Dharamavarapu Subramanyam a police official takes the onus on himself to settle the differences between two faction leaders Obul Reddy (Jayapraksh) and Bhuma Reddy (Vijaya Ranga Raju). He suggests that Obul Reddy’s daughter Sailu (Manjari) should marry Bhuma Reddy’s son to wipe out the blood shed that has been taking place in the village for many years and also for some personal gain. The film begins with the hero’s friends reaching the village to help Siddu (Naresh) and Sailu elope as they are in love but are shocked to see Siddhu willingly participate in the engagement of Sailu and the faction leader’s son. The rest of the story reveals as to why Naresh behaves that way and how he turns the events and people in his favour.

The first half of the film is breezy with a lot of mindless comedy with Venu Madhav and friends filling up the space but the actually story begins only post interval with a slightly serious tone and romance setting in. MS Narayana as Jayaprakash’s sidekick plays the role of a man who takes his faction history too seriously and is somewhat hilarious. You can watch this film once. If it won’t impress you but it will definitely give you few chances here and there to laugh. It will keep you alive and won’t bore you. Naresh is his usual self, there is no variation in his work but chips in what is expected of him. The scene wherein he jumps into the pool to retrieve the ring and undergoes a change in heart is illogical. Newcomer Manjari makes an impact and shows promise. Shraddha Das provides the glamour quotient and both the heroines are refreshing and pleasing. Ahuti Prasad spills humour with his lazy role. Music is good and camera work is passable, nothing distinct.

Cell is supposed to be a crime thriller. It groans with blood and dismemberment right from the very beginning but doesn’t scare you or thrill you. The content is all dark. What seems interesting, intelligent and engaging initially turns out to be a damp squib. Four friends who have shared hard moments in life rob a bank. On the way back, the police trails them and in the process one is rendered incapacitated and lies on the hospital bed having suffered multiple fractures. The other is kidnapped with his wife and son, the third is forced to chop his own leg and the fourth is hanged.

What one sees in this film is only crime but not retribution. The film shows the dark side of the human nature right from the word go, as to how the lure of the lucre becomes the cause of one’s downfall. So one hardly empathises with the characters but instead is made to feel repulsive. The director keeps the curiosity alive and brings in an element of suspense as to why the four friends are made to go through a torture but falters on a tame climax.

Most of the film takes place in a dilapidated shed and the conversations are mainly over the phone. After two characters are done to death, the focus is on Abhiram (Sameer), he has to save his family before the clock strikes twelve. The scenes are disquieting, men in chains trying to wrangle out, sound of the oozing blood is more like a leaking tap, but the script doesn’t push you to the edge of the seats when the clock keeps ticking fast. There are cops who take their own sweet time to unravel the murder mystery and one cop is shown as having a fractured hand for no rhyme or reason.

One commendable aspect of the film is that the angst, helplessness, frustration, selfishness and impulsive behavior of the four characters is brought out effectively. Music is apt, editing could have been sharp, cinematography is made to suit the mood of the film. This film is strictly for lovers of crime…

Baladoor does not boast of a refreshing storyline. This has been recycled and ends up as another routine family subject with the regular dose of fights, songs and some laughs thrown in. Raviteja is Chandramohan’s son and they all live in a joint family headed by Chandramohan’s brother Krishna. As usual Raviteja is branded as an aimless man getting into street brawls and frequent arguments with his father. The hero’s sister-in-law finds herself in a problem and he saves her from the embarrassing situation. He also bashes up the goons who happen to be Krishna’s business rivals and basically does lot more things to uphold the family’s prestige and in the process becomes a black sheep amongst his people. It takes a while before his uncle Krishna and his father realize his worth and repent.

Anushka relocates to his house to win his love and their love story is rather sweet. There is Sunil and Brahmanandam who tickle your funny bone. Raviteja usually picks high voltage subjects that have fast, witty one liners with plenty of action, adequate romance and has the film moving fast. But here Baladoor disappoints on more than one occasion. The formulaic and clichéd subject doesn’t keep pace with the hero’s antics and the ups and downs in the script doesn’t help one react. The hero looks dull and the lines written for him is prosaic. Anushka has lost weight and she sizzles. Krishna does his part well, the usual simple and good natured role but he clenching wrists in the climax looked a wee bit unnatural. His presence is limited and his character doesn’t really evolve much.

The music is passable and the tunes give you feeling that you have heard them before. Finally, Baladoor is an average film, as the banner doesn’t offer nothing new in narration, It is ground traversed much too frequently and Raviteja fails to leave his stamp on it. If you have decided to go for it, it won’t bore you to some extent

Aalayam here in this film is a huge home run by an old man played by director KB Tilak. The family has countless members, sons, grandsons, great grandsons, servants and their children and all of them are one happy lot. The old man’s granddaughter falls in love with one of their employees and the young man is humiliated and kicked out of the house. The couple elope and never return. After decades Sivaji, a great grandson takes the onus on himself to bring his aunt and her family back for the grandfather’s 100^th birthday celebration and he succeeds. Just when everything seems to be going well, Sivaji’s uncle is still seething with vindictiveness and wants to take revenge for the insult he endured years ago. Whether he succeeds in his mission or not to break the strong bond amongst the family members forms the crux of the film.

