Namo Venkatesa Review

Hype is not always good.  'Namo Venkatesa' was said to be going to touch the pinnacle of comedy before its release, but it turns out that the film has only an ordinary comedy track.  Never matter, because it is enjoyable, even though a little less convincing than we would have wanted.  For yet another time, director Sreenu Vaitla employs his favourite formula, in the hope that it gives him results.  Will it or won't it?  Let's wait and see.  That not all tested formulae are fail-safe is to be borne in mind.

Released on the day of Sankranthi, the film definitely makes a good family entertainer.  Venkatesh, coming with an attitude of full-blown positivity and the main 'villain', Brahmanandam, who derives sadistic pleasures from fooling around the hapless singer-cum-ventriloquist, entertain us till the end.  And, yes, though Venkata Ramana (Venkatesh) is ever-hopeful, there does come a point in his life when he loses all hope and calls it quits with his favourite deity the Lord Venkateswara.  It seems that the power of the "Be Positive" mantra strongly seated in his subconscious brings him the ultimate luck in the end.

To begin with, Mr. Ramana is a worried lot because he has remained 'pellikani Prasadu' all along.  Let alone entering into a wed lock, he is not even finding bride matches, which his father Chandra Mohan explains away with an analogy.  A follower of horoscope, he understands that he should get married in a month's time or he will remain a bachelor forever.  Shift to Paris, where he arrives to perform his art of ventriloquism.  Enter Prasad (Brahmanandam), who decides to play a mind game with Ramana by making him believe that his daughter-in-law Trisha loves him.  Ramana builds castles in the air, but Trisha's conscience grows stricken.  Though she does not like fooling around the good-hearted, clean-minded Ramana, circumstances compel her to do so. 

Back in India, Chengal Naidu (Mukesh Rishi) makes arrangements to marry his son off to our heroine, much against her wishes.  Trisha tries to run away, but her efforts fail.  The hapless girl, put under house arrest, seeks the help of Prasad.  The wily Brahmi sketches a plan and enlists Venky in the mission to free Trisha from her blood-thirsty relatives.  What follows next is to be seen on the screen.

Story-wise, though it is not fresh, it doesn't push us to the limits.  The idea should have actually appeared old-fashioned for a big star like Venkatesh.  Vaitla repeats a scene or two from his previous films, which is not bad.  What is surprising is that he doesn't show imagination and throw out those mindless goondas, all of whom Sreenu's heroes manage to make fool of so effortlessly.  Yet another time, the same formula?  Why not come up with something different, Vaitla?

Performances of all lead actors is adequate.  Devi Sri's tunes are just about okay.  Dialogue by Chintapalli Ramana is elevating.  Venky and Trisha strike chemistry.

All in all, go for it with bare minimum expectations and you are sure to get a bang for your money.

Released on: 14th Jan, 2010