Everyone expects films to be entertaining and that’s fair because it’s the order of the day. Action entertainers are in vogue but to expect every film to be entertaining (read as packed with action, comedy, romance and emotion) is one of the tragedies of the current trend. Maybe that’s where Panjaa stands apart or for those who didn’t like the film, fails. Directed by Vishnu Vardhan, the film has Pawan Kalyan, Sarah Jane Dias, Anjali Lavania, Jackie Shroff, Adivi Shesh, Thanikella Bharani, Atul Kulkarni, Ali and Brahmanandam in lead roles.

 Pawan Kalyan plays Jai, a close aide of a mafia don Bhagwan (Jackie Shroff). Vishnu Vardhan takes us right into the story and leaves it us to guess how powerful Bhagwan is. The opening scene shot on Atul Kulkarni introducing Jai as Bhagwan’s shadow is a clever scene to establish the lead character. Twenty minutes later, it becomes clear that Vishnu Vardhan had brought in his own style into the film’s narration and it’s not the usual Pawan Kalyan’s film which his fans have got used to for more than a decade. What I really really loved about the film is Vishnu Vardhan manages to keep Pawan Kalyan as Jai throughout the film. I can’t think of any other director in the past ten years who has been able to do that. For once, it was refreshing to see that the film gives more importance to lot more characters rather than stick to one character.

Jai believes in loyalty towards the man who stood by him in his darkest hour and he vows to do anything to protect him. Although he kills people, he’s not entirely a bad person. We come to know that since he missed a lot of things in his childhood, he spends a lot of time in a nursery. It makes him happy, even though it’s only for a little while. He yearns to be a good man, although his loyalty towards Bhagwan often brings him back to the dark side of his life. This is the story of a man who’s torn by what’s happening in his heart.

When Jai falls in love with Sandhya (Sarah Jane Dias), it helps him to take his mind off the clean up act he usually does for Bhagwan. He likes spending time with her and soon realizes that he’s in love with her. In turn, Sandhya likes his company although she doesn’t realize until much later that she’s in love with him. After a while, he only cares about three people – Chotu (Ali), Sandhya and Jhanavi (Anjali Lavania) because they remind him of the other side of life. The good and happy side of life. No wonder, when two of them are killed, he’s blinded by mad rage and vows to avenge their deaths. Bad things happen when the entire story is about people who are morally corrupt. We are told that power matters the most in mafia business and people can go to any length to have power.

 One of my favourite scenes in the film comes in the second half. Jai removes his shoes and runs for a while in the hills near Sandhya’s (Sarah Jane Dias) house. He tells her that it reminded him of his childhood when he used to fly kites. Being with her at that moment means the world to him and he ends up confessing everything about his life to let go the burden of holding a secret for too long. In those five minutes, the whole crux of Jai’s characterization becomes clear.

Panjaa is a well-written tale about people who would do anything for their love, respect and power. The ‘so-called’ weak storyline has one of the best three-act structures I have seen in recent times. The characters are introduced, a lot of things go wrong in the middle of the journey and finally the protagonist has his revenge. Of course, it evokes a déjà vu in terms of how the story is narrated because of the choices Vishnu Vardhan makes right in the beginning of the film. Maybe only he can answer why he chose to narrate a story where the story progresses exactly how it should throughout the film. Mind you, there’s nothing sophisticated about the film’s central conflict. If someone tells you that there’s no ‘conflict’ in the film, then that person might have been watching the wrong film. This film is a story about one man’s internal conflict as much as it is about his conflict with the antagonists.

Pawan Kalyan excels in his role. Yes, he doesn’t show-off his full potential and energy in this film, but considering that he did exactly what he must for the role, his performance stands out. At no point of time, does the Powerstar dominate Jai and that was quite refreshing to see. The film’s other stand out performance comes from Adivi Sesh, who plays Munna. His characterization bears striking resemblance to Sundeep Kishan’s role in Deva Katta’s Prasthanam and Sesh has done an amazing job as the badass guy who fucks up a whole lot of things due to his impulsive nature. Bhagwan (Jackie Shroff) loves his son, Munna (Adivi Sesh) way too much and it’s completely justified that he wants to kill Jai, despite the latter being his most trusted aide for twenty years. Thanikella Bharani and Atul Kulkarni have decent roles and they deliver credible performances.

