Kousalya Krishnamurthy movie review: This sports drama is impressive only in parts!
Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Rajendra Prasad, Jhansi, CVL Narasimha Rao, Siva Karthikeyan, Karthik Raju
Director: Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao
Kousalya Krishnamurthy adds to the line of Tollywood films that have cricket as the backdrop. It marks Aishwarya Rajesh, the popular Tamil actress, making her debut in Telugu films.
Krishnamurthy (Rajendra Prasad), a struggling farmer, is a passionate cricket fan. His daughter Kousalya (Aishwarya Rajesh) wants to become a Test cricketer for her father. It is a story of struggle both for her and her father who comes under pressure to repay a bank loan.
Director Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao is known for his remakes, and Kousalya Krishnamurthy is based on the Tamil Kanaa which also had Aishwarya in the lead. Rao has made a scene-for-scene copy but its slow narration and predictability take away from the film.
Kousalya Krishnamurthy is a little different from the earlier cricket-based films in that farmer distress is brought into the story. The problem is that the director is unable to deal with either subject effectively.
The first half deals with the father-daughter relationship and how she wants to become a cricketer but has no magic moments.
Most of the second half has been retained from the Tamil film. The film comes alive in this half once Siva Karthikeyan is introduced as the coach. Most scenes, however, resemblance Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De India.
Rajendra Prasad has done similar roles in the past, and he does not appear new. The make-up makes him look odd. Sometimes he is prone to going over the board. Talented Aishwarya Rajesh is terrific as a cricketer and fits the role.
Jhansi gets another good role after Mallesham. The scene where she asks her daughter to prove her talent and silence the villagers is terrific. C.V.L. Narasimha Rao looks natural as Rajendra Prasad’s friend. Karthik Raju is just okay.
Tamil actor Siva Karthikeyan who plays the coach breathes life into the film. His portion is retained from the Tamil version.
The Vennela Kishore-Jabardust Mahesh comedy is old-fashioned and boring. The dubbing is not good and makes it feel like a dubbed film.
Kousalya Krishnamurthy has a thought-provoking subject but its clichéd presentation detracts from the film. Only parts of the film have been remade in Telugu and the Tamil original retained in the others. This one is for the cricket-lovers.
