'Vajralu Kavala Nayana' hits the screens today. Here is our review.
Story:
Three male and two female friends (Anil, Nikita, Vijay Sai and others) stay in an apartment. They come with their own dreams/obsessions/flashbacks. If Anil, who was orphaned because his ailing mother couldn't save her life for want of money, wants to strike rich overnight, Nikita wants to own a gold shop! If one wants to become a Tollywood superstar, the other girl wants to become a model.
Anil, who is working as a loan recovery agent, chances upon Rani Nilayam, a seemingly abandoned bungalow inhabited by a rich lady (played by Neha Deshpande) whose ornamentation is estimated to value in crores and her glum-looking Babai (played by producer P Radha Krishna, who has also penned the story). If this isn't eerie enough, the house is guarded by an expressionless watchman.
Anil sets his eyes on the riches worn by Neha. Together with his unquestioning, robot-like friends, he hatches a plan to steal the diamonds, but least do they realize that there is more than what meets the eye. After all, the Rani-babai-watchman trio may not even be alive.
Analysis:
'Vajralu Kavala Nayana' is yet another film belonging to the horror-comedy genre. Once it becomes clear that it's no crime thriller, the audience waits for emotions and visuals in vain.
It's a parody fest from the word go. To speak, Pokiri-style, it's not known how much of impact the TV comedy circus 'Jabardasth' has on the viewers, but it clearly has influenced some of the filmmakers rather too much. A few minutes into the second half, the clueless characters vow to not move out of the haunted bungalow until they have found the diamonds. They don't go about searching the bungalow, but instead do skits to amuse themselves!
Flattering the makers of 'Jabardasth', they do a skit, much to the chagrin of the ghost, in what is a throwback to 'Prema Katha Chitram'. A Kannada film like 'Uppi-2', about which the Telugu audience hardly know, is smuggled into a comedy scene to no reasonable effect. Earlier in the first half, the short comedian Chittu Babu (as the landlord of the five friends) spoofs NTR from 'Nannaku Prematho', Pawan Kalyan from 'Sardaar Gabbar Singh', Nagarjuna from 'Soggade Chinni Nayana', Prabhas from 'Baahubali'. If ever there was an award for a film that most banks on the popularity of others, that one has to go for this one, for even 'Matrudevobhava' is not spared!
By the way, Chitti Babu is easily the director's hero, what with him making an inexplicably confident entry in the pre-climax phase, staying too long enough, so much so, even Brahmanandam should be green with envy about his role's longevity.
A predictable, formulaic fare, 'VKN' could have had a situational song or two instead of an amateurish duet. The emotions are light-touch. The ghost's character needed more screen time. At 122 minutes, it wouldn't have done any bad if the film was 10 minutes longer.
The performances are found wanting. John Potla's music and the cinematography could have been better.
Verdict:
A horror-comedy that takes the beaten path.
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