There’s a reason why the onscreen chemistry between Sandhya (Sarah Jane Dias) and Jai (Pawan Kalyan) lacks the zing which you normally expect. Jai is a mafia guy and to expect him to be like a 20-something whose hormones are on full throttle is a bit too much to ask for. The romance is subtle and it remains so for most part of the film. Anjali Lavania plays a club dancer who’s in love with Jai and she’s alright in her role. Ali and Brahmanandam have limited screen time and you can’t blame them for not bringing the house down with their antics.

Shot mostly in Kolkata, the film’s cinematography is another stand out feature. Call it slick or stylish, PS Vinod leaves a distinct mark with his cinematography. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music is good and it’s still surprising why most of the songs were kept as bit numbers in the final edit. And kudos to Vishnu Vardhan! To have one of the biggest stars in Telugu cinema as the protagonist and making him stay within the character is quite an achievement. It’s true that the film’s best portions come in the first half and most part of the second half revolves around Pawan Kalyan and Brahmanandam, but there was hardly a moment where the story and narration seemed awkward. Right after the interval bang, you can imagine how the story would unfold and except for couple of twists, the proceedings go as you would have predicted.

Panjaa is not an extra-ordinary film but it has enough substance to appreciate the finer nuances. All you need is a little patience and an open mind to realize that it’s not a ‘laugh-out-loud’ entertainer. Words like a ‘sensible film’, ‘riveting action drama’ seem too alien but Panjaa is exactly that sort of film. And come on, you can’t complain about the ‘violence’ in the film. It’s a film about people who kill each other at the drop of hat for heaven’s sake!

P.S : Since a lot of you have already concluded that there’s ‘nothing’ in the film, good luck with ‘Gabbar Singh’. I sincerely hope that you find ‘a lot’ of things in that film to rave about.

By

Hemanth

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]]> http://www.hemanthology.com/panjaa-is-one-of-pawan-kalyan-better-films/feed 16 http://www.hemanthology.com/music-will-always-be-my-top-priority-chinmayi http://www.hemanthology.com/music-will-always-be-my-top-priority-chinmayi#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:46:45 +0000 Hemanth http://www.hemanthology.com/?p=2766 She has been part of film industry since 2002, but it was Gautham Menon’s Ye Maya Chesave which made her a household name. Chinmayi is on a roll these days and she opens up about her career in a candid chat with Postnoon. 

Here’s something that you might not know about Chinmayi. She makes incredible cupcakes. But that’s just one facet of this singer, dubbing artiste and entrepreneur. Her resume will put most B-school grads to shame and for someone who’s in her mid-20s she’s on a song to say the least. The surprising part, however, is that her original voice is far from the husky tone which is quite a sensation among Telugu movie buffs. Maybe it’s her Telugu diction which has become her USP. “Telugu is partly my mother-tongue. In fact, I had taken Telugu as my second language in school,” Chinmayi says. She’s a polyglot and can speak Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and even German quite fluently. “I had learnt German just for the heck of it and after sometime some companies approached me for translation services. There were offers from Hyderabad as well, so I decided to establish a company, Blue Elephant, to address the need,” she adds. Today her company has more than 3000 translators and interpreters and Chinmayi was in her early 20s when she founded the company.

She might be a successful entrepreneur, but Chinmayi says that music will always be her top priority. “My mother introduced me to Hindustani & Carnatic music at a very young age and I have invested more than 90% of my life so far in learning the craft. Whatever I do in life, singing will always be my top priority,” she adds. She made her singing debut in Mani Rathnam’s Amrutha (Kannathil Muthamittal in Tamil) with the song Ye Devi Varamu, composed by A R Rahman. There has been no looking back ever since for her and she has sung for Rahman, Harris Jayaraj and Yuvan Shankar Raja in the past.

