What would Crusoe have done, if
Friday did not know to dance and thrash them up by the dozen? Employed
Bodyguard, who is learning with every vernacular outing, including the Salman
outing of recent accident.
The film is bound to be compared with the Hindi version and it is here that the
film gains advantage. The comedy track with the likes of Ali, Venu Madhav,
Dharmavarpu, make the entire narration unpretentious, and light hearted. Long
trenches before blood drenches the script, the light-hearted script takes over
and thankfully is a welcome diversion.
To the uninitiated, the film is about Venkatadri (Venkatesh) who comes in as a
bodyguard to the daughter of his saviour Varda Rajulu Naidu (Prakash Raj). The
girl in question, Keerthi (Trisha) is first embarrassed, then impressed and as
she leads him up the garden path with blank calls falls in love. Unfortunately,
the past, the villainy that haunts the family takes over. Venkatadri is unaware
that the caller is Keerthi. In any event circumstances point out to the
roadblocks to matrimony – the classic culmination of the script. With the
intermission coming just when the central characters are Cupid struck, the rest
is about how the Director (Gopichand Malineni) handles the winding up.
Predictably he succumbs to the predictable diagnosis that the audience is
craving for violence, stunts and the like. The summing up, like the original,
is dramatic, filmy and for the audience to swallow than believe.
Technically, the film is well shot. Music keel. There is no tere mere mere
tere, but kava lane and Evaro Evaro are hummable. It is the script that falters
and fails to grip or convince. Of the cast, veteran Prakash Raj is his usual
reliable self. There is Kota as the villain who seeks to avenge the Varda
Rajulu Naidu family and though as very little screen presence leaves an
impression. The entire episode at the ladies hostel is just a steep fall in
class. Trisha has to play the glam doll, which comes from sheer practice and
repeat value. For her all scripts, from the angle of her role is more about
where, what costumes, when coy smile, when mock anger than character and other
related nuances. Give her light moments and she can cake walk. Give her a minor
emotional demand and she is all lost. Saloni does her little bit with a lot of
conviction. She is that vital link, who but in a moment adds credibility to the
script.
Finally the film is bound to depend heavily on the delivery quotient of
Venkatesh in the central character. To begin with, he is no Salman and this is
a relief. He nurtures the character with greater sensitivity. He gives the film
credibility. True to his repute, he reiterates his USP as a dependable star
with just the right acting skills.
Willing, if you are to let go rationality and if your expectations are anchored
around a typical Tollywood creation, Happy festival viewing
L. Ravichander.