Krishna Think Ravi Teja and you would think of an easy, feel-good film with ample doses of comedy and action. Krishna that released today is no exception. The combination of VV Vinayak and Ravi Teja was hyped quite a bit before the film’s release. While it is not extraordinary, Krishna delivers what it promises. The main highlight of the film is the situational comedy that Vinayak has so deftly woven into the main plot. Just when you begin to think the story is no different, come these really hilarious chunks which make for happy viewing.
As for the plot, it is the quintessential love story of a boy meets girl and villain playing the spoilsport. Though in this film, the story has few new twists that make the watching interesting. The story begins in Vijayawada, where Krishna (Ravi Teja) sees Sandhya (Trisha) at the Durga temple on Dassara day. Cupid does his job and our hero falls in love in the very first sight. Then Sandhya leaves for Hyderabad, as she studies there and our hero follows her like a love-struck pup. It is from here that the story slowly unfolds and the villains come into the picture.
Ravi Teja has done similar roles all his life and he plays the part of Krishna with equal ease. Then there is Trisha, who had done such films through out her career. So it’s a virtual cakewalk for her. Despite this, the credit goes to Vinayak for spinning a yarn that is interesting enough to keep the audience till the very end. He shows Vijayawada in a new light. The Krishna river is shown in full spate and the shots that he uses in Vijayawada are refreshing. For once, there are no heavy duty dialogues despite lots of action.
Another plus is the handsome villain Jekka (Mukul Dev), brother of Rahul Dev, a model and actor himself in Mumbai. He looks trendy as the bad boy who is after the heroine. Though we have Jayaprakash Reddy, his role too is toned down by comedy and so it is no where nearer to the loud villain that he usually plays.
Sunil, MS Narayana, Chandramohan and Brahmanandam are their usual best. Sayaji Shinde and Tanikella Bharani have small roles, but those which are well fleshed out.
As for the plot, it is the quintessential love story of a boy meets girl and villain playing the spoilsport. Though in this film, the story has few new twists that make the watching interesting. The story begins in Vijayawada, where Krishna (Ravi Teja) sees Sandhya (Trisha) at the Durga temple on Dassara day. Cupid does his job and our hero falls in love in the very first sight. Then Sandhya leaves for Hyderabad, as she studies there and our hero follows her like a love-struck pup. It is from here that the story slowly unfolds and the villains come into the picture.
Ravi Teja has done similar roles all his life and he plays the part of Krishna with equal ease. Then there is Trisha, who had done such films through out her career. So it’s a virtual cakewalk for her. Despite this, the credit goes to Vinayak for spinning a yarn that is interesting enough to keep the audience till the very end. He shows Vijayawada in a new light. The Krishna river is shown in full spate and the shots that he uses in Vijayawada are refreshing. For once, there are no heavy duty dialogues despite lots of action.Another plus is the handsome villain Jekka (Mukul Dev), brother of Rahul Dev, a model and actor himself in Mumbai. He looks trendy as the bad boy who is after the heroine. Though we have Jayaprakash Reddy, his role too is toned down by comedy and so it is no where nearer to the loud villain that he usually plays.
Sunil, MS Narayana, Chandramohan and Brahmanandam are their usual best. Sayaji Shinde and Tanikella Bharani have small roles, but those which are well fleshed out.
But it is Vinayak, who comes out a winner, as he does not fall into the trap of trying to over do either comedy or action. It is the film in recent times that does not use graphics and unnecessary special effects during the action sequences. The special effects used are subtle and look realistic. Music is a bit disappointing, though the sets look grand.So to have a final word, if you are looking for some light, fun-filled movie during the festival vacation, then Krishna is the film for you and family.
SwagathamSwagatam' is probably one of the much-hyped films of Jagapati Babu in a very long time. It has our hero and two heroines, Anushka and Bhoomika and good dosage of sentiment and the usual triangular love story. Only this time, it is set abroad – in the US, to be precise. After having been bombarded with Europe and Australia in most films, the US suddenly appears different and visually appealing. Probably because not many films have been set there in a long time.
