru so that the village gets freedom from the Nizam ruling. She sets out for Delhi on bare foot and as soon as she reaches to meet Nehru, the village dorasani and her men land in Delhi and abscond her and lock her and her music teacher in a room. Her teacher tells the story of Rajanna, her father, and a revolutionary who taught the villagers to fight against the atrocities.
Analysis
On August 15th, 1947, India freed from British rule but one of her princely state - Hyderabad state was still ruled by Nizam kings and the Nizam's ambition was to secure Dominion Status for his State. Razakars, a private army of Nizam and the zamindars in the villages did heinous crimes on Telangana people and their atrocities were horrible to even to write. This is history. Rajanna just took one aspect from the history and put fiction around the facts to make a beautiful and heartwarming story. It is more about a girl's fight for her personal freedom to live without fears and a revolutionary's struggle to bring freedom to his village. Less of history, more of a heart-touching story.
Without a doubt, Rajanna is one of the best movies to come out from Tollywood in the recent times. We should commend Nagarjuna, the producer for backing up such a movie in which the girl (played by Annie) gets more focus than him. We should also appreciate him for donning the role that is offbeat, yet inspiring.
Songs are Telangana's intrinsic culture - you hear people singing for every occasion from Batukamma festival to a movement for separate state. So director Vijayendra Prasad beautifully told the story with songs and used songs as plot device. The beauty in the script lies in making the girl as a singer and Rajanna as balladeer. Music genius M M Keeravani has put in his best for this movie and lifted many scenes with his impeccable recording. Added to that the girl's performance, Nagarjuna's inspiring act in second half are plus points to the movie.
PerformancesThe film completely belongs to the child artiste Annie and Nagarjuna. Annie gets more footage and she steals the show. She gets it perfect in expressions, accent of the language. You empathy with her and also feel sympathy for her plight. She gives award-winning performance. Nagarjuna has tried to emote with his eyes in most of the scenes in the film. He is terrific in the song - Veyyi Veyyi. In some patriotic scenes, he is too good but his character should have written with more depth to bring out the feel and fervor.
Among other actors, Sneha as Lacchamma is apt. Swetha Menon as villainous Dorasani fits the bill but her costumes are no way related to Telangana culture. Sammeta Gandhi brings the authenticity to his character. Nasser as the music teacher is okay. Supreeth, Pradeep Rawath, Sravan as Nag's friends are good.
Bottom-lineRarely do we get to see a very honest and beautiful film like Rajanna. It is an emotional film with a heart-touching script. With terrific performance from Annie, topnotch musical score by music genius M M Keeravani, rich production values, non-gimmickry scenes, the movie is one of the best movies to come out from Tollywood in the recent times. Go for it, for its honesty and genuine effort.
Veedinthe movie riview
Banner: PVP Ventures
Cast: Vikram, K Vishwanath, Deeksha Seth, Pradeep Rawath, Shriya, Reemma Sen and others
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Cinematographer: R. Madhi
Editor: Kasi Viswanathan
Story, screenplay, director: Suseenthiran
Producer: Prasad V Potluri
Release date: 30/12/2011
Talented hero Vikram has come up with a typical mass masala role this time and he has the veteran icon K Vishwanath for company. Let us see how the film goes..
Story
Fire Shankar (Vikram) works as a fighter in the film industry and his dream is to become a big villain. He is assisted by his group of fighters.One day, he comes across an old man Dakshinamurthy (K Vishwanath) who is being chased by goons. The reason for that is Dakshinamurthy’s property which has an orphanage. The noted minister Ranganayaki alias Akka (Sana) has got her eyes on the property and she lures Dakshinamoorthy’s son (Avinash) to get that. Shankar gives shelter to Dakshinamurthy and protects him.
However, Akka is searching frantically for Dakshinamurthy and Shankar decides to put an end to all this. How that happens forms the rest of the story.
Performances
Vikram has come up with a versatile performance. He is seen nearly in twenty getups and all of them sit on him very well. He is a gifted actor and should fall in the hands of the right directors.Deeksha Seth was there to fill the romance track and provide the required glamour. Though she has not indulged in any skin show, she has an elegant charm which cannot be missed.
K Vishwanath was wonderful. Despite his age and physical condition, he gives an energetic performance and his act in the first half is really commendable.
Sana comes as a surprise revelation. She has a meaty role as the lead villain and performs it in the right manner. Despite all her negative shades, her sensuousness is something of a treat to the audience.
Pradeep Rawath was brief but good. Thambi Ramaiah was upto the mark. Aruldoss brought few smiles. Avinash was apt. Saloni appeals with her item song. The song involving Shriya and Reemma Sen was below average. Others didn’t have much to offer.
Highlights
Vikram and K Vishwanath’s performances
Background score
Fight sequence between Vikram and Pradeep Rawath
Second half
Analysis
Whenever a film starring Vikram comes, the expectations are high. Given his versatility and immense talent he possesses, the audience wants to see variety and larger than life concepts from him. So when he comes across as a regular mass hero, the attempt doesn’t really work. That’s what happened here.Moreover, it was the ineffective handling of the script which could not get the audience to connect to the plot. As usual, there was the nativity factor missing.
