The Family Star Review

Family Star showcases Vijay Devarakonda portraying the role of a young man from a middle-class background, highlighting his journey as he shoulders the responsibility of his family in times of turmoil.

Story:

 Govardhan (Vijay Devarakonda) is a dedicated youngster who goes to great lengths to support his middle-class family. He takes care of his grandmother, two brothers, sisters-in-law, and their children, shouldering the responsibilities without considering marriage. His perspective on modern girls, or "genex girls," keeps him aloof from romantic entanglements. However, everything changes when he meets Indhu (Mrunal Thakur), a beautiful girl whose entry into his life brings about a series of unexpected twists and turns, leading to a transformative journey for Govardhan.

Analysis:

Vijay Devarakonda delivers a performance that strives for naturalism and realism in Family Star. While he embodies his role effectively, there's a sense of him being typecast in similar roles, occasionally veering into exaggerated expressions that might disappoint some of his fans. Nevertheless, he manages to portray the frustrations, love, and anger of a middle-class youngster convincingly.

Mrunal Thakur, known for her captivating performances in films like "Sitharamam" and "Hi Nanna," is unfortunately limited by the routine nature of her role in "Family Star." Her character lacks depth, preventing her from recreating the magic she's known for, thus dampening the intensity of her performance.

Supporting actors like Jagapathi Babu, Vennela Kishore, Rohini Hattangadi, Victoria Grace, Marissa Rose Gordon, Divyansha Kaushik, and Ajay Ghosh deliver performances that suit their roles, but the characters themselves don't offer much room for them to shine.

Director Parasuram's story feels like a blend of earlier successful films, such as "Megastar Chiranjeevi's Gang Leader" and "Varun Tej's Tholi Prema," culminating in a predictable and somewhat formulaic narrative. The film is plagued by several clichéd and cringe-worthy scenes, relying heavily on the presence of Vijay Devarakonda and Mrunal Thakur to carry it through.

Scenes depicting the middle-class family are exaggerated and lack emotional depth. The interval twist is predictable, making the first half below average. The second half fails to improve upon this, testing the patience of the audience with its unrealistic and artificial sequences, leaving viewers puzzled. The dialogues are ordinary and repetitive, and the film concludes in a predictable manner.

Gopi Sunder's music fails to impress, except for a couple of songs. His background score is below average and lacks impact. K.U. Mohanan's cinematography is satisfactory, while Marthand K. Venkatesh's editing could have been tighter to eliminate the numerous drags in the film. The production values, however, are decent.

Verdict:

Family Star falls short of expectations, lacking the charm and magic of Parasuram's earlier success, "Geetha Govindam." Despite attempts to recreate some of that magic, particularly in certain scenes, the film comes across as artificial and unconvincing. Even the performances of Vijay Devarakonda and Mrunal Thakur fail to salvage Family Star, which ultimately sinks as a disappointing endeavor.