The film happens to be the 75th film of Jagapati Babu. It is a huge budget film unlike most of his films in the recent past. He has co-produced the film and has decided to distribute it himself in the US. Naturally, the expectations have been very high. To be fair to Dasarath, he does not disappoint. In the sense that it is what one would typically go to watch in a Jagapati Babu movie.
Dasarath starts off in a novel way as far as a Telugu film is concerned. His story is set in the US, he has a heroine who is a part-time event manager and runs a boutique simultaneously. For a change, she is not all over our hero. Instead, she tries to keep her family together and clear her loans. Bogged down by family issues, Shailu (Anushka) has little time to look at the bright side of life. She is forever hassled and has a temper that frightens people.
The film happens to be the 75th film of Jagapati Babu. It is a huge budget film unlike most of his films in the recent past. He has co-produced the film and has decided to distribute it himself in the US. Naturally, the expectations have been very high. To be fair to Dasarath, he does not disappoint. In the sense that it is what one would typically go to watch in a Jagapati Babu movie.
Dasarath starts off in a novel way as far as a Telugu film is concerned. His story is set in the US, he has a heroine who is a part-time event manager and runs a boutique simultaneously. For a change, she is not all over our hero. Instead, she tries to keep her family together and clear her loans. Bogged down by family issues, Shailu (Anushka) has little time to look at the bright side of life. She is forever hassled and has a temper that frightens people.
In comes KK or Krishna (Jagapati Babu) into her little world. And with him, he brings cheer into her otherwise dull life. Suddenly, her problems are solved in a jiffy and she takes to the guardian angle in her life. Of course, he having a daughter Janu about the age of her nephew-son Chikoo, does not deter her from falling for him. But there has to be trouble in the la la land. So, in comes the twist in the tale in the form of KK’s wife Vidya (Bhoomika). Like in most films with a triangular love story, one of the characters has chronic leukemia. Thankfully, Dasarath spares us and does not fall into the trap of using a rather lengthy scientific name.As the clock ticks away, we are taken on a short trip into the past. This is another aspect of KK’s life and it shows how love happens between KK and Vidya and how they get married. This is the part that Dasarath handles rather well and this part of the film is his completely. KK in the past happens to be a self obsessed, bossy and disciplinarian businessman who meets Vidya of Jalaja Rao Marriage Bureau. Instead of finding a match for him, Vidya match fixes KK and they end up marrying each other after a short courtship.
Now who has the terminal illness and who dies in the end and who gets who, makes up the rest of the film. Jagapati Babu, Anushka and Bhoomika carry off their roles nicely. Arjun as the misunderstood brother-in-law of Anushka is perfect as the NRI doctor and friend of KK. Sarat Babu, Rama Prabha, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, MS Narayana, Ali, Sunil – all have small roles, but fit their parts well and provide the laughs.Music by R P Patnaik is not extraordinary, but there is a remix version of Piya tu ab to aaja, which the young audience may like. For the rest of it, it suits the storyline, though it does not make any long-lasting impact. The scenes in the US have been well-shot and the beauty of the North American capital is shown in a colourful palette.
Dasarath takes an entire sequence from Michelle Pfeiffer-George Clooney film One Fine Day, is inspired heavily by Shah Rukh’s Kal Ho Na Ho for the first part. We cannot blame him though, as they are the mushiest of the mushy films that you can get. Yet, he holds his bit, thanks to the second half.
However, we cannot say it is something that we haven’t watched before. Actually, Dasarath puts together many borrowed pieces to complete his puzzle. It comes with all the trimmings and the sweet and bitter taste of a rich, gooey chocolate cake. It is a sincere effort, but again, it may or may not appeal to everyone as it becomes a bit trite as it progresses.
