Sunday, August 8, 2010

Don Seenu

Genre: Mass entertainer (this is the name I have chosen for telugu cinema which dishes out a drama, comedy, romance and action at the same time!)

Koppireddy’s Tagline: This is South Indian masala (literally, this is a dialogue by Ravi Teja during a crucial thumping session with the German goons…crucial because Shriya falls for Ravi Teja right here)

Analysis: Loud punches, intimidating voice pitch from the hero while delivering dialogues, flying goons (after the hero touching them ofcourse), mass numbers and a reverberating background score when the hero is on the frame or before his onset…these define a mass telugu movie and Don Seenu is one such movie. A little better than Anjaneyulu but no less mass than that. I am sure people like such movies from what we can see- all directors want to make more of such movies.

Keeping aside the logic and the validity of the plot, excusing it by declaring it to be an entertainer, lets go ahead! The comedy required is extracted from Bramhanandam, Ali and Venu Madhav. Songs are okay in parts but I am sure will appeal full length to masses. Fights are appealing with no over-done elements like in Anjaneyulu. Screenplay was good, especially in the first half. Cinematography is sure good. Dialogues by Kona Venkat are adequate for the movie. (Deenini geeki, danini gokadame is my particular favourite when Ravi Teja referes to the Gold credit card and the heroine respectively, he is provided by the baddies to trap heroine for their cause)

Performances: Ravi Teja’s action is clichéd but will entertain you. His energy levels and ease with which he adapts to the screenplay, and evokes comedy too, at times, mass dances and illuminating wit to outbeat a psychology student heroine (Shriya) all are worth mentioning

The show-stealer however is Shriya in the role of Deepthi. She is looking fresh (maybe because of her long gap in telugu cinema) and adds a lot of glam quotient to the film. 30s is the new 20s, I guess…Shriya looked much more glamorous than many of the 20s heroines. Maybe, ladies want to find out her anti-aging formula! Otherwise, she is a submissive heroine to the hero like in any other mass cinema.

Shyaji Shinde, Mahesh Manjerakar, Srihari all add to the comedy gang as their fierceness as villains is a passe when Ravi Teja himself want to be a don. The second heroine Anjana Sukhani adds to the oomph factor onscreen and others are okay in one of the gangs including Brahmaji, who is now reduced to a member in one of the gangs.

Story: I am sure the idea to produce a mass entertainer came first and then probably the story. Don Seenu (played by Ravi Teja) inspired by Amitabh would always want to be a don. He fools around with the existing dons in Hyderabad, Machineni (played by Shayaji Shinde) and Narsing(played by SriHari). As part of the fooling he is sent to Germany on his first assignment from the Machineni gang to trap Narsing’s sister and that lays the foundation for first half. With 2 heroines Deepthi and Priya (Shriya and Anjana respectively) in Germany and a Seenu’s pretext of being a photographer looking for a traditional Indian girl for his cover, the first half goes through the usual antics of the hero.

A small twist as you enter the theater back with popcorn, and the fooling around of Dons continues…this time you will start feeling the uselessness of the plot. I can see myself begging for something different but nothing happens before the climax suddenly condescends on you with a quick lurk back in to the flash back, where the Dons were friends and somehow the hero is Narsing’s brother-in-law. With only one villan left, Don Seenu pardons him and shoos him off the Dubai, implying he would rule the Indian mafia…Yes, its over

No comments:

Post a Comment