Dhana 51
What's more difficult for a hero to handle than failures?
Well, it can be success. It is a truism that it is more difficult to live up to a reputation than create one.
Sumanth would be on this learning curve already. When he did Satyam with Soorya Kiran there was no albatross of expectation around his neck. So when the film turned out to be a hit, he was happy at having got a much-needed break. But that was it. And when Gowri also became a run-away hit, amidst the pleasant flush of success, there must have been some gnawing worries. Is this all true? How long will this last? These existential angst-ridden questions may or may not have throbbed in Sumanth's mind.
But the point is he is desperate to continue the golden streak. That is why he has gone back to the man who gave him the biggest opening in his career. Soorya Kiran, the man who made the all-important Satyam, is now a trusted lieutenant of Sumanth. The tow hit it off so well that the Dhana 51 has been so quick in its making. The film went to the floors only recently. But it is already on the verge of completion. Interestingly, the film was just named 51. It was a strange title to start with. And before long the makers also succumbed to the sweep of superstition and they added Dhana 51.
Now, Dhana is a short form of Dhananjay, the name of Sumanth's character in the film. Satyam and Gowri were also eponymous films --- the hero's name was the title. So by continuing in the same vein, the makers of Dhana 51 hope to continue the streak.
The film is a mass-based one with all the elements that an average film watcher would want. Sumanth is trying to build a name for himself as an action-romantic hero --- much like his uncle Nagarjuna. The film features Saloni as the heroine. She is another beauty from an upcountry. She looks cute and beauty. Her role is expected to be on expected lines. The main attraction otherwise of this film is Mukesh Khanna, immortalized on the small screen as Bhishma. The 'Shaktimaan' is generally averse to doing other language films. But for him to make a change in his policy must mean that his role must be special. For Soorya Kiran the film is also special. For one, he wants to extend his good spell. For another, as he enters marital bliss (with actress Kalyani), he would want a nice wedding present. Dhana 51 will hopefully provide him that. The film is slated for January release.