At a time when clean, family-oriented entertainers are not seen often, Parusuram's directorial style is a relief.  The fact that 'Solo' is one of the loved moves on satellite (although the film didn't do quite well at the BO) is a testimony to his talent.  'Srirastu Subhamastu', much as it sounds traditional in its title, is a blend of entertaining rom-comish features and a family sentiment that will appeal to audiences of all age groups.

Sirish (Allu Sirish) goes on a business tour to Ooty and falls for Ananya (Lavanya Tripathi).  He joins her in a hospital when she falls sick and gets her out of trouble.  He finds that Ananya hails from a middle-class family and that she loves her father (Rao Ramesh) a lot.  Sirish loses no time in conveying his intention to marry Ananya to his rich father (played by Prakash Raj).  When the dad opposes, the son goes about befriending Ananya as a middle-class guy.  When the girl too starts falling for him, her father expects her to marry his friend Tanikella Bharani's son.  At this point of time, Sirish enters their household posing himself as Ananya's best friend.  What all he does from now forms the rest of the film.

As the trailer conveyed, the film turns out to be both breezy and sentimental.  The elements are in the right proportion.  Parusuram, just as he did it with Nara Rohith, keeps the performances of his actors restrained and measured.  If the story is nothing new, the situational dialogues steal a march.

The screenplay is peppered with comedy involving Prabhas Sreenu, Ali and the lead actor (either all three together or two of them).  The hilarious scenes get a match in sharp, intelligent dialogue-writing.  Here are two of the good lines from the more serious portions:

"Prema nu vyaktham cheyaleni nissahaya sthithi lo unnanu.. Prema leka kadu"  ("I am helpless in expressing my love.  I am not devoid of love).

"Security anedhi dabbu lo kadhu, gundelo untundi" (Security doesn't come from money, it's in ones heart).

"Nenu prema lo gelichanu.  Kani meeru nannu odincharu.  O manchi kutumbanni isthananna nammakanni ivvaleka na premanu vadulukunnanu"  (I always won in love.  But you defeated me.  I gave up because I couldn't promise to give her a good family).

The emotional bonding between the daughter-father duo is a highlight of the film.  The scenes complement the story and the film's emotional value only goes up with these scenes.

Sirish, coming as he does after 'Kotha Janta', stays true to the script.  He is convincing as a naughty lover boy who peeves Lavanya Tripathi.  And he is equally good in the emotional scenes where he has to act with a seasoned actor like Prakash Raj.  His dialogue delivery has improved for sure.

Lavanya Tripathi gets a meaty role after 'Bhale Bhale Mogadivoy'; she looks brighter in this film than she ever looked in the past, thanks perhaps to Manikandan's cinematography, too.

Rao Ramesh and Prakash Raj deliver one of the best performances in their careers.  The chemistry they share with the lead actors is a fine takeaway.  Prabhas Sreenu, Ali and others deserve a pat on the back.  Their comic timing and the funny lines are commendable.

The technical departments are at their best, too.  Thaman gets to compose a style of music he is not known for.  In a long time, he is not here to compose for a mass film and that's good.  The three songs fit the bill.  The director makes sure that the run-time doesn't become a demerit.  At 138 minutes, it's just right.  Manikandan's cinematography enriches the frames in every possible way.

Verdict: A family entertainer and a rom-com that is balanced.  Good dialogues, neat performances, excellent technical output.

శ్రీరస్తు శుభమస్తు తెలుగు వెర్షన్ మూవీ రివ్యూ