They said it was inspired by Bruce Almighty. Then, we heard it was similar to the ANR starrer Buddhimantudu. Now that the film has released, we can vouch for the fact that it is not inspired, at least not in total. It is indeed interesting to watch both Vishnu and Nagarjuna in the same frame, given that they both have a different body language. In fact, both of them look perfectly in sync and appear more like two friends chilling out. Their off-screen camaraderie cannot be missed on screen too.
But that is about it. While it is not an inspired film, what we end up having is a rehash of many old '80s films, where we have a doting and totally devoted servant played by the hero and a headstrong, obstinate and arrogant girl who ends up falling for the hero by the second half. So, in this modern version, we have Vishnu or Arjuna who is the `I-live-by-you' household help of Satya's (Mamata Mohandas) family. Having been thrown out from his village as his mother delivers him in a temple, he lives with his grandmother who is a cook at Satya's house. It goes without saying that both the grandmother and grandson are looked down upon by Satya and her brother, played by Nazir. Despite being constantly ill-treated, our hero has a heart of gold and is blindly devoted to the family, thanks to Satya's sister-in-law (Prema) and simply because he knows no better. Ironically, despite his massive six-foot frame, he is as tame as a lamb.
As destiny would have it, or as an astrologer (Napolean) would have it, Arjuna is cajoled into marrying Satya to ward off a dosham in her horoscope. But her sly brother Nazir has other plans for her and conspires to get Arjuna killed. From here on, the movie catches pace. Also because that's when Nagarjuna makes his entry as the sauve and smartly suited modern day version of Lord Krishna. Once he enters the scene, Arjuna's life changes for good and he goes about setting things right. The film ends on a rather expected note.
The film has all the elements, right for a '80s film. But given that it is made in 2008, you cannot but feel that the characterization and the basic plot are a bit too outdated for the current generation. There are the songs. Then, there is Mamata Mohandas to provide the oomph factor, which she does in ample. Yet, you cannot but end up feeling as if there is something missing from the plot. Unfortunately, director Vasu disappoints a lot by making the film fall into the `we-have-seen-it-all-before' category. Given the cast he had, he could have tried something innovative for the plot, instead of playing safe by hanging on to a time-tested script.
As for the cast, Nagarjuna looks like he is on a holiday, totally chilled and at ease. In fact, his look too is smart casual. Vishnu tries his best to play his part with enthusiasm. Here again, Vasu fails to flesh out his character properly and it takes its toll on him. As for the heroine, little said the better. Mamata Mohandas is dressed to put an extra to shame and surprisingly, her cheap dress sense is passed off as the attitude of a high-society girl. Tch tch tch!
As for the rest of the cast, they suffer from the same fate that the lead actors face. None of them have well-etched out characters and the weak plot only messes them up further.
The songs are the only saving grace of the film. They at least match up to the expectations of the Gen X. MM Keeravani tries a lot of variation in the tracks, which works for the film. From the staple devotional number which is a must-have in any Mohan Babu film, to the rap number by Manoj, he touches the entire spectrum.
But it is the director who really fails to steer his ship. He uses a fair sprinkling of double meaning dialogues, enough raunchy scenes and a foil-thin plot to woo the audience. Dr Mohan Babu too puts in a special role for dea
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