Pavitra Review

A prostitute-turned-independent MLA, whose support will decide whether X party will form the government and still suggestive in her demeanour and dressing, makes her way into the private chamber of the single largest political party, seats herself in an arrogant posture and demands of the party to allot the Home portfolio to her.  The high command demurs, bigwigs deride the ex-prostitute and ask her to be in limits.  Pavithra, who has been voted in by a majority of women in her constituency, cleverly pits two women politicos of the party against the wannabe male ministers by playing the 'stree' card.  The united house becomes a divided house within a nanosecond with 'akka' becoming conscious of her womanhood.  Janardhana Maharshi treats us to another bombardment immediately.  A criminal-minded Shivaji is waiting outside the hall where the future ministers are housed, with a revolver in hand, to kill the new newsmaker of Andhra Pradesh.  He pumps "okka bullet" only and leaves.  The bunch of criminals who have "looted the country" have a change of heart when the Iron Lady With An Unassailable Body beseeches them to protect the women of her State and agree to make the world's most popular ex-prostitute, hold your breath, 'Minister for Stree Protection."

We haven't even begun to talk about how Shriya Saran, a self-confessed Apavitra, turned an icon overnight.  It was a fortuitous event, her father-in-law got killed accidentally, leaving a vacuum.  The whore with a philanthropic background seeks to fill the space, posing a satisfied smile in front of tv cameras, challenging the male domination.  Everyone from a fake baba (Ravi Babu), who is her strongest opponent, are effortlessly exposed.  The baba himself, out of sheer nervousness, reveals that he owns certain well-known establishments in the city and makes a funny expression as if he is dumber than a kid.  Our sexy future legislator even walks up to the baba, who owns thousands of crores but not a single security guard, and unmasks his wig!

At another end, Shivaji is seething with anger in the jail.  He can grease the palms of the jailer with Rs. 50 lakhs but has no commonsense to pump enough bullets to kill the biggest enemy of his life.

Sai Kumar is the only face who brings a semblance of seriousness to the film, but even he is not left untouched by Janardhan's genius.  In one scene he says he had become an MLA by tactically marrying an autistic orphan girl, thereby winning women's hearts.  In another scene, he tells the world through the media a "best kept secret."  That his wife is deaf and dumb!

These many errors?  Wait, there are more.

In the scene where writer Brahmanandam asks Apavitra why she has not married, our greatest champion of women's rights argues that many husbands are not happy and that 80 per cent of marriages are joyless.  And, pray, who are the husbands?  Sexually frustrated ones, sadistic ones, lechers and worse.

While exposing Shivaji, she and a group of five ladies behave as though they are ragging a timid classmate.

We bring you more.  There are two love stories woven in to the script.  A yawn-inducing one between Apavitra and Abhi (Kaushik), and an incredulous one between Roja (the deaf and dumb wife of Sai Kumar) and Apavitra.  Yes, we never understand what makes the widow, Roja, own Apavitra and confess before the media that her husband was an epitome of corruption.

Just to give legitimacy to the crazy idea, the well-read (?!) writer-director chips in the services of Osho, the Sex Guru.  Yet we don't understand why the Sexy Devotee of Osho feels terrible everyday she sleeps with a man.  Should sex not be moksha-giving to her?

Technically, the film is pathetic.  Shivaji looks like an item guy of the bygone era, the remix song is an assault on our senses.

Roja walks out with a fine performance.  Shriya doesn't look voluptuous enough, not even when she speaks spice.  Sai Kumar and Kaushik do justice to their roles.

Verdict:  A film for adults?  Actually, Pavitra is a kiddish film.  There is no sense of proportion, no connectivity, it is difficult to say what the film is.

Rating: 1.5