Malliswari
If you are ever in Chennai; if you come across a movie house named Casino and if there is a Telugu movie being shown there, do not be tempted to buy your tickets. The theatre is on par with the touring talkies theatres you find in most AP villages.
Well, it goes without saying that I learnt it the hard way. I was all excited to see Katrina Kaif (with all the hoopla surrounding her) in a Vijaya Bhaskar movie.
The show started at 3:30pm yesterday. (Sunday). It was a full house. I had to basically lean on to my right to avoid a ceiling fan blocking Katrina?s boyish charm. She was good. She was beautiful in an unconventional manner with her boyish charm and tom-boyish looks. I felt that contrary to the popular belief that Malliswari was a decent proposition because of Ms Kaif, it was a decent proposition in spite of Ms. Kaif.
She cannot act for nuts. Period. It?s time she went back to modeling assignments. She did look like a princess and behaved roughly like one but Vijay Bhaskar might have had a tough time trying to extract emotions from her wooden face.
Venkatesh was passable. He fit the bill. No complaints on his acting skills. He has done justice to his half-baked role.
My main grudge is on the screenplay of the movie. Pardon me for my references to Manmadhudu which I feel is a far superior product than Malliswari. I would like to compare these two movies to drive home a point which most of the viewers are unable to understand.
You laugh with Nagarjuna in Manmadhudu and you laugh at Venkatesh in Malliswari.
That?s not a very subtle difference, mind you! It does make a world of difference. Nagarjuna?s role was written to be a little eccentric and humor automatically blended into the system because of that eccentricity. At no point you?d feel that the comedy was forced. It was natural and it was humorous.
Malliswari on the other hand portrays a clown called ?Pelli Kaani Prasadu?. He behaves like a clown and tries hard to extract laughter from the viewers. It was totally artificial and phony. The viewer gets the feeling that the actors are deliberately trying to make him laugh. Malliswari does not engulf you. It merely passes you from a distance.
Somebody please tell Venkatesh that he is overdoing the ?Self Pity? factor a lot in his recent ventures. It sometimes gets on to your nerves. You know how exactly he emotes in those scenes. And it does get repetitive. It is high time we had another Dharma Chakram or Ganesh from Venkatesh. That is where he belongs. Nuvvu Naaku Nacchaav kind of destroyed him in my opinion.
Brahmanandam again tried to underplay his character to extract humor.. just the way he did in Manmadhudu. However while Lavangam was a winning proposition, the driver role (I forgot the name of the character, which again proves a point that none of these characters are properly developed to make a lasting impression.) pales in comparison. The humor factor is simply absent.
Let me clarify my stance here. I am not saying that Malliswari is a bad movie. It is a good attempt, much better than any of the 2004 releases so far. It is immensely enjoyable. However it is not in the same league as Manmadhudu. Also the movie seems to be ?inspired? by a lot of things? Which effectively bring down its intrinsic value.
For instance:
Malliswari title song is ?inspired by? BeeGees ? Stayin? Alive
The very first song with Gajala is ?inspired by? Enrique Iglias ? Rhythm Devine
The dog episode is a straight lift from ?Meet the Parents?
The ?Gundu Soodi in tea? episode was last seen in Bharateeyudu.
These are only some of the points. I wish I had a notebook with me in the theatre.
Alright I am nit-picking. Manmadhudu had raised my expectations to a new high which even Edmund Hillary would find difficult to achieve. Seen from a Pre-Manmadhudu view, the movie is a clean family entertainer. Don?t miss it.
Platy.
However it is not in the same league as Manmadhudu. Also the movie seems to be ?inspired? by a lot of things? Which effectively bring down its intrinsic value. For instance: 1. Malliswari title song is ?inspired by? BeeGees ? Stayin? Alive 2. The very first song with Gajala is ?inspired by? Enrique Iglias ? Rhythm Devine 3. The dog episode is a straight lift from a Hollywood movie. Don’t remember the name though. 4. The ?Gundu Soodi in tea? episode was last seen in Bharateeyudu. These are only some of the points. I wish I had a notebook with me in the theatre.
Alright I am nit-picking. Manmadhudu had raised my expectations to a new high which even Edmund Hillary would find difficult to achieve. Seen from a Pre-Manmadhudu view, the movie is a clean family entertainer. Don?t miss it.