We wonder if she finds it strange that the audience in AP adore her for her husky voice while dubbing for top actresses. “Oh…yes! I find it quite ironic that I am being recognized for something which happened out of the blue,” Chinmayi says. In the past few months, she had dubbed for Samantha, Kajal and Trisha. In fact, she has won the Nandi Award for Best Dubbing Artist for her work in Gautham Menon’s Ye Maya Chesave where she dubbed for Samantha. Quiz her about the compliments she has received so far, she says, “People ask me to record their name so that they can have it as their ringtone!” Talk about falling head over heels over someone’s voice!

2011 is turning out to be a great year for her. In May she was selected for FORTUNE/US State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership Program and she one of the three women from India to take part in the program. “I think they found my profile as a successful entrepreneur and celebrity to be quite interesting. It was a great experience and I must thank my mentors Susan & Joan of American Express for the opportunity,” she adds.  Recently, she launched an app on her name and she’s reportedly the first singer in the world to have an app across all iOS devices. “I am planning to launch the app for Andriod too. Things should get even better as I am planning to collaborate with local musicians to come up with exclusive content for the app,” she exclaims.

With so many things happening in her life, we ask her how she manages her time. The constant travelling between cities, studios and the time she spends on Twitter, Facebook surely must be taking a toll! “On the contrary, I don’t think it’s a big deal. It’s not everyday that I dub for characters like Jessi in Ye Maya Chesave. Such roles, where the actress is in almost every other frame, are hard to find. As far as singing is concerned, the recording hardly takes an hour,” she corrects. Spending a lot of time on Twitter has helped her in reaching out to over 40,000 people but she has had her share of bad experiences, like several other celebrities. “Look, I am not the bubbly girl who would put smileys for every random thing. I am quite a straightforward person and I am always willing to learn new things. But people take everything too seriously and sometimes they don’t understand my tongue-in-cheek remarks. It does get very irritating at times but I have learnt to deal with such people.”

From singing to presenting TV shows, she has done almost everything in entertainment section, except for acting. So are we going to see her act in films too? “I lead a comfortable life as a singer and I pity the actresses who work so hard,” she says on a lighter vein. “The point is that there are already several actresses who are looking for good work. I am not a new face and there’s no reason why I must act in films. Some of my colleagues have taken up acting as well but it’s not necessary that I follow suit just because someone else is doing it,” she signs off.

(This was my first article for Postnoon. Published on October 31, 2011)

By,

Hemanth

Rahul Raj’s debut as a music director in Telugu cinema couldn’t have been better. His work in Siddharth, Shruti Haasan starrer Oh My Friend has been termed as refreshing.

Rahul Raj’s journey as a music director is a fine example of author Paulo Coelho’s quote, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Rahul is the latest sensation in Telugu film industry as his debut album, Oh My Friend starring Siddharth and Shruti Haasan has turned out to be a big hit.

However, things were not so simple for him when he decided to pursue a career in music. “My parents insisted that I complete my education before I chase my dreams. So I ended up completing my engineering in IT and later worked in Bengaluru and London as a network specialist, “ Rahul says. So why did he leave a cushy job in London and take up this profession? “I had no peace of mind when I was working in London and I desperately wanted to follow my heart. It was a bold decision because I didn’t have a godfather in the industry and I didn’t know how long I had to struggle before I get my first break,” he confesses.

At times I wonder what makes me so different from million other voices out there. I have no technical knowledge about cinema and I really don’t know why certain films are hits and others end up as flops. I still find it difficult to understand what makes a great film and I still don’t know how cinematography, editing ‘could have been better’. Perhaps the only differentiating factor is that I happen to write for a website and a newspaper which are well read. But does that make me better than most others when it comes to film criticism? Maybe not. Thing is, I write because I love cinema and I have a particular view of what I like and not like. This is what I try to communicate through my writing. And I believe this is the way it should be done. A film has a different impact on different people. But every now and then, I come across people who tell me that they don’t agree with my views and tell me an interesting point of view which makes me reconsider my opinion about the film I have written about.

