Andhra Pori Review

'Andhra Pori' is a faithful remake of Ravi Jadhav's Marathi blockbuster 'Time Pass' (2014).  Less generally speaking, just as the title has 'Andhra' in it, the flavour is quite Tollywood-esque at places.  There are elements which you might think are Raj Madiraju's own, but turn out to be an inspiration from the original.  There are others which you wouldn't care to find out where they are from, especially if you are someone who was swept up by the cyclone 'Chiranjeeva' way back in the 90s (as per the narrator).

Remakes of love films from other languages always prompt us to expect something emotionally 'hatke'.  This one delivers just that.  It's a 'time pass' movie that has some subtle moments going for it.

Narsing (Akash Puri) is the son of a poor woman who makes ends meet through a struggle for livelihood.  He has flunked SSC thrice, but he is in a jamboree mode.  Why?  It is Jai Chiranjeeva festival with 'Mutha Mestri' scorching the screens.  A hopeless day later, his 'totti gang' suggest that he find a girl so that the proverb, ''Behind successful mens there are womens" (quote unquote) becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  But Narsing has already got that 'womens'.  She is Pareshan-thi (Prashanthi delivered in Dakhni style), the daughter of an engineer (actor SKI), a middle-class white-collar employee who is different from Narsing's world in every aspect - be it in class, habits, language or tastes.  (It is elements like these, though apparently been-there-done-that, that make 'Andhra Pori' a nuanced narration).

What begins as a time pass journey becomes a serious affair.  Prashanthi internalises love, Telangana dialect and Narsing's world early on.  The always proud Sanskritic Telugu-speaking father is sporadically shocked.  On one occasion, the Dakhni-fied daughter is handed over a book on Telugu vocabulary, besides Kandukoori Veeresalingam's 'Sangham-Kattubatlu', marking the occasion of Prashanthi's foray into a 40-seconds late indiscipline performance.

Meanwhile, Narsing is progressing in his serious mission fast.  The 'gundu sale gadu' now and then frightens him in dreams, the girl is inconsistently terrified, the boy is consistent in teaching freedom to her...

The best part about 'Andhra Pori' is how it showcases not so apparently some elements.  It is 90s and therefore, the only idea of geographical mobility for a teenage boy is being on the other side of the wall, not making a mark in Hyderabad or Bengaluru (then not an aspiration).  When it is hard time, the hurt boy has one message to deliver: Nee mucchata, nee ishtam...

Watch out for the hurt father touching the nameplate as he is moving out of the town with his family.  As for comedy, watch out for the chemistry between SKI and Akash (few and far between, but entertaining nevertheless).  The former's view of the latter's dialect as linguistic blasphemy, the sheer contempt for his ways...

On the flip side, the film drags for a good part of the second half.  Being a period film, some elements (especially music) are kept non-contemporaneous.  This comes a cropper after a while.

Akash Puri climbing 'Anjanna' is metaphorical, but the idea itself looks stale, especially due to the treatment.  Uttej's character is not refreshing.

Akash Puri's performance is decently good.  He surely is talented for a teenager.  He delivers the T 'yasa' with total ease.  Watch out for the monologue in the climax; he is utterly convincing.  Ulka Gupta fits the bill and the best scene comes in the climax, acting-wise.

Josyabhatla's music deliberately induces a sense of deja vu.

Verdict: A faithful remake that has some worthy content in the form of writing and performance.  Ignore the drag, watch out for the sanguine note on which it all ends.