Telugu Movie Drona Review

The Telugu film Drona has been in the news for National-Award winning actress Priya Mani's bare-dare act in a bikini!

The film is a regular masala one; a smorgasbord of the usual ingredients, typical of Telugu cinema action, romance, songs, dance, an item number by Rakhi Sawant al. There is not much variation from the staple elements. Director Karuna Kumar treads the oft-trodden path.

The storyline has the run-of-the-mill elements like lost and found son, mother pining for the son in absentia, a duty-bound conscientious police-officer-father, a jewellery heist and eventually the victory of good over evil.

It's only in the second half that the actual story unfolds. Drona (Nitin) runs away from home as his father (Mukesh Rishi) chides him for taking his gun. He resurfaces after a decade and lives with his parents as Chandu but does not reveal his true identity. His neighbour Indu (Priya Mani) who begins to love him finds out who he really is and reveals the fact. But here comes the twist. Nitin has a past which haunts and follows him.

Meanwhile, Sarkar (Kelly Dorjee) and his henchmen are on the hunt for Drona and his friend Bose, and they finally find Drona and put him behind bars. The mother Meenakshi (Seeta) is heartbroken and the father is duty bound. Drona then narrates his tale of how he was kidnapped by Sarkar (who also kidnapped several other young children), trained in an island, made to rob jewels etc.

There is nothing much to write home about the script. It is a motley of things and ideas. Some parts of the film defy logic and the scenes are weird. Neither the camera work nor music elevates the film. The only thing which is perhaps worthy of mention is the action. The fight sequences are well orchestrated; a lot of effort and special effects have gone into them. For example, bodies glide and suspend in mid-air. Then we have Nitin shooting at men in a helicopter all the while riding a bike.

Nitin revels in these action sequences. And it is fun to see him in them. He also shakes his leg with absolute ease. Unfortunately for him, the script does not have much to offer as far as acting is concerned.

Priya Mani is ooh la la glamorous and certainly ups the oomph quotient of the film by indulging in skin show. Kelly Dorjee seems quite out of place and rather uncomfortable while Mukesh Rishi plays a police officer for the nth time. Seeta plays the pining mother well. As for Rakhi Sawant, she doesn't set the screen ablaze with her item number.

Director Karuna Kumar's potboiler seems rather disastrous. Watch it only if you are a fan of Nitin, or if you want to see Priya Mani's bare-dare act.

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Venkata In Sankata Review

with his new Kannada film Venkata In Sankata, Ramesh Arvind proves once again that he is an actor and a director par excellence. The film is a perfect entertainer for the family audience.

Ramesh has already directed two comedies earlier but he can proudly say that Venkata In Sankata is his best comedy yet. What makes the film enjoyable is its great packaging and excellent performances from veteran actors artists and newcomers.

Ramesh, who has written the screenplay along with story writer Thotapalli Madhu, has filled each sequence with comedy elements even though it may be slapstick at times. Venkata In Sankata comes as a breath of fresh air after watching bad films week after week. Ramesh has no pretentions on that count because he makes it very clear that logic is the last thing that he had in mind when he scripted the film. The hilarious first half is followed by an even better second half.

The absent-minded lecturer, the strict vice-principal, a terrorizing lady inspector, the police officer who doubles up as a security watchman are the characters that make you laugh uncontrollably whenever they appear on the screen.

There are some minor letdowns too. The climax is unconvincing, as it is unlikely that a Prime Minister would be present in a function with such weak security. The so-called jehadis are unbelievable too.

Ramesh plays Inspector Venkata, who lands into trouble because of his assistant Laddu. Venkata's grandmother takes him to a fraudulent palmist for advise, but he gets hooked to the palmist's daughter. Later, Venkata poses as a college student to pursue his investigation. What happens later is a laugh riot.

Ramesh puts his heart and soul into Venkata. His fans can enjoy his thrilling stunt sequences. Devadas Koppikad is brilliant. Ramesh and Devadas share good chemistry on screen.

Sharmila Mandre manages to look pleasing on screen. Both Meghana and Anusha look hot and have done justice to their roles. All the veteran artistes -- Umashri, Sanketh Kashi, Daththanna, M S Umesh, Bank Janardhan and Karibasavayya -- have done a good job. Telugu film actor Thotapalli is really funny.

Ricky Kej has composed two good tunes -- Kuniyonu Baa and Rain song. P K H Doss is brilliant behind the camera. This entertainer is worth a watch.

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Delhi 6 Review

Let's cut a long story short: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra misses the bus this time.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra thinks out of the box and it's more than evident now. First AKS, then RANG DE BASANTI, now DELHI 6. A two-liner of the story may give you an impression that it's similar to UTV's earlier outing SWADES, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker: An American of Indian origin returns to his roots and decides to stay back in India. But DELHI 6 bites more than it can chew.

