Simha Review

If it were to be summed up in one line, `Simha' is an out-and-out mass entertainer that will surely be a bonanza for fans. Add another line, this film is full of good performances by just about everyone. Credit must be given to director Boyapati Sreenu for making hits out of all his three films - first it was `Bhadra' with Ravi Teja and then it was `Thulasi' with Venkatesh. And now `Simha' with Balakrishna. Interestingly, this film will certainly go down in history books as our Balayya babu's most subdued and mature performance. His body language is very very different when compared to his other films. Earlier, if we were forced to hear 120 or 180-second long dialogues, Sreenu has made Balakrishna talk just one or two words in conveying the message. It is as if people were seeing an entirely new Balakrishna. His performance is power-packed in both his roles as the father and son.

Of course the excessive violence makes one wonder if all that blood that cinematographer Arthur Wilson shows, especially in the second half, is necessary at all. Of course, they are never shown together. The junior figures in the first half, with the second half showing the senior.

As for the story, it is simply a son taking revenge for his father's killing by doing to death the villain at the same location, about 30 years later. The first half has Sneha Ullal as junior Balakrishna's love interest, with the second half showing Nayanatara as the senior's wife.

But then, needless to say, the average Telugu film fan wants to see loads of glamour and enough fights too. Probably that is how they escape the harsh realities of life out of tinseltown. If the glamour of a very, very well-endowed Namitha was showcased very well for the front-benchers, Ram & Laxman have excelled too, in composing the fights.

Director Sreenu has excelled himself with the story, screenplay and dialogues too. In one scene during the second half, the senior Balakrishna asks the SP as to what the police were doing when the villains killed 300 males in a village.

Add this to the over 100 people whom the senior Balakrishna virtually hacks and spears to death and we have at least 400 people getting killed in the entire movie, all in the second half only. The first half has junior Balakrishna as a college lecturer beating up the villains by the dozens just by using his fists and legs.

That is the degree of violence. While the first is rather OK, the second half, actually the bloodshed in every other scene will be hard to digest for the faint at heart. Right, now lets talk about the comedy.

Interestingly, even in such a violent film, Sreenu has infused a lot of comedy with Krishna Bhagawan, Brahmanandam and Venu Madhav dishing out good performances. Jhansi did pretty well with Srikakulam accent and plays Brahmanandam's love interest. After a long time, K.R. Vijaya plays a sizeable role as the grandmother.

Nayanatara, as the wife of senior Balakrishna needs special mention. She looks much slimmer than before but what is actually refreshing is that she does not use those atrociously-coloured eye-shadows that she did in her earlier films.

Chakri's music good in most of the songs. The not-so-subtle bass at the background of every important scene in the film is quite telling and adds value to the screenplay. Kudos to Chinna for it. Producer Paruchuri Kiriti has spared no expense for the film and it is very, very evident.

In all, a total `paisa vasool' film for the masses and specially the fans. And coming as it did, during the summer holidays, it is bound to do well. If it is a hat-trick for director Boyapati Sreenu, it will surely be the 4th super-duper hit for Balakrishna. They include `Samarasimha Reddy' in 1999, Narasimha Naidu in 2001 and Lakshmi Narasimha in the year 2004.

Interestingly, the word `Simha' in the titles of all the four films seems to be lucky for Balakrishna ! It is very clear that Boyapati Sreenu has smoothly slipped in to the list of top directors with his third consecutive hit. However, it remains to be seen as to how many records 'Simha' will break.

Released on : 30th April, 2010