Gangaputrulu Review

A few film makers make cinema for commerce. A few others for passion. Very few for a purpose. Sunil Kumar Reddy is one such director whose cinema has a purpose-to bring to limelight the agony of rural India which is losing out its ancestral profession and livelihood thanks to corporate investments in their locality. If in 'Sontha Vooru', he demonstrated the erosion of a village due to Special economic zones, in 'Gangaputrulu', he tells us a story of fishermen who are caught in a clash net of new oppurtunities due to international marine investments in their vicinity and their love for fishing. We watched this movie and bisect it for you...

Story

Bosu, Sattibabu and Parugu are three friends in a small sea shore town where fishing is the principal profession. Bosu and Parugu are into fishing while Sattibabu is an easy going guy who lives on credit and a few small time deeds.Nukalu, a fisherman's girl in the same village loves Bosu. He however doesn't reciprocate her love and ignores her. The fishermen community in the village is slowly dwindling in number as the new port that has been set up is fishing away all the fishes from the sea using latest technology while these hapless fishermen get nothing. Many migrate to Andamans while a few found a job elsewhere. Ajay(Subbaraju) is the CEO of Real Raise company which plans to start marine company in the village. Swapna(Gayatri) is a reporter from TV-111 who comes to the village to do a story on the plight of the fishermen community. She realises that the community is not happy with the new investments and Real Raise's plans to start marine firm will only kill them further. The rest of the story is on what does Swapna do to save the village and what impact will it have on Bosu and Nukalu.

Performances

This film yet again proved that it doesn't take a superstar to make a movie with an impact. The casting in this film was near perfect and everyone suited their roles very well. Despite a de-glamorous look, the lead pair make us believe that they are real fishermen community. The innocence, vulnerability, defiance, self-respect and ignorance of fishermen community reflects in the action of Tanmayi, Ramki and Mahesh. The casting for fishermen, boats men, boat owners, money lenders et al looked genuine.

L B Sriram's supershort role managed to get him the mileage of the lead stars thanks to his whistle worthy dialogues on volatality of shares and its consequences on his family. Subbaraju is charming as a business tycoon and delivers his best action. Rao Ramesh too plays the role of a tv station head with ease. However, Gayatri failed to leave a mark as a correspondent.Her expressions look artificial and fake most often. She certainly needs to hone up her acting skills to get more than such small time roles.

Clap worthy moments

The best part about this movie are the dialogues that make you think, connect instantly and clap in admiration for the writer. Dialogues by L B Sriram on share market losses are penned very well and the dialogue writer needs a pat on the back for meaning so much in such simple language.

Rao Ramesh's dialogues on TV channels and the TRP ratings is outstanding. The love story is well knitted with the message on corporate investments and presents the flip side on the life of a common man very well.

The director succeeds in beautifully blending the story of a couple through a movie with a social cause. The background score  by Praveen Kumar is appealing and the song 'Kanulatho..' where the fisherman's daughter is presented quite sensuously without seeming vulgur.

The cinematographer did a fabulous job in scenes where the hero leaves the heroine for a job in Andamans and managed to capture the real flavour of a port village. The shots of fishing, sorting them, auctioning them in the market, fights in the market, the boats, the sea and the cooking on the boat et al shot near Kakinada port and even their dialect are very authentic and enhances the intensity of the film.

The screenplay and editing are skillful and in commensurate with this genre of cinema and avoid boredom. The shots of Sompeta firing in 2010 and the message of Mahatma Gandhi that "the world has enough for everyone's needs but doesn't have enough for one man's greed', sets in proper background for this topical cinema.

Without taking cinematic liberties, the climax was as realistic and gives a perfect standing ovaiton movement. The purpose of the movie is to make us think about the rapid industrialisation and its affect on communities. The movie is sure to leave you thoughtful about new investments in rural India.

Cringe worthy moments

The visual effects used showing an animated fish looks fake.The animated helicopter landing scene on a building also makes you smirk. Subbaraju's office and his desk could have been lot more lavish considering the build up that was given to his charecter as a popular business tycoon.His office and staff in this film look like they are running a small time self help company. Though overall performance of the lead pair is clap worthy, scene where heroine cries could have been better.

Verdict

This movie is a must watch for everyone who loves thoughtful cinema. Well shot and excellently narrated. Don't miss it.

Released on: 25th March, 2011