The hero and heroine form a part of the story and have hardly anything to do. At times it’s hard to comprehend whether this drama has been made for the small tube or the big screen. The plus point of the film is that it celebrates the concept of joint family which has become a rarity but the narrative is particularly weak. Brahmanandam keeps the mild jokes flowing at a steady pace. Sivaji and Honeyrose are okay but they hardly act as catalyst to the story and are used for a couple of duets. The ending is tame as the plot to disintegrate and drive away the family is given away pre-interval. Since the general outline is already clear, the film doesn’t move you. There are no emotional highs or lows that are a characteristic of Muthyala Subbaiah’s films. A routine family drama that lacks resonance

The release of Kathanayakudu which is a remake of Katha Pariyambol, a super hit Malayalam film has been aptly timed. The film which is a rehash of the mythological story of two friends Lord Krishna and Kuchelan comes alive on the silver screen with Rajinikant and his co-star Jagapati Babu sweeping the audiences off their feet with some real and tangible performances. Balakrishna (Jagapati Babu) and Meena live in abject poverty with their three children in a village. Despite a hand to mouth existence, their home becomes a haven as the family is grounded in values and principles. Balakrishna is a barber and still uses obsolete tools to work while his neighbours far more smarter move ahead in life. His life suddenly changes when his childhood friend Ashok Kumar returns to his village as a matinee idol to shoot his new film. While the entire village is euphoric and struggles to get the actor’s attention, Balu is placed in a piquant situation. He is wooed, compelled by his folks for that one meeting but he doesn’t relent.

What happens next is an obvious development but one needs to see the way the director explores the raw emotions of the characters, their bond, the poignant moments and a camaraderie the drama arouses that only bosom buddies share. There is also a climax that leaves you teary eyed. Vasu uses a thin story line and skillfully narrates the story, uses situations that one would connect in real life. Jagapati Babu is the heart of the film and he makes the audience emotionally involved with his story from the very start. It’s hard to imagine anyone else other than Rajinikant for the film star’s role. Meena comes back after a long time to the big screen and she still retains the same innocence and adds spark and verve to the story. Sunil is loud at times but gets a meaty role. It is a clean, entertaining movie. Watch it with a friend or watch it alone, it can be inspiring, uplifting experience and a bracing and beautiful change from so many of the films of the past several years….

Sivaji and Subburaju are brothers. Both of them grow up in the same village but are arch rivals as the latter is born out of an illegal relationship. Subburaju is waiting for an opportune moment to wreak vengeance as he doesn’t get the same treatment as his brother and is often seen as settling scores with him. There is yet another plot, a love story that runs on a parallel line. Sivaji and Meera jasmine are cousins, both are in love and just the day before they get married, a woman enters Sivaji’s life. Subburaju complicates his brother’s marital life and from thereon it is an unending saga of misunderstanding, dispute and forgiveness.

The story is not simple as it looks to be. Also the title has no relation and bears absolutely no meaning to the story. Infact it is beyond comprehension as to how the hero cheats on his wife consciously or unconsciously, begets two children and still is termed innocent by the family. The second half of the film Is too dramatic and the dialogues are rife with forced sentimentality. Sangeeta fails to even bring out a proper expression and looks out of sync with her role. Meera jasmine has lost weight, she looks better but is given a lackluster role.

Venu Madhav get’s to play a dominant role running throughout the film and Chandramohan is given a flippant and a strange character. It’s Sivaji all the way but he is stuck in a story where he can’t do justice to his role, neither innocent or mature. The sentiment not only fails to evoke tears but tickles one at times. The director has chosen an archaic plot, the story moves in different directions leaving the audience with no clue to react. This film is totally aimed at the front benchers. Technically not much to carry home

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/26/stories/2008072658870400.htm

This is a big comeback film for Karunakaran, we have seen him reinforce his standing as a master story teller in Toli Prema and now he recreates the magic in Utsahanga Ullasanga . The film not only lives upto it’s name and expectations but launches Sneha Ullal and Yasho Sagar who come as a whiff of fresh air to the telugu film screen.  A breezy and a fun filled romance essayed by debutants, it sometimes reminds us of Jab We Met but the crafty screenplay and the unique treatment of the story without diluting romance, packed with mischievous contrivances makes it a pleasant watch.

The film begins in a black and white background , the narration is about the deep bond that Dhanalakshmi (Sneha Ullal) and her friend Balaji share. They are separated and Dhanalakshmi finds herself falling in love with him as she grows into a beautiful girl. When her guardian Kavita tries to find a groom, she runs away to the city and stays with a friend hoping to find Balaji one day. Yashosagar bumps into her and falls in love with her. Does Dhanalakshmi reciprocate? Does Balaji return? The scenes are clichéd but the newcomers keep you entertained, they show promise, confidence  and with a little more honing, grooming  are bound to do well in the future projects.  

It’s thumbs up for Chandramohan for portraying the role of a irritant and a concerned father, Brahmanandam has you in splits for a brief while and so is Suman Shetty who doesn’t go overboard this time. Dialogues are whacky, songs are hummable, editing is fine and the frames very engaging. A sweet love story and the best thing to happen this monsoon.