Set in old Delhi, the screenplay [Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Prasoon Joshi, Kamlesh Pandey] takes its own sweet time to come to the point. In fact, the entire first half is dedicated to the sundry characters in the bylanes of old Delhi, where several stories run parallel with the main plot... The two warring brothers [Om Puri, Pawan Malhotra] and the wall that divides the two; the daughter of the house [Sonam Kapoor] aspires to be an 'Indian Idol' contestant; a moneylender's [Prem Chopra] wife has an illicit relationship with one of his lecherous debtors [Cyrus Sahukar]; an 'untouchable' [Divya Dutta] makes more sense than the so-called thekedaars of samaj; a friend of the family [Rishi Kapoor] has still not forgotten his first love [Tanvi Azmi]. Oh yes, there's also a 'Kaala Bandar' who spreads havoc in the locality. Really, Rakeysh tries to pack in multiple stories in those 2.18 hours.

But, alas, the problem is that barring a few individualistic sequences, you don't carry the film home. The film is engaging in bits and spurts. Worse, it tends to get monotonous, preachy and boring and the end is so bizarre, you actually want to ask the writers, 'Hey guys, you okay?'

DELHI 6 tells the story of a young American boy Roshan [Abhishek Bachchan] of Indian origin, who comes to India for the first time, to drop his ailing grandmother [Waheeda Rehman]. She wants to retire and spend the last leg of her life back home; dissolving into the soil she was born in.

In America, having led a very western lifestyle, Roshan is not familiar with the sites and smells, the food and culture, the religion and beliefs, this huge melting pot that India is. He believes that Dadi had left her family and loved ones back in America, only to realize that how wrong he was.

The warmth and affection of the neighbourhood embraces him with open arms. Amidst all this he meets the beautiful Bittu [Sonam Kapoor], who wants to break free from the typical Indian social structure, to whom Roshan is destined to lose his heart.

That Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is an accomplished storyteller is evident in several individualistic scenes. Note the scene when Vijay Raaz slaps Abhishek and Abhishek slaps him back. Also, portions in the second hour, when a Baba [Akhilendra Mishra] triggers off the Mandir-Masjid talk and divides the two communities, is very well structured. The sequences are disturbing and the writers and director succeed in exposing the fickle-minded people residing in the locality.

But the screenplay isn't foolproof. The romantic track is the weakest link in the enterprise. The love story falls flat. Also, the ending is so abstract that an average moviegoer would find it difficult to comprehend what the actual culmination is. The sequence in the end, when Amitabh and Abhishek have a conversation, looks weird. In fact, ridiculous. What was the need to have this sequence? It makes no sense. Even the Ram Leela sequences, interspersed at regular intervals, are forced in the screenplay.

Rakeysh's handling of the subject is exemplary at places. But the writing [faulty at times] as also the execution of the material isn't the type that would appeal to all sections of moviegoers. A.R. Rahman's music is outstanding; it's easily amongst his finest works. 'Masakali', 'Ye Dilli Hai Mere Yaar', 'Rehna Tu', 'Maula' and 'Genda Phool' are amazing tracks. Ditto for Prasoon Joshi's lyrics; they're gems. Binod Pradhan's cinematography is brilliant. Watch the Jama Masjid sequence [breath-taking] or the camera movements in the bylanes of old Delhi. Just one word to describe the output: Incredible!

Abhishek doesn't work. Also, his American accent looks fake. Sonam is likable. Waheeda Rahman enacts her part well. Rishi Kapoor is wasted. He deserved a better role. Amongst supporting actors, Om Puri [powerful], Pawan Malhotra [flawless], Vijay Raaz [tremendous], Deepak Dobriyal [genuine], Divya Dutta [admirable] and Cyrus Sahukar [likable] leave a mark.

Prem Chopra is alright. Atul Kulkarni looks like a buffoon. And what is Raghvir Yadav doing in this film? Supriya Pathak, Tanvi Azmi, K.K. Raina, Akhilendra Mishra and Dayashanker Pandey are passable. Amitabh Bachchan's presence in the penultimate minutes fails to evoke any reaction.

On the whole, DELHI 6 has a terribly boring beginning [first hour], an absorbing middle [second half] and a weak end [climax]. At the box-office, the business is bound to be divided. The film may record bountiful collections at multiplexes in its opening weekend. The popular music as also the fact that there's no major opposition will benefit the film in the initial days. But the business at single screens as also the mass belt will be a shocking contrast. However, the cracks will start appearing sooner than expected, even at plexes. Thumbs down!

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