The film suffered in the comedy and romance department as well.
Overall, it was made on a formula with no innovation. At the box office, this might appeal to the frontbenchers who seek few fights, some punch lines etc. but success is highly doubtful.
Bottomline: Good thought, average execution
Saturday 24 December 2011
Monday 19 December 2011
Journey Movie Review
Journey Movie Review
Movie: Journey
My Rating: 3/5
Banner: SK Pictures, Fox Star Studios
Cinematographer: Velraj
Music: Satya
Editing: Kishore
Producers: A R Murugadoss, Suresh Kondeti
Story, Screenplay & Direction: M Saravanan
Cast: Sharwanand, Ananya, Jai, Anjali etc..
Release Date: 16th Dec 2011
Review
Story
A tale of two couples, the story begins with Gautham (Sharwa), a random guy who is approached by Amrutha (Ananya) for a help. She comes from a small town to Hyderabad and has to go for an interview. She takes the help of Gautham for getting to the location but has several innocent suspicions on him. By the time the interview is over Amrutha starts liking Gautham but she doesn’t even know his name or anything. On the other hand, there is Krishnakanth (Jai), a shy guy who is in love with nurse Madhumita (Anjali). Unlike his nature, Madhumita is more tough, outgoing and assertive. However, she also likes Krishnakanth and eventually they start going around.
Krishnakanth decides to take Madhumita to his hometown and takes the Hyderabad- Vijayawada bus. At the same time, Amrutha who is unable to forget Gautham takes a bus going from Vijayawada – Hyderabad in the hope of seeing him again. What Amrutha doesn’t know is Gautham takes the same bus as Krishna-Madhumita to get in touch with Amrutha. The story takes a turn when both the buses meet with an accident. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.
Artists Performance:
Sharwanand is a class actor. Despite being given a regular character, he essays it with apt conviction and possesses a strong screen presence. He must be seen more on screen.
Ananya comes up with a cute performance. She is not much of a pretty girl but has that typical innocent looks and carries her role with good quality. Overall, she did a decent job.
Jai has got into his role very nicely and his body language and face in the crowd appearance will strike a chord with the viewers. He underplays his character to the right level.
Anjali is the showstealer. She has a strong homely sex appeal and good versatility in her expressions. Most of the times, it is her eyes that do the talking and her dubbing was suitable.
Highlights:
* Screenplay
* Canning of the bus collision
* Music and RR
* Performances from lead cast
* Storyline
* Sharwa’s dialogue about Hyderabad
Drawbacks:
* Lengthy climax
* Harsh dose of reality
* Nativity element missing to an extent
Final Analysis:
Whenever a Tamil film comes to Telugu in dubbed format, the difference is quite visible.
For starters, the Tamil films are filled with more of daily life characters, their protagonists are regular faces in the crowd sans glamour, the depiction of each scene is done with strong narrative and realism. This is the feel which comes to the viewer from the moment the film starts.
However, it is not just about the nativity or the romance between the lead pairs, it is the underlying realities of life and the backdrop of the film that many will connect to.
Though the subject is simple, the director has elevated the emotion to a high extent purely by his screenplay and extracting good performances. The film also gives a message on how life can take a turn at any point and why one must share love with his/her dear one.
Overall, the film has been made with good sensibilities, a practical touch and above all, cost effective budget.
On the flip side, the Telugu audience is not used to such realistic treats so it remains to be seen how they can handle this.
At the box office, the film has all prospects of scoring a commercial hit and if the audience also connects, then the chances of success grow stronger.
Monday 12 December 2011
Friday 9 December 2011
Sidharth & Amala Paul's "Love Failure" Movie Latest Photo Stills
Actress Sarah Jane Dias Latest Stills in Panjaa Movie
Monday 5 December 2011
Pawan's PANJAA Movie releasing on 9th december world wide
Friday 2 December 2011
Sangarshana review
Directed by: Samuthirakani
Produced by: M. Sasikumar
Written by: Samuthirakani
Music by: Sundar C Babu
Cinematography: S. R. Kathiir
Studio: Company Productions
35mmrahuls Rating: 3.75/5
Story:
The story of the movie is all about ordinary man who transforms as a Rebel, because of the circumstances.
Kumaran (Sasikumar) lives a peaceful life with his family and friends in Chennai. Bharathi (Swathi) enters the life of Kumaran and falls in love with him. But Kumaran keeps aviods her and at one stage accepts her love.
Nallavan (Allari Naresh) arrives Chennai and meets Kumaran for some serious issues. Then rest of the story revolves around these characters and their unexpected twists in their life.
Performance:
We can only says that, Sasikumar has reached a milestone in his acting career with Sangarshana. Colours Swathi steals the audience with her charm and acting. Allari Naresh has his best with his fine acting. Other cast Nivetha, Namo Narayana, Gnanavel, Jayaprakash and Suri are best choice for Sangarshana.
Analysis.
SR Kathir once again proved as perfectionist with his Cinematography. Writer Samudrakhani in on his peak, this movie is truly a milestone in his career. Music by Sundar C Babu is an added advantage for the movie. Songs are good and the background score raises the strength of those crucial scenes. Film makers should have taken care of dubbing.
