James Bond Review

A few minutes into the film, as the female lead is introduced you realize to your shock that there is a serious-minded don-action element out there!  After a bloody confrontation with the rival group in Dubai, the stylish but unabashedly self-conscious don is seemingly shocked on listening to a bad news over phone.  She now heads to India and on her way she recounts the circumstances in which she had to become a don - her father trained her to become one, away from the sentimental mother who is now suffering from cancer and whom she has to keep happy.  She will go to any extent to keep her mother happy, even if it means sleeping with a man she doesn't yet love!

Nani (Allari Naresh) is a no-nonsense youngster notorious in his circle for being timid.  He falls in love with the lady don when he sees her in a temple.  He pursues her and when the don's gang members spot him, they think he is the best bet.  A few days into marriage, he finds out the truth.  The rest of the film is about how Nani makes attempts after attempts to escape from the don so as to save himself and his innocuous family members comprising Chandra Mohan, among others.

In a film packed with cliches and done-to-death elements (read parodies on everything from Rayalaseema factionalism to Balakrishna's 'Legend'), one too many comedy faces make an appearance.  The list is long enough: Raghu Kunche, Raghu Babu, Krishna Bhagawan, Jeeva, Ali, Prabhas Sreenu, Posani Krishna Murali, Praveen, Tagubothu Ramesh, Nalla Venu, Sathya, and not to forget, Prithvi Raj and Sapthagiri.  If some are used to play to the gallery, others are used to do something lesser than that!

The female lead has a 'meaty' character but she ends up playing an elderly version of the Complan girl.  The 'meatiness' is too much to digest in the run up to the climax.  She is made to feel his love, fall at the feet of the middle-class man with a high-class heart, and even do a Jambalakadipamba of sorts when she arrives with a bang to save the kidnapped husband (she just realized that he is one).  In the midst of saving herself from Asish Vidhyarthi's gang, there is a pause to indulge in sentimentality.

He sees her at a temple in traditional attire, imagines a song in which she exposes in saree, later he tells his friend that she is an embodiment of the tradition!  As for other songs, one is a number in anticipation of first night, another is an item song during a Viagra-powered first night.  After the song, it is time for another parody where the male lead, having been violated by a violent lady don, is seen crying over spilt milk (Ee nimishaniki emi jaruguno, so goes the song in the background).

In an era of compulsive and vacuous parodies, there is a good dose of Imitation Balakrishna, by Prithvi Raj and Naresh, one time each. Prithvi Raj, the comedy don, reels Balayya's lines from 'Legend' as it is; when there is little innovation in terms of the act or the lines, a parody is a mere imitation.

Sakshi Choudhary looks well-built for a role of this kind but she is reduced to a caricature of a faking 'magarayudu'.  As a feared don of international scale, her character doesn't make an impact as the proceedings progress.  If a lady don is getting married, does she have her male 'chamchas' around while she is being readied for the first night?  How the hell can people around her not find it odd and smell something fishy?

Naresh makes an earnest attempt and comes up with a decent performance.  Sakshi has good looks but lacks that starry grace to make it in Tollywood.  Others get run-of-the-mill roles.  The element involving the Seema batch, read Venu, Raghu Babu and JP, should have been better elevated to add some zing.

While the photography department does a good job, the BGM passes muster.

Verdict: It is a Sudden Star affair; Naresh as the timid youngster draws some laughter.  Watch it for him, if you are someone who likes his kind of movies.

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