Brahmanandam Dance Company might not be an original, but one would surely be tempted to watch it hoping it would be atleast funny but director Srikant disappoints, failing to even reproduce Priyardarshan’s simple comedy Bhagam Bagh. Anandam (Brahmanandam) is the boss of a drama company and two pranksters Ravi Krishna and Sivaji work in his Company and most of the time make life difficult for him. Impressed by the troupe’s work an NRI contractor AVS takes them to Bangkok to perform but even before that, the heroine (Sameeksha)disappears. It is imperative to find a heroine now for the Dance Company and they begin hunting for a replacement.

 They bump into Arpita (Kamalini Mukherjee) who for some reason wants to wind up her life and these suicidal qualities become a source of worry for the troupe. Meanwhile Ravi Krishna falls in love with her but even before anything interesting could take place, her husband  Raghu (Mahendra) arrives, reveals his wife’s problem and takes her away. The story takes a different turn from then onwards. All those who thought Brahmananadam would tickle them were cheated as there was hardly any funny lines or his character properly sketched. One could sit through the second half of the film only because of a dash of mystery thrown in, also director Srikant forgets to include a drama in the drama company and the artistes are  merely singing duets and shaking legs. Sivaji and Ravi Krishna dish out low brow humour, there is no chemistry between the actors and are constantly shown as lusting for women in their troupe. The rest of the performers fade.

Brahmanandam is better off doing the small but bright roles in other films rather than shouldering an entire film where his character has no scope to impress. The script lets him down completely. It is not that the original was spectacular, it did well at the box office because of the impressive cast and the way they held the film together. Music here fails too but the re-mixes might bring a faint smile, the climax is too lengthy. ..

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/13/stories/2008071350730200.htm

Except for the fact that it has Rajendra Prasad as the hero and has a title like Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu, there is nothing in the film that recommends viewing or bears resemblance to the original released in 1958. Apparently that NTR, Savitri, SVR starrer too didn’t have much to boast about in terms of content. Wonder why the producer chose to make the film in the first place and release it after eight long years . With no DTS, poor cinematography, old jokes and inane cast, this film makes for bad viewing.

Rajendra Prasad known as “Schemula Appa Rao” is forever in search of gullible people, selling anything under the sun on installments. Srilakshmi, Vijaya, Kalpana who are housewives  believe him  and entrust him with the responsibility of buying them a house. While the women save every penny and give it away in installments to the trickster, their husbands are oblivious to the happening. There is a silly comedy of errors with another Rajendra Prasad (dual role)appearing on the scene and he gives the negative character of the hero a balanced touch.

Neither of the Rajendra Prasad impresses as the plot is not only obsolete, it is seems utterly pointless and unnecessarily convoluted. Especially because, when you distill it down to its essence, it is a simple-minded story of a people aiming for something which is not within their reach and blowing away their hard earned money and unnecessarily falling into debts.

There was no necessity to bring in another Appa Rao and no meaning in showing him as a ‘pregnant’ man and indulging in elaborate episode of baby shower only to rubbish it off as a dream. The heroine, a teenager looks more like Rajendra Prasad’sdaughter and she is a total amateur. Rajendra Prasad does what is expected and the ending becomes very boring and dramatic. Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu is unremarkable for the most part and this is a not a film expected from director Relangi Narasimha Rao.

After a dashing role of a police officer in Evadaite Nakenti, Rajashekar makes a subdued appearance in Gorintaku, the remake of a kannada hit Anna Thangi. Gorintaku  is a weepy, sentimental drama  that revolves around the brother-sister relationship and director VR Pratap takes full advantage of the emotionally fertile premise and dishes out old wine in a new bottle.

Rajashekar plays a dual role. After his death, his children Rajashekar and Meera Jasmine grow up to be good people in the village but things go wrong once they are married. An old lady who claims to be a relative seeks an entry into Rajshekar’s home and begins to disintegrate the family. She actually is out to take vengeance and that flash back is revealed too soon, she then creates difference between Meera jasmine and Aarti Agarwal  (Rajshekar’s wife)and between Meera and her husband’s family. By the time Rajshekar realises that  something is going wrong, it’s too late.

The archaic story is ridiculously melodramatic  but the B and C class audiences might find it absorbing for all the family values  and all that emotional terrain that the director covers. The climax is little too hard to accept, the director chooses to avoid a feel good ending and bumps off the siblings in the climax, to justify the brother-sister bonding. There is no attempt to make the story look different or breathe life to this extended sob story that resembles one of Ekta Kapoor’s serials.

Meera Jasmine looks pretty benefits from having the best-written character in the film, Aarti Agarwal is obese but does her part well. Meaningless role it is for Rajashekar and all he had to do in the film is look conventional, unobtrusive and most of the time sad or happy. A few numbers are watchable and technically it fails to make a mark. Overall, if you’re a sucker for sentiment, love those sweet and sad ensemble dramas then Gorintaku is the film for you, but there is surely some potential for a much better film waiting in this genre