I understand why some people are dependent on film reviewers. At the same time, you cannot blindly trust anyone because, at the end of the day, reviews are written by people and it’s quite possible that they will make mistakes. It may not be a mistake for the person who has written a review but there might be a chance that he or she might have missed a thing or two. I believe that if you keep the language and presentation aside, there’s no such thing as a ‘good’ review or a ‘bad’ review. It’s just a point of view. And everyone must put forward their perspectives across the table if you care about writing in general. It must be a two way process and who knows maybe I will learn a lot more about cinema through such discussions. You must review the reviews and speak out why you agree or don’t agree with someone’s opinion.

Consider this as my humble request to each one of you who has been reading what I write. The most important thing for me is to learn more about cinema and also the audience. And you can help me in this quest for knowledge. If you think that you have something to say about my reviews, please do let me know. Twitter and Facebook are good platforms for discussions like these; however, it will be even better if you can e-mail me your views on my reviews and other blogs on cinema. If I find something interesting, I would like to publish them on my blog with your persmission.

I intend to make it a little different from posting comments. When you post a comment, at times, you don’t really have the patience to write a lot and it often leads to a huge discussion which might be pointless. I also intend to build a personal rapport with a lot of you. Who knows maybe one day, I learn so much from each one of you that finally I can make sense of the truth. At the moment, it’s stranger than fiction and lost somewhere.

My only request to you is please don’t send me hate messages. At times I am biased to certain filmmakers, actors and I have no qualms accepting that. However, you might have a better understanding of what impact a film had on you. The only factor which drives me to write is a deep respect for cinema. At times, films turn out to be terrible but then a cinema hall is one of the very few places where I feel alive. It makes me feel human all over again.

To send your views and review of reviews, you can e-mail me at  hemanthology@gmail.com

By

Hemanth

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Nani stars as PJ (Praveen Jayaramaraju aka Pilla Jamindar), an arrogant young guy who looks forward to inherit his grandfather’s wealth. He doesn’t care about anyone and one fine day his dreams are shattered when he comes to know that his path to take over his grandfather’s wealth and legacy isn’t an easy one. The rest of the story is about how PJ undergoes a major transformation and learns to respect others and learns invaluable lessons about life.

The story’s format may have been inspired from a Korean romantic drama, A Millionaire’s First Love, but Ashok adapts the storyline to suit the nativity and takes us to a village where respect and honour are valued more than money. Nani has the best role in the film and he’s extremely good. His arrogance in the beginning of the film sets the right tone for the emotional breakdown as the film progresses. The conditions which he must fulfill lead to hilarious situations and the director Ashok keeps the entire first half on a lighter vein. The second half of the film revolves around PJ as he changes his outlook on life and realizes what’s more important to him. One of the best scenes in the film has Nani slapping his friend when the latter reminds him about one of the conditions at a funeral. In another scene, he’s moved by the poverty of his friend and his family, yet they manage to invite him for lunch.

Among others in the film, Rao Ramesh, Srinivas Avasarala and Dhanraj get due importance and they make their presence felt. MS Narayana, who plays a Telugu lecturer in the college, has a meaningful role and so do plenty of other character artists. On the other hand, Ashok chooses to sidetrack the romantic angle between PJ and Sindhu (Haripriya). Moreover, the characterization of both the heroines, Haripriya and Bindu Madhavi leaves a lot to be desired.

Sai Sriram’s cinematography is very good and he brings alive the village life through his lens. Selva Ganesh’s music is passable and Praveen Pudi does a good job with his editing. Ashok pens a simple story and although the twists in the film are kept to bare minimum, he has done a commendable job.

Pilla Zamindar is a film about human values and its strength lies in its simplicity. Yes, it’s predictable and the stakes aren’t too high but the beauty lies in the story’s journey as the protagonist connects to his roots and understands what’s important in life.

