Seetharamula Kalyanam Review

Here comes our Telugu hero, who scripts a simplistic fun drama to oust the villain from the matrix.  All it takes for him is an idiotic Appalraju (Brahmanandam) and an equally dumb-witted Veera Prathap (Salim Panda), who is just blinded by his love for Indu, so much so he has no hunch of what a fool he is becoming.  Another film that draws heavily from the format of films that have, in the recent past, reduced the blood-thirsty villain to an embodiment of imbecility and foolishness.  Yes, yet another time, he is, though a Ravana himself, a crack brain, easily trampled upon until the climax.  And in the climax, the film anyway has a fight-to-finish battle, that we all know, is won by the hero.

Seetharamula Kalyanam.. Lankalo, is a film that you can go for, on a boring day.  It starts of very poor, but picks up towards the last leg of first half.  In second half, all the actors, especially Nitin, seem adequate, with comic doses taken care of by Brahmanandam, Subbaraju and Jayaprakash Reddy.  The director must be appreciated for efficiently handling the second half, when the film had an opportunity to actually become meatier, but also threw up a danger of becoming tough to handle.  And, given that the relatively easier part in the first half was handled badly and shoddily, the audience would have not entertained any hopes.  Thank God, that the film doesn't push us to the limits.  More important, it entertains us.

The film begins as any other ordinary college campus story.  Chandru (Nitin) is a courageous teenager, who bounces on the baddies at mere throw of a hat.  He gushes about 'youth power' at every opportunity, and knowing fully that it is intended to make the youths whistle, we forgive him.  Enter Indu (Hansika), who prattles about cigarette's injurious effects at a multiples, to Chandru, a complete stranger.  Starting from now, you should suspend your thinking for another half-an-hour, when the hero tries to woo the girl and the latter thinks of reciprocating to him.  Meanwhile, we are introduced to Peddi Reddy (Suman), Indu's father, who bays for his enemies' blood.  He asks Indu to get ready for a marriage with a guy of his choice.  As expected, Chandru enters the scene, that is now dramatically set in Rayalaseema, and asks Suman for his daughter's hand.  The film starts to entertain from this point.

Before Chandru wins his girl, he has got to fight Veera Prathap (Salim Panda), who loves Indu and has abducted her.  How Chandru gets into the ever-boggling Lanka, populated by gun-toters and gangs, is to be seen on the big screen.

The film's pluses are the performances of its lead actors (though Nitin seems inept in first half) and the comedy in the second half.  Unfortunately, Suman's role is totally ruled out in the second half.  He is absolutely adequate as a factionist, who we would want more of him.  As already said, the second half, where its strength lies, has an average screenplay, but it doesn't bore.

The director should have taken care of the first half.  This part is so painful that we just can't figure out what Nitin and Hansika are up to.  Also, why is Nitin presented as a rocking, action star (which he is not), while his lover-boy image should be banked upon too?  MS Narayana and Satyam Rajesh just fail to evoke laughter.

On the technical front, music (Anup Rubens) is mediocre.  Choreography is incurably routine.  Nothing special to talk about the director, who doesn't seem innovative anywhere.

All in all, Seetharamula Kalyanam is watchable on a lackluster day.  It may bring a smile on your face (you have Sri Lankan deities Mutthaiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasurya), though it peeves you in the beginning.

Released on: 22nd Jan, 2010