Finally: Sangarshana is a powerful message movie.
Bejawada review
35mmrahuls Rating: 4/5
Banner: Shreya Productions
Cast: Naga Chaitanya, Amala Paul, Prabhu, Abhimanyu Singh, Mukul Dev and others
Music: Pradeep Koneru, Vikram Negi, Bapi-Tutul, Amar Mohile
Cinematographer: S Bhupathy
Editor: Goutham Raju
Story, screenplay, direction: Vivek Krishna
Producers: Ram Gopal Varma, Kiran Koneru
Release date: 01/12/2011
Naga Chaitanya who was seen in romantic roles has arrived with a rough role. Given the controversy and the RGV factor involved, let us see how the film is
Story
Based on the backdrop of Vijayawada, the story begins with Kalidas (Prabhu) a powerful goon who is a do-gooder to society. His loyal and trusted aide is Vijay Krishna (Mukul Dev). But Vijay’s presence gives insecurity to the power hungry and crooked Shankar Prasad (Abhimanyu), brother of Kalidas. However, Kalidas is killed one day and Shankar takes over. He spreads the word that the murder was done by Vijay Krishna. Meanwhile, Vijay’s youngest brother Siva (Chaitu) is a student leader who is a good student and also in love with Geetanjali (Amala), the police commissioner’s daughter. The story takes a turn when Vijay Krishna is murdered and Siva decides to get into action to put an end to Shankar. Whether he is successful or not forms the rest of the story.
PerformancesNaga Chaitanya prepared well for the role and put a good effort in emoting the anger and intensity. While his screen presence was not that strong in the film, he covered it with positive body language.
Amala Paul was dazzlingly beautiful. She has the right kind of natural attraction and sex appeal that mesmerises the audience. Most of the magic is cast by her through the eyes.
Abhimanyu Singh was apt for the role. He shined in few scenes and showed that menacing looks. However, his character was not etched strongly to show him as a worthy villain.
Mukul Dev got a meaty role and he did justice to it. Though the lip sync was missing due to his Hindi rendition, Mukul utilised the opportunity rightly and scored.
Prabhu was brief but made his presence felt. Subhalekha Sudhakar was standard. Ashok Rao was apt. Ajay was good. Kota was effective. Ahuti Prasad was usual. The comedy track between Brahmi and M S Narayana was not required. Phanikanth who stands as Chaitu’s bodyguard was impressive with his looks. The others did their bit as required and added value.
Highlights
- Violence scenes
- Amala Paul
Drawbacks
- Screenplay
- Direction
- Second half
- Weak emotional graph
A few scenes might give the impression that Naga Chaitanya brothers could be Devineni brothers; and it that were to be true, Abhimanyu Singh character must be that of Ranga. If that is what the director’s idea is, then he must have either no knowledge of the political history of Vijayawada or he might have deliberately distorted it.
In any case, it is better not to compare the theme of the film with the history of Vijayawada. Otherwise, the audiences are bound to get irritated.
Setting aside the background of the film, if one were to consider only the content part of the film, “Bezawada” is a third grade action film.
Except bloodshed and violence to attract the mass audience, there is absolutely no emotion in the film. The audiences do not react even if the lead roles in the film are killed. At times, one would get an impression that one was watching a street play. All the scenes that lead to the death of Prabhu are just artificial. Though the film attains a little seriousness later, the director clearly fumbled in maintaining the tempo. Had he taken the real-life incidents to build the screen play, he would have had a smooth show. But, the moment he thought of making a film based on a revenge drama according to his whims and fancies without any connection with the real life incidents, he had lost the grip over the screen play.
The audiences could not get involved anywhere in the film as they could easily predict what is going to come in the next scene.
When the rowdies proclaim that Bezawada belongs to them and declare that: “Beware, it is our Bezawada,” one wonders whether it is also a sentimental film: people may think there is something called Bezawada sentiment, too, just like sister sentiment and mother sentiment in the films. While the first half goes on without elevating the hero character, the director is totally confused in the second half as to how to elevate the hero as a hero.
There are several scenes that were forcibly incorporated and when there was no idea how to take the story forward, the director introduces song and dance sequences. For example, nobody knows why Naga Chaitanya walks out of the house and why he comes back. And he does not resort to any attacks or fights that cause harm to his family during this interregnum period. And when he fires at the shoulder of the villain, the film ends there. All that the hero does after the scene to scare the villain will only create boredom to the audience.
In any revenge drama, audiences should not disconnect themselves with the movie till the hero achieves what he wants. But if the hero continues to struggle with his character, the audiences simply walk out of the theatre without showing even minimum mercy towards the character. That itself shows that the director could not effectively convey to the audience what he wants.
Since Bezawada is a low-budget film, the producer may recover the expenditure incurred on it; but it is doubtful whether it would get any appreciation from the audience. May be a section of audiences who enjoy bloodshed and violence might enjoy watching it.
Bottomline: 'Bezawada' not rocks, but shakes the audience!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)