(This review was first published in ‘Hans India’ newspaper on October 16, 2011)

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Hemanth

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Kalidasu (Shafi) is a rapist and right in the beginning of the film he kills a girl in a hostel. Elsewhere, four guys board a train to head to Samarlakota and are excited when they come to know that a 21 year old girl is going to be travelling along with them. Saloni stars as Bharati who takes a different name where she boards Godavari Express. The four guys try to strike friendship with her and they are fairly successful. In the middle of the journey Kalidasu boards the same compartment and he creates a ruckus. Humiliated by his behavior, the four guys come up with a plan which might alter their lives forever. What it is and how they deal with it forms the rest of the story.

The first half of the film is a rip-off of the train sequence from Ravi Teja’s Venky. The four protagonists’ desperation to impress the girl is cringeworthy and tests your patience. There’s even a subplot about them being fans of Ravi Teja and in the middle of the proceedings, they dream about romancing Saloni to the tunes of popular hits of Ravi Teja. Saloni is loud in the first half; however, she does a good job when the flashback is revealed. It’s surprising how an actor like Shafi agreed to do such a role which is embarrassing to say the least. Among other actors, Saikumar makes an impact as a police officer.

The tone of the film completely changes in the second half but by then the film manages to sap away the spirit of the audience. The next hour or so feels like a showreel from programs like Crimewatch on TV. You know that the atrocities on women are wrong and the guilty must be punished severely; however, the film ends up manipulating the audience so much that it’s hard to root for the characters. There’s even a subplot about Saloni assuming charge of an ashram for mentally challenged children which is another desperate attempt to make us empathize with the character and her goals.

There’s hardly anything in the film worth recommending and even the technical side nothing catches your eye. The music is bad and so is the cinematography. Raja Vannemreddy’s intention might be right but clearly that doesn’t reflect on the screen. It’s still a million dollar question why he chooses to set the entire first half of the story on a train when the same result could have been achieved elsewhere. Stay away.

(This review was first published in ‘Hans India’ newspaper on October 16, 2011)

By

Hemanth

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Tell us about yourself and your family background?

My father is a Navy officer from Nainital and my mother is a Malayalee Catholic from Ernakulam, Kerala and I was born in Mumbai. Thanks to my father’s job, I have spent several years traveling all over the country. And then when I turned 16, modeling happened.

You have been modeling since the age of 16 and now you are acting in films. How has the journey been so far?

It’s been amazing. After I began modeling in college, I went to the US where I stayed for six years and walked the runway at several fashion shows in New York, Los Angeles. Later when I came back to Mumbai, Kingfisher Calendar happened and I also shot with Aamir Khan for Titan. Now, I am acting in films. Acting has been a fulfilling experience and I have begun to discover a lot more sides of my personality.

You have worked with people like Hemant Trivedi, Atul Kasbekar and Atul Sachdev. What was your biggest learning experience from them?

Hemant Trivedi is my mentor & guide and he taught me how to be genuine and not get carried away in this industry. And I have learnt to be true to who I am and not change for anyone. Working with Atul Kasbekar has made more confident and I guess I have become a daredevil after that (laughs). I shot with sharks and climbed a waterfall for the Kingfisher calendar shoot!

We hear that you are into reading Tarot Cards, Poetry and writing -

I believe in spirituality and my instincts about people are usually right. I can say that my psychic skills are very strong (giggles) and that’s how my passion for reading Tarot cards began. When I was in the US, I used to read Tarot cards at baby showers and now, I do it only for friends. Poetry has been my passion for a very long time and I write whenever I find time.  

Why did you choose to do begin your acting career with a Telugu film?  

I have grown up watching Mammootty and Mohanlal’s films since my mother is a Malayalee and we lived in Vishakapatnam for three years when I was a kid. My brother-in-law is from Hyderabad, so I guess, I always had a South influence. Besides, some of the top actresses today like Katrina began their career in South. I think it’s the perfect platform to start off my acting career. And the people here are very professional and sweet. I am being pampered on the sets of my film!

How did you cope up with the language barrier?

