The regular Tollywood mainstream subscriber reads his caveat. It is based on a no-blame policy. Strangely, the measuring tools change drastically. The study in pointer: this festival season has three releases: ‘Game Changer’, a big budget star based film. The Balakrishna starrer ‘Daaku Maharaaj’ is sin genesis. Venkatesh’s film targets the “family audience”. Obviously, the three do not muster the same lens. It is that a take thus on SKV, ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam’ (SKV) is denominated by the genre, the target and of course the stated purpose.
Given: It is a family entertainer, meaning thereby that it is designed for an audience that can sit across generations. On that test alone, SKV must suffer self-assessment. Multiple scenes, including a crass dig at gay preferences, does make one run for cover — yes, in the limited context.
While the mainstream Tollywood celebrates violence in its unadulterated crude depiction, this family film has a celebrative take on a bigamous relationship, a return to the Shoban Babu era. The unapologetic male centric stance seemingly jocular is an unhygienic cultural stance, worrisome.
To market the thought that men can have a wife and a girlfriend, the idea that the two are constantly in a slug fest for the attention and affection of the alpha male is degenerative and is as old as ‘Evandi Aavida Vachindi’ (1993). It is worrisome to think that our mental perception has stagnated or is willing to test the polluted waters after three decades. That Anil Ravipudi (director) chooses to emulate E.V.V. Satyanarayana and Pranav Anand is no bouquet to the concept of a family.
Business tycoon Satya Akela (Srinivas Avasarala), on a trip from the US to Telangana, lands him in a kidnap drama. Chief Minister Kesava (Naresh) and party chief VT (VTV Ganesh) are left high dry in the kidnap drama planned in a gang war between the Nayak and Pandeys. The services of Y.D. Raju (Venkatesh) are pressed into service.
The once trigger-happy police officer quit the services after being humiliated for his hyperactive policing. In his domestic peace, he is married to Bhagyalakshmi (Aishwarya Rajesh), and has four children headed by brat Bulli Raju (Revanth). He has a past: Love life Meenakshi (Meenakshi Chaudhary) who chooses a career to domestic responsibilities.
She and Raju are in charge of rescuing the kidnapped Satya. Paradoxically the spanner in the works is George Anthony (Upendra Limaye) and his deputy Manikya Rao (Sai Kumar), who see Raju et al as part of the kidnap gang.
The cumbersome saga of all ingredients — music, dance, drama, emotion, thrills, comedy, message, platitudes etc. leads to the finale. Then therein a contrived epilogue involving an ode to a teacher (Sarvadaman Banerjee in a cameo as a wronged teacher).
The two female actors — Meenakshi Chaudhary and Aishwarya Rajesh — function within the terrain of our definition of female characters. Meenakshi looks less Tollywood and more promising. In contrast, Aishwarya comes from the Meena-Roja school.
The comic angle is a tad too stretched. Pammi Sai and VTV Ganesh muster a mention. Upendra Limaye is loud – either blame it on his approach, director, role or sheer genre. Even Naresh disappoints. He behaves more like a sidekick than a chief minister. More comic than credible. In contrast, as the party Chief VTV Ganesh does very well.
As expected the film runs on the Venkatesh stream. He has moved seamlessly from the young romantic actor to the one, whose age suits his romance. He has had the sanity and an eye for the changing age factor. His sense of timing, his commitment, agility, all prove handy. Add to it, his commitment and emotive strength which add value to this long, long film. In a way more than the mainstay, he is the attraction. He holds the film together. He is good enough to nudge one to go and watch. The promise to arrive at the festival time is partly marred by songs that say: “No Dangal Celebrate Pongal”. It also markets itself with a direct brazen request to return for a re-watch. That is a big ask. Unless you are willing to laugh along. Venkatesh is the one sure strong recommendatory factor.
