‘Katamarayudu’ is very narcissistic
The hero is projected as largerthan-life in ‘Katamarayudu’
Pre-release functions and promotional events hyped up Katamarayudu asa film that would break all box-office records, and outdo the earnings of the upcoming Baahubali 2, too. Perhaps knowing it will not fare as well, the Pawan Kalyan-starring movie is being shown in 1,500-plus screens across the world, possibly to rake in as much revenue as possible in the first week before the publicity dies down.
Kalyan, who enjoys a huge fan following both as a star and as a politician, with eyes set on making a debut at the hustings in the next elections in both Telugu states — Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — under the banner of his Jana Sena party, failed to create sparks just as with his last film Sardaar Gabbar Singh.
The Telugu film industry hugely depends on brand names and Kalyan is a brand. But filmmakers fail to understand that hero worship alone doesn’t work; good storylines do better at the box office.
Like other Telugu movies, Katamarayudu is designed to project the hero as larger-than-life character with superhuman powers and Kalyan, who goes with the epithet Power Star, seems content with this. But this beat-to-pulp formula doesn’t always work.
Imagine four SUVs hurtling into the air with the hero’s mere stomping of a foot or fighting scores of men armed to the teeth with machetes and scimitars on a moving train without getting so much as a scratch on his body! These are just two of the several implausible action scenes in the movie. Since the story is set in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, the director thinks it fit to have lots of violence. Rayudu (Kalyan) is law unto himself in his village as he stands up for the common man.
SECRETLY IN LOVE
He is averse to getting married and his four brothers (Ajay, Shiva Balaji, Chaitanya and Kamal Kamaraju) say they will follow his example. But they are secretly in love and conspire to hook him up with a classical dancer, Avanti (Shruti Hassan), so that they can take their own love stories further. This is the theme of the movie, which is a remake of the Tamil film Veeram.
Kishore Kumar Parthasani, who worked with Kalyan in Gopala
Gopala, directs this film. The story is interspersed with fights with villains and their henchmen. In no movie have we come across so many bad men. The list includes Rao Ramesh as a sadistic loser, Pradeep Rawat as a scheming businessman and Tarun Arora who is awaiting the gallows but baying for the blood of Avanti’s family as her father (Nasser) is the judge who sentenced him to death.
He is in a love-hate
relationship with Avanti, who hates his violent side. He tries to give it up but doesn’t, as he has to save the damsel in distress and her family.
Hassan’s expressions are as wooden as ever, though the saving grace for her are the song sequences. Jivvu
jivvani, Laage laage and Emo emo entho are well picturised. The song,
Mira mira meesam, aimed at establishing Kalyan’s heroism and paying an ode to his trademark moustache, is sure to make his fans happy.
Ramesh performs well as the sadist. Ali, who plays Rayudu’s friend, is good at comedy but it is Prithvi with an unusual name of Nasa (we are told he has worked with Nasa, the American space agency) who steals the show. Prithvi of late seems to be replacing Brahmanandam in such roles.
In all fairness, Kalyan is a good actor who can deliver the right emotions and powerful dialogues. But he should be a bit diligent in his choice of films rather than taking up themes that satisfy his narcissistic cravings.
In all fairness, Kalyan is a good actor who can deliver the right emotions and powerful dialogues.