Vaana'Vaana' is another of the much hyped films released this season. The very fact that MS Raju has taken to direction with it has provided the intrigue element for this film. A remake of a Kannada film 'Mungaru Male', MS Raju tries his hand at pathos with this love story. Known for his mass entertainers, it is a detour for Raju from his usual brand of filmmaking.
He has said time and again that the film’s story had touched him so much that he decided to direct the film himself. Then there were rumours that he would be casting his son in the lead role. But as they say, it’s the present that matters and so we have Vinay playing the lead role of the rich, spoilt-brat kid Abhi or Abhiram. Then there is the girl he falls in love with Nandini (Meera Chopra, who was seen in 'Bangaram'). The fact that he lands in an open drain, the very first time he meets Nandini, does not deter our young hero from chasing her and trying to figure out who she is.
As luck would have it, he lands up in Anantagiri for a wedding with his mother Uma (Jayasudha). Only to find out that it is Nandini’s wedding that he has actually come for. Surprisingly, that does not stop our hero from chasing our heroine and more surprisingly, neither does it stop her from falling for him. Yes, just as you begin to wonder how this could result in a tear-jerker, come the usual twists. Only in this film, it is a rather smooth ending minus the melodrama that you would usually associate with such films.
He has said time and again that the film’s story had touched him so much that he decided to direct the film himself. Then there were rumours that he would be casting his son in the lead role. But as they say, it’s the present that matters and so we have Vinay playing the lead role of the rich, spoilt-brat kid Abhi or Abhiram. Then there is the girl he falls in love with Nandini (Meera Chopra, who was seen in 'Bangaram'). The fact that he lands in an open drain, the very first time he meets Nandini, does not deter our young hero from chasing her and trying to figure out who she is.
As luck would have it, he lands up in Anantagiri for a wedding with his mother Uma (Jayasudha). Only to find out that it is Nandini’s wedding that he has actually come for. Surprisingly, that does not stop our hero from chasing our heroine and more surprisingly, neither does it stop her from falling for him. Yes, just as you begin to wonder how this could result in a tear-jerker, come the usual twists. Only in this film, it is a rather smooth ending minus the melodrama that you would usually associate with such films.
That MS Raju shows the story from his point of view convincingly is a plus. We have had loads of films in recent times where the hero and heroine in a similar situation move heaven and earth to ensure their love story has a happy ending. However, here we have a more sober hero trying to sacrifice his love for the respect and well-being of their families.While it is a rather tame ending given today’s times, it takes you back in time where sacrifice and honour mattered more than getting your love. But like in all such movies, the film does not end without someone dying. Here too, someone dies, though it is for you to figure out who that is.
The best thing about the movie is the way it has been picturised. Shot extensively in Sakleshpur in Karnataka, one of the places that have the highest rainfall in the country, it is visually beautiful. The rain scenes have been shot beautifully by cinematographer Stanley Joseph. Though the rain has been used to set the tone for the gray mood of the film, thankfully, there are no hysterical sobs and lengthy dialogues
The dialogues are mostly funny and this keeps the movie from becoming a sad, sob story. Suman, Naresh, Jayasudha and Sita, who play the parents and are just picture perfect for their characters. As for the lead pair, Vinay does his best to play the part of the rich boy turned sacrificing hero. He plays it with conviction and he has a natural ease in front of the camera which makes him watchable. Meera Chopra has nothing much to do apart from making faces. But she looks like the little sister of Sameera Reddy, with a similar pout and hairdo. So that works for her.Music too is situational and most of the songs go well with the plot. Finding Prabhu Deva and Sunil in one of the songs is a pleasant surprise. Prabhu Deva looks mature and cool doing the little number.
All in all, it is a film that may not suit the sense and sensibilities of the Gen X. The go-getter generation may not be able to empathise with the sacrificing hero. If they do, then it would be another good film for MS Raju, the producer. Nevertheless, we feel it is a commendable effort by MS Raju, the debutant director.
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