I would spend hours trying to memorize my lines and I am really glad that Pawan Kalyan and Ali noticed the hard work I was putting in. Pawan Kalyan has been a great star to work with and he’s always there to give me some suggestions and advice if I go wrong. I have an amazing character in the film Panjaa and I am sure people will notice it too.

You have been modeling for a long time. Any tips for the aspiring models?

Take care of your body and skin. Eat right and adhere to your own set of values. Goodwill is the most important thing in the industry. Believe in yourself and you’ll go places.

Style Mantra – Chic

Favourite Cuisine – I’m a big foodie. Love French, Thai, Indian etc

Holiday Destination –Brazil

Favourite Pastime – Writing

Craziest thing you have done so far – Climbing a waterfall without any safety measurements for the Kingfisher calendar shoot. Anything could have happened!

P.S: Since the interview was taken before the first look of Panjaa was revealed, Anjali didn’t want to talk about her role in the film. What she didn’t tell me was that she’s an amazing belly dancer! Her talent management agency, Bling! has edited this show reel and if you are eagerly waiting for Panjaa, watch out for the club song in the film featuring Anjali gyrating to belly dancing

By

Hemanth

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Back in 2009, I was completely clueless about what turn my life was going to take after the Satyam Fiasco. I had just begun to write about Telugu cinema on my blog and the first couple of blogs had got decent response from my friends. Then in June, 2009, Satyam sent me on a sabbatical for six months. Fortunately I went to Singapore and Malaysia along with my friends for a week in July and that really helped me to contemplate on what I should do over the next few months. I had got addicted to writing and watching films and few days after my return from Singapore, S S Rajamouli’s Magadheera had released.

The hype surrounding this film was so huge that tickets were sold for almost a week. I wanted to desperately watch the film on day one but I couldn’t get a ticket. A friend of mine happened to know someone at Bramarambha Theatre, near JNTU and I was told to reach the theatre before 8:00AM to collect the ticket. After a long time, I woke up at 6:00 AM and travelled 20 kms so that I could go collect a movie ticket for the 2:30 PM show. Hundreds of people were eagerly waiting for the ‘box’ to arrive and I couldn’t convince the manager that I am the same guy whom my friend had told him about. After almost an hour, he finally agreed to give me a ticket (originally priced at Rs 300) for Rs 50, thanks to couple of phone calls. Meanwhile, the box had arrived and the chaos began. I was pushed aside and the manager was nowhere to be seen, but I couldn’t go back because I wanted to watch the film on day one. Finally, at 9:30 AM this manager sent another guy to hand over the ticket to me; however it turned out that I had to wait for another hour, during which this guy went around to meet his friends, before I got my ticket. Few hours later, the fans show got over and the celebration had already begun. Everyone had only one thing to say – It’s a blockbuster. I saw the film and I loved it.

Over the next few days, I watched almost every interview of S S Rajamouli, Rama Rajamouli, MM Keeravani, Senthil and other cast & crew members. Their passion for making this epic drama was quite evident and my respect for their effort, especially S S Rajamouli’s grew manifold. Little did I know that in less than three months after the film’s release I would have an opportunity to interview the man himself, S S Rajamouli.

In mid-September, 2009 I joined 123telugu.com as a content writer. It was my first stint at writing for a popular film website. Few days after I joined the website, I was given my first interview assignment. I was going to interview S S Rajamouli. Back then, Shyam Prasad Reddy (producer – Arundhati) was producing a dance reality show, Dhee-2 and S S Rajamouli was going to be the Chief Guest for the final. I was asked to meet and interview him in Ramoji Film City. I woke up at 5:30 to join the production crew who were going to RFC that day. At 7:00 AM, when I finally reached RFC, Shyam Prasad Reddy told me that he was expecting Rajamouli to arrive at 6:30 PM and I had the choice of either going back to office or hanging in there all day.  I decided to hang in there and spent the whole day thinking about what I am going to ask Rajamouli in those 10 minutes later that day. Here’s the thing about being on the set of a TV Show. It’s incredibly boring…I mean a lot of activity keeps happening all day long, but if you are a spectator, it is bound to leave you clueless. I chose not to watch the shooting of the dance reality show and spent the next eight hours outside under a tent watching people go in and out. Finally, at around 7:00 PM, the director had arrived. He was more of a star on the set and everyone wanted to get a snap with him. I waited for my turn. After a while, my patience ran out and I almost barged into the conversation which Rajamouli and Shyam Prasad Reddy were having. It was my third week at work and I hadn’t learnt the basic etiquette of the film industry. I was promptly asked to wait till further notice. So, I stepped outside and waited for another couple of hours. By then, the show had got over and he (Rajamouli) was about to leave. This time I was in no mood to relent and stood at some distance as Shyam and Rajamouli were discussing something for a very long time. And then I was formally introduced to Rajamouli and finally got my 10 minutes with the man everyone was going gaga about in the state.

