Telugu filmdom is fixated with masala elements. But mass things need not be such a bad thing. They carry with them universal appeal. They have a ring of appealing truism to them.
The Mass film is a good example. It has all the ingredients, plus some more. Debutant director Lawrence has worked out so many scenes that may appeal to the common fan even though the story line is a regular one. With Nagarjuna, in fine fettle, the film acquires an extra sheen and style.
Ganesh (Nagarjuna) is an orphan. He lands in Vizag and tells the dons there Satya and Seshu (Raghuvaran and Seshu) that their days are numbered. And he then proceeds to dismantle their operations and them systematically.
But did he take on the two rogue elements? What has he against them? That is not difficult to guess. Ganesh had fallen in love with Anjali (Jyothika). But on the day of the marriage, she is taken away by her kin. No prizes for guessing that Satya and Seshu make up Jyothika's family.
Before getting Anjali, Ganesh has to not only avoid the machinations of the villainous gang, but also escape the playful attention of another girl (Charmy).
Nagarjuna is simply superb in a tailor-made role. Be it in fights or be it in emoting, he comes up with the requisite realism. Nagarjuna is helped by some gritty and stylized presentation. The production values are consistently high. Nagarjuna plays a role that seems an extension of the one he did in Siva. He looks ruggedly handsome and moves away from the soft-focus lover-boy of his previous three films.
Cherubic Jyothika has nothing much do. Ditto for Charmy --- she oozes glamour like she did in her previous movies. But both do not spoil the show.
Rahul Dev and Raghuvaran, as villains, can be inspired choices. They play their roles with understanding. One with a long-hair is muscular and the other (Raghuvaran) underplays his character beautifully.
Sunil, who plays the hero's friend before getting killed, is okay. Prakash Raj in a guest role makes a mark. The technical crew delivers the goods, providing the film with a rich and acceptable back-cloth. The music of Devi Sri is rhythmic, but in tune with the demands of the film.
For the dance director turned director Lawrence this is a baptism by fire. He seems to show a flair for handling the basics. He sure knows how to cobble a nice film that has both style and substance.
The film will surely get the nod at the box office.
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