Srimanthudu

Its is not an easy thing after an epic and super successful movie Bahubali also last two of Mahesh Babu movies were an average and labeled as flop moves (though I do not agree that 1 Nenokkadine was a bad move). Therefore, the the odds were not that great. But here is what, Srimanthudu surpassed my expectations, richness is everywhere, cinematography, story, screen play, direction, music (could have been even better), and my favorite one, the fight scenes. Director Koritalla Siva is known for best from his previous move Mirchi, took almost three years to make his second movie and done an excellent job.

Recently it is quite common that the hero is a born rich and parents wanted to continue the family saga, however, director took in a different direction, after all rich people also starve to do something better to the society, this is exactly what this movie is about. A simple message to adopt a village.

Mahesh looked awesome (as usual), he has done an excellent job, and lived in his character, one noticeable thing that director was very careful is in Mahesh dances, did not put lot of effort in there (dances are not Mahesh department). A great deal of credit goes to hero characterization, we can feel that, this role only Mahesh can do. We all know that we may hit two or three people but definitely not 10s and 20s, however, framing of fight scenes are exceptionally good and Mahesh done excellent job in that. Not much to say about Shruti Hassan, she got a decent role and done reasonably well, she looks very skinny, I think she should seriously think about put on some weight.

My second favorite role in this movie is Jagapati Babu, he is well suited in his father's role, did not miss Prakash Raju at all, Jagapti Babu has a great future in his second inning as a character role.

Before I conclude, many of us came from village background, I am sure this will take us to our childhood and will remind us our village days, definitely creates some thoughts on visiting our birth place.

Music department is average, just couple of songs were good, rest can be taken out and more over this movie does not require any song (may be two if someone is desperate). No usual comedy track which is a big relief.

Overall, it is well a made movie, keeps you interesting till end and best treat for Mahesh Babu fans.

Movie which gives a nice message with powerpacked story and performances by artists

Director Koratala Siva comes out with an unique subject and presents truly more than what he wrote. His screenplay makes you sit for around 3 hours without complaining about a single scene. As they said in the interviews every scene is connected to another and you never feel that a particular scene is wasted. Mahesh Babu is outstanding as usual and nobody can do well than him if this kind of script comes to them. Mahesh is stylish as usual and looking more glamorous too. Definitely he is going to surprise the fans and others with his stunning performance, which is his best so far. Shruti Hassan does a key role in the film, not only as a lead lady, but also forms the limb for the power packed screenplay. Jagapathi Babu and Rajendra Prasad along with other huge star cast plays every character perfectly and one cannot imagine someone else playing those characters on screen. Not even a single character got wasted and not even a single frame went useless. DeviSriPrasad comes out with a energetic performance again as said by many. Background score and songs are as usual rocking and Madhie is the man to talk about. He is the one who presented the vision of director Siva in an extraordinary way. Editing, Choreography and all other departments are flawless.

Simply - Mahesh did another film which nobody can do and Srimanthudu turns another blockbuster in his career and Srimanthudu is truly a classic in Telugu film industry. You cannot compare this kind of films with any other films and you cannot imagine these kind of films in the future. Lets hope for the best.

In the context of brain drain and rather dismal state of India's villages, it is no wonder that this film, although a commercial one is a hidden appeal to people, especially the wealthy, to "Return to Roots".

Overall, watching the film is a good experience. The director's job was fairly good. The music was enjoyable. And yet again, Mahesh Babu steals the show with his trademark performance peppered by witty remarks and silent demeanor. Shruti Hassan is only getting better with every film. She pulled off terrific and the chemistry between the lead pair is good. However, the veterans Jagapathi Babu as a caring yet indifferent father and Dr.Rajendra Prasad as the benevolent village head have added more grace to the film.

On the positive side, it is a treat for Mahesh's fans. The emotional connect the film offers is also great! But, the story does seem to drag a bit.

Imagine having a good meal. You are happy and your taste buds are tingling in anticipation of the dessert. You see a beautifully decorated cheesecake come your way. The slight dusting of cocoa ups your anticipation and the delicate tangy smell of lemon wafts to you making your mouth water. And then you try to cut into it and find it hard. You still think it'll taste okay. You bite into it and you realize it is stale. There goes the entire experience of your meal.

Srimanthudu is somewhat like that. It starts off well enough. We are introduced to an heir apparent Harsha (Mahesh Babu) who's not really interested in his billions, and his dad Ravikanth (Jagapathi Babu) who does not really understand his son's world. In comes Charuseela (Sruthi Hassan), a girl pursuing a rural development course in NIRD, Hyderabad. Harsha meets Charu and tells her that he loves the course she's doing, and joins her college.

The two get close but when Charu finds out who Harsha is, she distances him telling him that he does not even know his roots and she's a rooted girl and that their worlds will not collide. This statement leads Harsha to discover his roots in a village called Devarakota. How Harsha adopts the village of Devarakota and rids it of the ills plaguing it forms the plot of Srimanthudu.

So the appetizer, the first half, is nice. The first song, Harsha's and Charu's meet-cutes, and Mahesh's acting - all of these make for a good takeoff. There are nicely composed fights and the thrills flow organically. The main course, most of the second half, works well. There are no punch dialog's or fights for the sake of fights. The comedy and Sruthi Hassan spice things up well enough, and you begin to relax thinking your meal is well set. A mass song comes in like slightly sour curd, and you still don't mind. And then the pr- climax / climax sets in, and goes about ruining everything that worked well so far. Sigh.

Director Koratala Siva does a good job with most of the film. He makes sure the script is adhered to, pulls off good mas-ala moments without heavy dialog's or counters, and paces the narrative well - while the film does proceed in a leisurely fashion, at no point does Srimanthudu have you feeling bored. Mahesh supports his director ably and puts in a splendid performance. He also pulls off the rich guy look effortlessly with elegant and understated costumes and styling. The sighing of the women in the theater was audible every time he made an appearance.

Sruthi Hassan does her usual thing, and the rest of the supporting cast do a decent job, too. Sampath and Mukesh Rishi are way too typecast - it is getting boring watching them do these "I'm so bad-ass" villain characters that get beaten to pulp in the climax.

Technically, Srimathudu is impressive. The songs are so much better on screen, and the background score elevates several core moments. The art director could've really gone easy on the baling, though - rich does not necessarily mean gaudy. The dialog's are sharp and not punchlines, which is a relief.

Srimanthudu is a good ride all the way until the final cricket match that Mahesh plays with a rod and the heads of a dozen goons. It is good to see Mahesh give first place to the story, and try and make a strong comeback after the tripe that was Aagadu. Go watch this one - it's been a while since the script was the hero in a big-budget film.