I can recall at least two films from
the past with reference to Sir. One had Sidney Poiter and the other Naseerundin
Shah. This time it is Jagapathi Babu. In the same league!! He is out there
fighting, fighting hard to keep an insipid inane script telling yet another
vengeance story. Drug mafia meets Tollywood family. It is obvious that the film
maker (Vasu Parini) is unwilling to try anything new. The film story is
painstakingly structured around the central character who is out to butcher the
baddies. At half time, he says: Expect the unexpected. Well that should go down
as an admission that thus far it has been on predictable lines. Is it different
as promised? Nay, Old habits die hard. Faultily predictable, the first few
minutes when the narrative has a small blind child accompany the blood thirsty
protagonist on a free for all killing spree it is obvious that the script is
designed to test your sensitivity. This is one promise the film lives up to.
Delivered with consistency and promise!!
Sir Patel (Jagapathi Babu) is the guy who carries his morose expression on the
streets and into the den of the unkept baddies. The baddies here (include the
likes of Prabhaker and Prithviraj are into peddling synthetic substance and at
the instance of Big Baddie (Kabir Duan Singh). Even as the protagonist moves
from Shahen shah to another clobbering avatar, the little girl is playing the
violin. Even before you wonder why Patel is guzzling blood without even a straw
or get interested in this aspect you are introduced to sneak previews of the
past which suggests that Patel Sir (as addressed by the little one and all
others) you know that he is basically a good guy who has turned blood thirsty
due to some incident in the past. It is this event in the past that unfolds
itself after the interval.
Patel Sir is a patriot who had a bullet in the war and is so committed to the
nation that when his son makes a career choice outside the defense forces, he
disowns his son Vallabh who goes on to becoming a cardiologist and comes home
with wife (Padma Priya) and two children, one of whom remains as the blind
child. Papa takes time to accept the prodigal son and his return and even
before the gifts at the family reunion are unwrapped tragedy strikes when the
drug mafia plays havoc with the family leaving behind a blind daughter and a
furious father.
Every person in the film is at best a caricature. Special mention must be made
of Tanya Hope who is reduced to a pathetic police officer who is there only to
satisfy the voyeurist. While Posani gives you a few characteristic one liners
the other comedian Raghu Babu fails completely. Padma Priya carries herself
with some dignity and the rest as said are reduced to listless souls. This film
is only for the diehard Jagapathi Babu fans and salute to the one who banks on
him with a script that is best left alone.
In the early scene of the film when the protagonist hammers the day lights of
the villains you little realise that it is symbolic. Why the audience? Just for
paying for the film!!