TeLuGu HaNgOuT

On a random pick of the lot, when we watch few films they remind us constantly that we have seen it somewhere earlier. The same nudging feel prevails while watching ‘Manjeera’ produced by the newly floated MMK Arts banner which got released on 31st January. Starring debutant Gautham and Sridevi, debutant Sai Bhanu has directed and Samba Siva Rao produced the film. Here we go through the pros and cons of the movie.

Storyline

The story begins in Vizag when the orphan Vasu (Gautham) in an attempt to save a pregnant woman, loses his ring with small bells (Muvvalu or Manjeeralu) in the spot. The ring was the last gift given to him by his mother in her death bed which goes into the hands of Beebi Nanchari alias Beena, a Muslim girl. She recovers the ring but misses Vasu and her attempts to handover it goes in vain.

Without knowing that Vasu works for a Dada Ansari (Saleem Panda), who’s the right hand for MLA Mudiraj (Dandapani), Beena falls in love with him at first sight. Vasu who works as a thug and hitman for the goon, commits murders and indulges in illegitimate activities. Meanwhile, the proud beauty Beena dreams beyond her reach and waits for the man. On a fateful day, her cousin (Surya) demands her father the debt back. As they were unable to do it, he takes Beena to Hyderabad to sell her off to the Arab Sheiks. Unaware of the impending danger, she follows him to Hyderabad where she encounters Vasu.

In a sale bid, Ansari competes with others even cutting a sheiks hand buys Beena for his own. In a tiring end, Beena at last reveals her love to Vasu.

How will the hero marry Beena as he already works under Ansari and a criminal? Will he be forced to sacrifice his love or will he triumph over bad and marry his girl? Watch it yourself on screen.

Performance of Artists

Right from the word go the character of the protagonist played by debutant Gautham has a baffled look which sticks on to us at times. We can’t deny he got a good build but as an actor, he needs to improvise a lot. Sridevi has done a graceful job as she is kind of experienced in the role. At certain instance, we can’t help but Saleem Panda’s performance mesmerizes us and makes us feel he’s the hero.

Even though, a group of most talented artistes like Raghuvaran, Bhanuchandar, Dandapani, Rama Raju, Jeeva, Venu Madhav, Y.Vijaya are a part of the cast, they were not given much screen space and their acting skills has been underplayed.

Apart from sitting and play chess, Raghuvaran in the role of ring master who controls the Dada has no scope to performance in his last film. His role has clear shades of Sivasena leader Bal Thakre. Near the end, slight remembrance lingers about Bhanu Chandar, in his role of ACP. We have to laugh for the sake of said comedy done by Jeeva, Suman Shetty and Venu Madhav.

Story, Screenplay and Direction

Opportunity once wasted takes a long time to come back. This proverb should be inculcated to director Sai Bhanu by his well wishers because he failed to play the cards properly. The end product depicts he was more keen to go to the sets rather than building a proper script in pre-production stage.

He unnecessarily travels the storyline by moving the heroine to Hyderabad by her cousin, letting the hero slip his ‘Manjeera’ adorned ring, making the villains as senseless humans which results in the only sensible act in the halls, a big yawn from us near the end. Such a script should have a taut screenplay and characters designed after contemplation. While watching, it goes on its own way and is like the scenes were dragged like gum to buy time for the director. In the huge pile of cons, pros are seen in meager amount.

Technical Aspects

Camera cranked by Sathibabu beautifully brings in the scenes and the director has also rendered more concentration on visuals than the script. Young musician Sekhar Chandra has composed some good tunes which is a welcome relief for us. Notably, heroine’s intro song and ‘Siri Vaana’ are good to listen to.

Ram – Lakshman have always choreographed new style of stunts every time for their films and in ‘Manjeera’ we need not reiterate about their working style. Fight scenes are far above the range for a debut star which is a deliberate mistake done by the director who tried to elevate the newcomers image to a mass hero at the first movie itself.

Criticism

‘Manjeera’ is one more new arrival in the list of Hindu – Muslim love stories. Usually, our filmmakers have been getting inspired by world cinema and Hollywood flicks in the recent past. But, director Sai Bhanu seems to have been mesmerized by 'Two Town Rowdy', 'Okkadu' and 'Varsham'. While watching this film we do can guess randomly that the director might have watched those above said movies atleast ten or more times before coming up with this one.

A question to the filmmaker, won’t an average audience understand the meaning that Manjeera means bell, unless they speak French. What’s the motive to show the small bell on screen often (often irritates) to show the story is being spun around it. Keeping the director’s work aside, albeit the producer’s expenditure to bring out the film ‘Manjeera’, even without turning a deaf ear, we cannot hear the sound of the bell. Bad luck, we don’t get saved by the bell here.