I will be honest. I have not watched many Telugu movies in the recent 7-8 years. not’cos I want to stand out or anything else. It is just that. I am located else where in the country/world. more over even during the occasional movies that I get to watch during the vacation.all the movies look same. the hero is much larger than life, heroine is head on heels with hero in a snap, both of them get too loud to be true and the usual moviedom gimmicks. enjoyable to some extent!
But this movie is really really different. not because of the story line but the treatment by the director(Shekhar bhai. too good!) and the way he sees the characters. I am obsessed with movies(all languages I understand). so I watched Godavari. then figured out that this guy has also made Anand, watched it and again watched Godavari back again.
Both the movies feel very similar. not with the the story line but with the way the lead characters move along the movie.But there is one noticeable difference. you can see the refined and more confident approach in Godavari which feels missing in Anand(Only on retrospect!)
Both portray the leading lady. as independent yet loveable, stubborn yet realistic and best. not always dressed up to kill(unlike the heroines in other movies) which seems very natural(C’mon. U too look nice some days, average some other days and horrible a few days:)) It is the same heroine(Kamaalinee) and the same dubbing artist(I am forgetting her name. but if she is not married. I will be in the queue to propose to her:) and they are the best combo deal you can ever get! It is the voice that gets you tickled all the time! and ofcourse the dialogues(She keeps saying dokku pelli, dokku life. and man it is totally funny and warm!)
The hero. is also more off the beat type in both the movies. but exuberates more chracter in Godavari. especially if you watch Godavari first and Anand later you might feel that Anand is not such a strong character!(It is not just the strength but also the fitting of it in the movie) He retains similar traits. is not an average lady charmer like any other movie heroes. does not dress up and is more or less very helpful with very little of attitude(which is shown as the turn on for the heroine in any other movie)
Apart from the lead roles, It is the situations and the environment which brings up that warmth in his movies. nobody is extra generous but at the same’giving’ naturally. none of the other chracters do not get dominated by the lead players and they come on the screen only when is relevant but always remain in the background and visible subtly to give us a feeling that it is not just the hero-heroine for which the movie is made.
The songs in Anand seem to indicate that director might want to act with caution. especially the dream numbers. you do not see such off track numbers in Godavari. That is a big evolution as a director and also the situations feel more natural and plausible in Godavari than in Anand!
Overall. if you are a guy(who has lived enough life) you would fall in love with the female lead character. but if you are a girl.I do not how much this would be true(as I am yet to meet a woman who can see beyond the obvious;))
If you manage to read till here. Please watch both the movies! BTW. I still have not see Dollar dreams(Sekhar’s debut movie). But might watch it one of these days!
BTW. Do you think Shekhar bhai will manage to retain this warmth and yet not feel repetitive or will fade slowly like RGV(Do U remember the times of his first few movies.? How much they used to effect the youth then.Can you also see the possible similarity in the career? I wish not! Shekhar bhai. my 2 cents. do not let the success get to your head in the wrong way. and most important. as you know people are everything. do not move away from them or build up a glass wall around yourself. That feels better!)
Below here is the first version of the review
There are movies and there are very good movies. This falls into the exceptionally good ones category! The characters(all the leading ones) exuberate personalities that you can relate to and enjoy. The way the movie picks up, itself is an indication of what is in store! Seeta Maalakshmi is awesome. especially the attitude of the character. same as the hero.
I think the director has really though out on the chracters and managed not to overdo anything. the stubborness, the attitude and everything of seeta are very realistic! After a long time I started enjoying the characters in the movie than the people who are playing those roles:)
The concept of Godavari(The’telugu’ised Titanic) seems tough to digest in the beginning(Correct me, if such a thing exists!) and the dog talking was irritating initially but it also gets enjoyable to some extent.
Raji character is the true portrait of the real internal struggle for many girls. I guess.
Overall. I had great time with the movie.