'Banthi Poola Janaki', probably an inspired movie, seems to take place in a parallel universe.  The only places where the film comes across as 'mana' Telugu cinema are where all male characters (with the exception of Shyam, played by Dhanraj) lust after Janaki (Deeksha Panth) at the drop of a hat.  Then there is, needless to say, a parody of a Pawan Kalyan number, a deliberate reproduction of a Mahesh Babu punch line ('Cinemalu choodatledenti', an otherwise comedy-proof Dhanraj says in a scene where he is expected to be on the verge of exploding due to tension), and visuals of Sunny Leone at her skimpy best in a Bollywood movie.   Well, but such are our filmmakers’ obsessions.

Actress Janaki has been conferred with National Award for her outstanding performance in ‘Banthi Poola Janaki’ (it’s a case of film within film).  As Shyam (Dhanraj as her trusted manager) and Janaki plan to relax, a host of lecherous, self-centred characters knock on the door of Janaki’s house one after one.   They are the hero (Sudigali Sudheer), the director (Chammak Chandra), the writer, and the producer (Raghu Karamanchi) of ‘Banthi Poola Janaki’.  And all the four have one mission in their mind: to entice Janaki into sleeping with him or marrying him.  On that fateful night, when Janaki pushes Sudigali Sudheer as he forces himself on to her, the film star accidentally dies due to a head injury.   Janaki shivers with fear and decides to hush up his death by hiding the dead body.  Through the night, as one after another male member in the house tries to own Janaki, they have to face unexpected situations.

The rest of the film is about how Shyam helps Janaki in helping her through a dangerous situation.

Although the story presented good many situations with potential to generate fun and/or thrills, they are all wasted by a superficial screenplay that refuses to rise above petty ideas like a thief (Shakalaka Shankar in a forgettable role) made to be the victim of toilet smell, Raghu Karamanchi made to warn other courters of Janaki, his sidekicks given a license to intermittently render folk songs, so on and so forth.  All this while Dhanraj hardly does comedy.   Meanwhile, a cop searching for his boss’ duty uniform has a sketchy screenplay.

As if all the glib portrayal of deaths is not bad enough, there is a blasphemous melodrama in store in the climax.  Dhanraj doing a Venkatesh act with all seriousness in the climax is truly laughable.

Since the director had a song where Nalla Venu dances earnestly, scenes where Dhanraj seems to behave clumsily, and almost every character lusting/loving Janaki is too idiotic to behave normally (when they are drunk , they are incredible), one can safely conclude that the makers surely had some grand illusions about making a new-age theatre of the absurd.

As performances go, Deeksha Panth just doesn’t pass muster.  She is artificial when she is scared, too mediocre to be convincing in the role of a celebrated actress, too unidimensional in her act to show variations.  Dhanraj better never played such a serious role.  Chammak Chandra and others are convincing, but Raghu Karamanchi is a total letdown, making his Old City language too obvious.

The technical departments put up a negligent, sub par work.

Verdict: A poorly inspired film gone haywire.  Takes place in a parallel universe.

బంతిపూల జానకి తెలుగు వెర్షన్ మూవీ రివ్యూ