It was my first ever interview and I was underprepared. My palms had begun to sweat and I didn’t rehearse my questions which I had noted down on a piece of paper. When you don’t make eye-contact for most part of the interview, you lose control over yourself and the interview. The questions weren’t good enough and the biggest problem was Rajamouli had answered almost all of them in several other interviews. He appeared to be quite uninterested with my questions and I remember he even said, “I have already answered this question so many times.” The meeting ended sooner than I thought but it didn’t matter, because I had met one of my favourite filmmakers in contemporary Telugu cinema. And this incident was all I could talk about for almost a week with my friends in Bangalore, Hyderabad and the US.

After this, my brief encounter with S S Rajamouli happened on Twitter when he began tweeting actively and I was more than pleased that he actually remembered me from our meeting. Lots of things had changed over the next few months. I had begun writing for Southscope’s website and then joined the magazine in June. Then in August, 2010 S S Rajamouli’s Maryada Ramanna was about to release. I met him at a press conference to ask for an interview for Southscope. He agreed to meet but also told me that he might be extremely busy with post-production and I was told to keep in touch with his wife, Rama Rajamouli, who’s also a designer for most of his films. A week later, when I went to meet him, I was told that he and M M Keeravani (music director) were extremely busy with post-production. So, I ended up meeting the rest of his family – Rama, Karthikeya (Rajamouli’s son) and Mayooka (daughter). Making films is a family affair for Rajamouli. His wife helps him in designing the costumes, his son takes a lot of interest in cinematographer and he’ll probably go on to become a director in future and his daughter is always there with them, if she’s not in school. And there’s M M Keeravani, Kanchi and Kalyani Malik who are all members of his family and frequently collaborate with him for most of his films.

Here’s something I have learnt over the past couple of years – Never judge a person based on the films he makes. Rajamouli’s films have everything you expect from an action entertainer. The adrenaline of watching the action episodes is what I love the most. However, it’s highly unlikely that he’s anything like the characters he creates in most of his films. Rama Rajamouli once told me that he loves movies way too much and she has learnt to live with that. Even his kids understand that he has to spend long hours making movies. But Rajamouli loves his family a lot and loves spending most of his time with his kids when he’s not on the sets. The family’s favourite pastime is going on long drives and short vacations every now and then. When it comes to work, he’s a maniac. Films are the only thing he can think about. I have never seen him on the sets of his films but if those end title sequence of most of his films are anything to go by, he enacts each and every scene himself so that the actors do exactly what he tells them to do. Maybe he should consider doing cameos in his films; he’ll make a very good actor.

Two years since my rendezvous with Rajamouli, a lot of things have changed. I may have met him very few times but I have learnt to be more confident even while facing the person you have admired for more than 10 years. The initial awe has been replaced by immense respect. It’s possible that I may not like some of the films that he’ll make in future but his passion, sheer dedication and energy he puts in will continue to amaze me.

Like he once told me, “I don’t give any advice to anyone, but if you insist, I’ll say – Always make films which you want to make.” Perhaps, the secret of his success lies in those eight words. And I hope he continues to do what he believes in.

Amen.

