Jendapai Kapiraju Review

The coming of sting journalism and 24/7 news media seems to have made our filmmakers a bit lazy.  Gone are the days when a Shankar had to think up creatively to make a Gentleman, a Bharateeyudu, an AR Murugadoss had to think of a hero who didn't piggyback on the power of the media in order to become an anti-corruption crusader a dozen times more popular than Anna Hazare- that too, overnight.  Today, a Samuthirikaran can have his Arvind Shiv Shankar shake the nation with sting operations on corrupt officials, courtesy the fiery journalism of Nijam TV.

Arvind (Nani) is an unmarried, middle-class man whose devotion to rules reminds one of Aparachitudu's Ramu.  A corrupt traffic constable (played by Prithvi Raj) stops him and ten others in the middle of a busy road, lets those well-connected go, lets those who pay him some bribe get away, but Arvind is not the one to relent.  He questions the constable for harassing him despite having all the required documents, only to land up in a jail and be threatened to be charged under various sections of the IPC.  In the court, he defends himself boldly and makes open allegations against the police department and the judge himself (watch out for that 'Meeku bayata agent unnada?').  It gets him into trouble, but Arvind decides to use the rule book to file complaints against the corrupt with higher officials and the Human Rights Commission.

After being nearly killed and threatened of worse, he, with the help of an honest lawyer and his friend (played by Vennela Kishore) concocts a plot to expose a select few corrupt officials with the help of a journalist.  Sting operations that are a tribute to Arvind Kejriwal's 'grand' vision result in the whole State rallying behind him within minutes of broadcast.  However, the 147 officials/government employees who have issued a birth certificate, a caste certificate and more to a non-existent person now plan to extricate themselves.  In their efforts, they have help from an unlikely quarter.  This is when the film takes a curious Kollywoodesque turn, complete with a man who leads a hedonistic life with babes, in rural Tamil Nadu.

To be sure, the film is not for the discerning, definitely not for those who think there is something called 'Be the change you want to see in the world' stuff in it.  It's a kind of film where girls/women are seen crying when they find the most awaited sensation since morning, speak about rapes!  It's a kind of film where those who are caught on the camera taking bribes try their best to create a non-existent man while that is nothing but inconsequential - taking bribes to give certificates in the name of an existent person makes them culpable, in any case.  It's a kind of film where the verdict asks the government to strip the convicted officials of Fundamental Rights!  It's a kind of film where the corrupt want to kill their second villain (why not the first one?) outside the court.  It's a kind of film where the first hero speaks out against the bribe-taker while the second hero, so far seen to lack any morals springs a surprise by speaking out against the bribe-giver, even as the first emits 'happy tears' on listening to him.  It's 1980s Tamil cinema meets Aam Admi Party's Web Cam Yojana, to speak on lighter vein.  It's a kind of film where our hero has one solution to those in jail who are a shame on the nation - jungle justice.  It's a kind of film where the hero, whose shirt has just been torn off in a road-side scuffle, calls his teacher (Nasser in a nightmarish role for him) to express doubts, only to be told to adjust with the societal ways; he then says, "Ante vyabhicharam cheyamantara?"  Pseudo-intensity apart, this one truly is laughable.

JPK's only plus is, as expected, Nani himself.  Samuthirikaran has a knack for extracting an intense performance from his male lead and he succeeds this time as well.  Watch out for his role as the frustrated, emotional middle class guy who has the nerve of steel.  Watch out for his rough and tough, lungi-clad Tamil dude avatar, too.  Surely, the second one may well make him a favourite with the masses if well explored by a Telugu director.  Don't expect anything from the dialogue; the writer does a pathetic job.

Amala Paul as Nani's love interest has no performance-oriented role.  Apart from saying 'I'm Sorry and I Love You' to the hero in a stupid way, she hardly has any role.  Vennela Kishore evokes laughter to begin with and slides into oblivion later.  Tanikella Bharani is seen ogling at a woman and has nothing much.  Ahuthi Prasad and others are don't make an impact.

The music is a let down and smack of an avoidable Tamil flavour.

Verdict: Just as bribe-givers have a "short-cut", our filmmakers have found out a short-cut.  Durability is the first and biggest casualty.