On one hand, we have Indian largest motion picture ever made. On the other, we have the most awaited Super Star Mahesh’s Srimanthudu. Both are heading into the arena face to face, both releasing the teasers at almost the same time.
As expected Baahubali teaser went viral as soon as it was launched. There is nothing surprising there. The film is being released in various languages including Hindi and Karan Johar promoting the film at national level. The film teaser was bound to get contagious in the internet.
But here comes the biggest surprise. Mahesh Babu’s Srimanthudu teaser was also released at 7AM on May 31st on the eve of Super Star Krishna’s birthday. The teaser ratings were off the charts since the instance of teaser launch. It is not only going viral but also dominating the internet, even Baahubali. Yes even Baahubali. All the publicity, all the grandeur none of it mattered before Mahesh Babu’s Srimanthudu.
Baahubali teaser was released approximately 16 hours ago and managed to amass only 5200 likes on you tube. Where as Mahesh Babu’s Srimanthudu achieved 11120 like in just one hour. Even views counter of you tube Srimanthudu’s was stuck at 250,142counter was unable to cope up with the wild traffic.We will get even better idea once the traffic cools off. But unfortunately the traffic is mounting by the hour for Srimanthudu.
Kamal Hassan fans share their disappointment on Uttama Villain.. | Public Review
Director: Ramesh Aravind Cast: Kamal Haasan, K.Balachander, K.Vishwanath, Nasser, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Ratings: Two and a half stars
Actor Kamal Haasan and filmmaker Kamal Haasan have combined to deliver several classics in the past. Expectations run sky-high when the two come together again after a gap of two years. Interestingly Kamal’s mentor K Balachander's last acting venture was Uttama Villain. Does the movie live up to expectations? The answer is partially yes.
The film is about the life of a superstar with and without a mask. A picture in picture, the movie revolves around a commercially hit hero Manoranjan (Kamal Haasan). He is adored and admired by all. But he has a private life too. Apparently, when kingmaker producer Poorna Chandra Rao (K.Vishwanath) makes Manoranjan a superstar after pulling him out his mentor Margadarasi (K.Balachander) who is known for smalltime films, Mano is forced to marry Rao’s daughter Varalakshmi (Urvashi).
Meanwhile there is Dr Arpana (Andrea). She takes care of Manoranjan, who suffers from frequent headaches. All hell breaks loose when Arpana comes to know that Manoranjan suffers from brain tumor. There begins the story. Now he has a last wish. He wants to go back to his mentor and do a film. He sheds his ego and calls on Margadarsi to do a movie. Though he turns down Mano’s offer initially, touched by his health condition, the director decides to do one film. There begins the movie with in a movie. The 8th century episodes unfold where Kamal plays innocent Uttaman with Nasser as King Muthrasan giving him extraordinary support in comic timing.
In the meantime, through one Jacob Zachariah (Jayaram), a startling revelation about Manoranjan’s past is brought to light. That Mano has a daughter Manonmani (Parvathy Menon) through his past lover Yamini. The story takes twist and turn and eventually ends in an unexpected note. Combining Theyyam, an ancient dance form of Kerala and Tamil folk music Villupattu adds new sheen to the film. But the eighth century episodes seem to be a mismatch. Somewhere it lacks the pep and punch one would associate with a Kamal film. Though some of the scenes which are individually engaging especially the conversations between KB and Kamal, the first half moves at a leisurely pace testing one’s patience. Thankfully, post interval it picks up momentum.
It is undoubtedly a Kamal show all the way! The actor sparkles in both the roles – an ego bloated Manoranjan and a simple Uttaman. Streaks of Kamal’s acting are seen in the entire supporting cast like Pooja Kumar, Andrea, MS Bhaskar etc. The emotional bonding between Kamal his wife Urvashi, son and daughter are noteworthy. Madhu Sudhanan's visual effects and Shamdat's camera are flesh and blood for the movie. Ghibran's handling of background score is all the more gripping. Lalgudi sets warrant mention.
There are few shortcomings. Nevertheless Kamals’ amazing screen presence pulls an otherwise bit dragging film with a runtime of 2hrs 52 minutes. The film can be enjoyed only in parts.
Raghava Lawrence is back with Ganga which is the third part of his famous Muni franchise. Starring Taapsee as the female lead, this film has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it is.
Story:-
Raghava(Lawrence) is a cameraman with Green TV, and is very scared of ghosts. One fine day, he is posted alongside his creative director Nandini (Taapsee) to cover a story based on a haunting guest house. He along with his unit reaches the place and starts shooting for their television show.
Twist in the tale arises when Taapsee finds a sacred thread and starts experiencing weird incidents around her. Very soon, she gets possessed by an evil spirit which also keeps troubling Raghava. Who is this evil spirit? What does it have to do with Nandini and Ragahava? That forms the rest of the story.
Plus Points :-
Lawrence scores brownie points for both his direction and acting skills. He is pretty decent in his role and showcases decent comedy timing. All his scenes with Kovai Sarala evoke superb comedy. Taapsee sheds her bubbly girl image and delivers a knock out punch with Ganga. She impresses in a tough role and is the main stay during the first half.
Nithya Menen is pretty good in the role of an handicapped girl and brings a lot of relief whenever she is on screen. The way Lawrence has executed her character in the second half is very good.
First half of the film has hilarious comedy which compliments the well executed horror elements. Once again, Kovai Sarala impresses in her role and gives funny expressions during the horror scenes.
Minus Points:-
After reaching the interval with a superb twist, Lawrence loses track during the second half. The flashback episode which features Nithya Menen is dragged to the core with some unnecessary songs and sequences. Climax of the film is exaggerated and makes up for a predictable ending. This film is a bit loud and might not go well with the class audience.
Once the twist in the tale is revealed, the film gets completely predictable and bland. The graphics showcased during the climax are over the top and look fake. The flashback episodes which were major highlights in the first two installments is below average in Ganga. Except for Nithya’s performance there is nothing much interesting during this part.
Technical Aspects:-
Music of the film is a huge drawback as none of the songs register with the viewers. Background score is pretty decent and elevates the film to a decent level. Dialogues written will go well with the mass audience. Screenplay of the film is superb for the first half but bogs down completely during the second.
With Ganga, Lawrence does not experiment much and sticks to his successful formula. He sets up a brilliant first half and evokes superb comedy from his actors. But the way he handles the second half is below par. He drags the film with unnecessary scenes and complicates the climax.
Verdict:-
On the whole, Ganga is a horror comedy which has some interesting moments. Taapsee’s superb performance and a hilarious first half are huge assets for the movie. But a below par second half and a loud climax spoil the fun to an extent. However, this film will see huge openings because of the hype surrounding it and will satisfy its target audience which is the B and C centers.
