Krack Review

'Krack', starring Ravi Teja and others, is out in theatres. Here we present the review of the latest Telugu-language release.

Story:

Shankar (Ravi Teja) is a fiery cop who fears none. He can terrorize even the most powerful baddies. Katari Krishna (Samuthirakani), a violent and influential man in Ongole, crosses paths with him in connection with an old murder case.  Eventually, Shankar becomes the enemy No. 1 of Katari and his mistress Jayamma (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) in an unexpected twist. Bloodshed follows. What has Shankar got in store for the fearsome villain? That's the climax for you.

Analysis:

'Krack' marks the third collaboration between Ravi Teja and director Gopichand Malineni. Ten years after 'Don Seenu' and seven years after 'Balupu', the duo has come together for a story filled with familiar elements but a film that entertains despite its obvious formula-driven tropes.

After sub-par performances in 'Touch Chesi Chudu', 'Nela Ticket', 'Amar Akbar Anthony' and 'Disco Raja', Ravi Teja deploys his Mass Maharaja-ness with confidence. Powered by Sai Madhav Burra's punchlines, the actor delivers blows to villains and, most probably, moolah to stakeholders. He aces the role of a red-hot cop who gets flustered when someone brandishes his background. Shruti Haasan gets to play the blushing housewife, unassuming mother and calm-minded Sivangi with elan.

The film does itself a great deal of favour by casting Samuthirakani in the role of a self-styled, macabre man named Katari Krishna. He is ruthless, but when Shankar is around, he seems to become calculated. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar plays his partner in crime, making the audience root for her hotheaded ways. Ravi Shankar is fun to watch, while Devi Prasad, Sudhakar Komakula and Vamsee Chaganti get to play well-etched roles.

The elevation of heroism is at the core of the film, but 'Krack' has more to it than indulging its larger-than-life protagonist. The backdrops (be it Kurnool, Kadapa, or Ongole) are used well to create drama. Katari Krishna gets a song of his own. Good stretches of the first half go without Ravi Teja having any screen presence.

The family scenes are not just about the wife and son asserting themselves comically in front of the hero. They are also about the wife provoking thought in her sometimes mercurial husband.

The second half could have been better, though. The wolf attack-style fights are somewhat lengthy and could have been executed better. At 153 minutes, 'Krack' does fizzle out in terms of pace in the last 30 minutes.

This one is Thaman's 11th outing with Ravi Teja and, as far as the BGM is concerned, it's one of the best works by the composer for the actor. The songs play to the gallery in a positive way. GK Vishnu makes a sparkling entry into the Telugu film industry.

Verdict:

'Krack' is targeted at the mass audience and youngsters who pine for hero-can-do-it-all stories. While being formulaic, it also offers several exciting stretches. The pre-Sankranthi release has got everything in it to pass the litmus test of the post-lockdown situation.

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