By,

Hemanth

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We are told that Tony (NTR) has a peculiar character and no one can guess what he’ll do next. The scene shifts to Kashmir where Tony bumps into Niharika (Tamannaah). He saves her from a group of terrorists; however, before the two meet she goes to Hyderabad. Tony follows her and one fine day he comes to know that she’s already engaged. He plays several tricks to befriend Niharika and her friend Chitra (Payal Ghosh) and soon he ends up confronting with Niharika’s fiancé. And suddenly everything changes. Tony is a man on a mission and what it is and why Niharika is so important to him forms the rest of this story.

First things first, the title suggests that Tony (NTR) does whatever it takes to achieve his goal and. It’s a pleasant surprise to find that NTR is made to underplay his character. Except the climax, which is over the top and a bloody mess, Surender Reddy holds the interest for most part particularly in the second half.

One problem with the film is that nothing really happens in the first half. It’s filled with several gags which have a hangover of ‘Kick’ and  the director ends up spending too much time in setting the relationship between the leads; however, the second half where the entire story unfolds, it all begins to make sense.  The drama in second half is engrossing and kudos to Surender Reddy who shifts most of the focus to Tamannaah. She’s the surprise package of the film and Tamannaah makes great use of the opportunity. NTR is good in his role and for a change the punch dialogues and heroism are kept to bare minimum. It’s a cakewalk for Prakash Raj, who plays Ajju Bhai, as he has done such roles several times. Payal Ghosh, Jayprakash Reddy and Raghu Babu are good in their roles.

The story written by Vakkantham Vamsi gives enough scope for NTR and Tamannaah to perform well, although nothing really happens in the first half. Devi Sri Prasad’s music is passable and the editing is good. Surender Reddy scores well in terms of direction and the screenplay goes back and forth most of the times.

Oosaravelli is unabashedly violent and gets serious as the drama unfolds. It’s not a bad film at all and it does have its flashes of brilliance but it could have been so much better.

(This review was first published in ‘Hans India’ Newspaper on October 9, 2011)

By

Hemanth

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Jai (Zayed Khan) meets Naina (Dia Mirza) at a friend’s wedding inChandigarh. He’s fromDelhiand already has a girlfriend back home and she’s from Mumbai who, not so surprisingly, also happens to have a boyfriend. Jai and Naina end up liking each other but never confess their feelings. Few days later, Jai goes to Mumbai on a business trip and this becomes an excuse for him to bond with Naina. How they deal with their confused feelings for each other forms the rest of the story.

Love Breakups Zindagi is a film where bad people or even feelings like hatred and jealousy don’t even exist. The entire first half is a show reel about how big fat Punjabi weddings are celebrated and director Sahil Sangha ends up adding every cliché you might have come across. Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza make a good jodi; however neither of them evokes any form of sympathy. The track between Cyrus Sahukar and Tisca Chopra does bring a smile on your face and it’s a pity that both of them don’t get much screen time. When the story shifts to Mumbai, Zayed Khan dons a Santa Claus’ hat and exudes so much nobility that it’s almost suffocating. Why exactly does the story drag on and on, despite the odds being extremely low, is anyone’s guess.

Perhaps the film’s only lovable moments come from cameos by Farida Jalal, Riteish Deshmukh, Boman Irani and Shah Rukh Khan. Not that they offer anything new but they do make a difference in this predictable romcom. Watch out for that scene between Boman Irani and Cyrus Sahukar which is one of the very few good moments in the story.

Aseem Bajwa’s cinematography is good and the production design is rich indeed. Salim-Sulaiman’s music is easy on the ears. The film’s sluggish pace and clichéd storyline is its biggest disadvantage. It’s a surprise that Sahil Sangha got lucky with almost everything for such a tale which has been told at least a hundred times before.

Love Breakups Zindagi drags so much that it almost ends up being extremely boring. It’s definitely easy on the eyes but hardly offers anything new in terms of its content. Considering that you don’t really expect Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza to surprise you in terms of their acting, there are very few reasons why you should watch the film, unless of course if you are someone who loves cute people doing cute things which leads to a happy ending.

(This review was first published in ‘Hans India’ newspaper on October 09, 2011)

By,

Hemanth

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