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

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.

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.

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

The film won’t shock or scare you but the narrative is interesting. After the initial mood is set, the first 30 minutes drags, it has a slow opening and one keep’s guessing who Venkat and Tulip Joshi are and what they are doing in a huge home oblivious to each other’s presence.The spookiness is replaced by ridiculousness but then the director knows  what he wants. Pre-interval is completely sans dialogues and all you see is a young man and a woman walking around aimlessly, bored and sometimes perplexed  with the strange noises and development. The entire film takes place in the house.

 A burglar breaks in and only then the three realise that they are in the wrong place and at the wrong time. There are more developments on the trio’s part, a couple of dead bodies, a policeman and the puzzle is solved eventually.  There is no over dramatisation by either Venkat, Tulip Joshi and their work is convincing enough. Ali’s comedy is subtle and situational and there are not more than half a dozen  people as the cast. Looks like the film is made with some tight budget, a nice time pass movie and assures safe adrenaline rushes.

Land prices show no signs of receding, land scams and mafia operations have reared their ugly heads in every city. Director Ravi C Kumar touches a topical issue again after Samanyudu, this time he shows how the mafia buys land at rock bottom rates from gullible people, how signed documents are not registered, sold lands which are not in their names and corrupt government servants who have made bribery an order of the day.

Nitin, Shashank and few other youth form a group of vigilantes after they become victims of land mafia. The story begins on a not so interesting note throwing light on a the characters,touching romance which looks inane and out of context for such a serious subject but eventually just before the interval it builds the tempo and drags one into it. Ashutosh Rana and his bitter rival Supreet make it their goal to usurp all the prime land in the city and Supreet tries to use Nitin as a pawn to eliminate Rana. Nitin chalks out a strategy, outsmarts both of them with the help of media and police officials and heralds the victory over the system.

The hero here is not only about brawn. His eight pack doesn’t raise eyebrows but goes with the flow and keeps the audience glued with his role which is an ample mix of toughness and gentleness. The premise is strong but the director falters on the narrative in the second half. This one is not as flamboyant as Samanyudu but it is dealt with a fair amount of conviction. Mamta Mohandas is a decorative doll and there is zilch chemistry between Nitin and her.

Shashank and Ashutosh Rana add candour and credibility but the best part is from MS Narayana who appears here and there as a self righteous citizen who doesn’t take anything lying down. Ali keeps greasing the palms of the realtor-friendly clerk played by Brahmanandam who as usual gets his share of rabblerousing rhetoric  and  Sindu Tolani is a TV journalist who runs a home for the handicapped. The film is little formulaic but one can definitely watch it once…

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/28/stories/2008062856690200.htm

The story revolves around two warring brothers Jayaparakash Reddy and Kota Srinivasa Rao who dote on their niece Pooja (Genelia). Each of them wants Pooja to marry their sons but she had already lost her heart to Chandu (Ram) who comes from a huge joint family. The movie begins with Chandu helping his cousin elope and then while helping out a friend who is in a similar problem, bumps into Pooja. He brings her home and she woos his family. There are some scenes which are straight out of Bommarillu and Dee, absolutely no novelty but who’s complaining when there is Sunil who has you in splits with his self deprecating (he plays a transvestite) humour and Brahmanandam’s poker expressions fill up the screen with mirth. Dharmavarapu Subramanyam completes the picture.

Ram has proved his skill as an actor in Devadas and Jagadam, so this film is just a mere extension of his work and probably a cake walk despite a non-stellar role. Genelia has now become an expert in playing the bubbly, effervescent and innocent girl and does her act with panache. JP Reddy is delectable as a villain. The screenplay is tight and characters are well connected. Music is not very catchy, cinematography glistens and editing could have been sharper. Actions scenes are interesting and finally the film goes to show that there is more to a movie than it’s story and all elements put together can uplift it and give the audience their money’s worth of entertainment….

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062059040200.htm

Good hearted but a lazy Ali is implicated in a theft and pushed behind bars as the gods idols go missing in a village festival. He falls in love with Ruksha who is Dharamavarapu Subramanyam’s daughter but the lady doesn’t take to him kindly. After landing a job as a watchman, he is promoted as a multi-media designer and wins everyone’s heart.  AVS, Tanikella Bharani and Paruchuri Gopalakrishna are in forgettable roles, Dharmavarapu does a routine act and Ruksha is always walking in and out.

One can’t blame her as she has nothing to do except acting arrogant. Jeeva, Jayaprakash Reddy are loud and boring. The lewd dialogues, sleazy and embarrassing dances fails to make a frontal impact. Siva Reddy is better off as a mimicry artiste, he is wasted here as Ali’s friend seeking help in selling birth control pills. One can give this film a miss as the script and direction doesn’t help even the prime artiste Ali rise over his character…

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/07/stories/2008060757670200.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/07/stories/2008060750590200.htm

Lawrence does a fairly good job but fails to arouse any sympathy or emotion in crucial scenes. He plays the role of a good hearted vagabond who is forever a victim of misplaced affection. Though his mother Saranya loves him, His father Nasser never takes him seriously until his brother elopes with a neighbourhood girl and takes with him the money meant for his sister’s wedding.

The movie begins with Lawrence doing small jobs in Dubai to support his family back home and the story of his good old days is narrated in a flashback episode. The director also establishes a strong mother-son sentiment which is effectively carried out by Saranya. Saranya has a certain native charm and Nasser does his work with ease and perfection. Sneha plays Lawrence’s love interest.

She has nothing much to do but is given a couple of scenes towards the end when Saranya passes away. Namita has turned obese and has now more or less settled as the vamp and item babe in tamil cinema.  Though Lawrence is a choreographer, dancer, he should pay much attention to the costumes he wears in the duets and stick to more palatable colours. Technically there is nothing much to carry home and camerawork is surprisingly dull and does nothing to heighten the spirit of the gloomy script.

There is absolutely no comic relief. Editing could have been sharp and screenplay is competent. Though the story will appeal, the telugu audience might find it difficult to connect with the style of presentation. Watch the film only if you are sucker for sentimental dramas..

Though a colourful and entertaining at times, it falters on many counts and really doesn’t hold the signature flavor of the director. Childhood friends  Chitti (Trisha) and Bujji (Prabhas) part to meet after 12 years. Bujji begins his hunt and gets involved in gang wars and meanwhile it is revealed that Chitti is none other than a gang leader Sivanna’s (Mohan Babu) sister.  The love story is interlinked with the gang rivalry and Bujji wins Mohan Babu’s heart.

Strangely Prabhas and Mohan Babu address each other with sweet nothings and the latter has no problem uniting Chiiti and Bujji. The first half is entertaining but several creative liberties taken in the film, there are some instances that are irrational and illogical which makes the film mediocre. Screenplay is disappointing, it neither involves you emotionally or entertains you completely. The ending is cliched and hackneyed in parts, especially Mohan Babu after all the stab wounds is recuperating while his sisters are feeding him fruit, also the director suddenly remembers that he didn’t tell the audience why the hero and the heroine split and gives it a dragging and a silly finale.

The only plus point of the film is Prabhas and the director’s effort in giving him a different look and the way he draws the elements from him is clearly visible. Mohan Babu makes a smashing entry but his role could have been etched out better. The girls Trisha and Sanjana  look good and do their part well. Mumait is on the heavier side and Ali’s comedy shows the bankruptcy of creative ideas. A film that make you  watch  glazed, get amused and entertained at times, but one that makes you leave the movie hall exactly the way you entered……with not much  new thoughts or feelings to linger.