Years ago, when I was a small kid my mother took me a movie called “Kumkuma Tilakam”. It was third degree Chinese torture. By the time the movie ended I was a cooked vegetable - lifeless, sad and disinterested. It took me quite a while to get back to normalcy.
Since then, I have been trying to see another movie which beats this experience. Yesterday my wishes were answered quite strongly. I was excited to finally give Kumkuma Tilakam a break. The dubious distinction of being the worst movie I have seen so far goes to “Subhash Chandra Bose” – The Return of Bose.
K Raghavendra Rao directs this 101st movie of his as if he is directing a D grade TV serial. Either he had had a nasty altercation with someone before he entered the sets or he simply wasn’t interested. I would like to give him the benefit of doubt and assume it is the latter rather than the former.
How else would you expect the following glaring direction faults from a veteran director who has handled literally a ton of movies?
Someone has already posted it in this forum. The pre-independence national flag didn’t have the Chakra.
Tom Alter, the Governor, watches a caravan of Indians using a telescope. (The monoscope). The scene then changes to what he is watching. It is shown as if he is watching through a pair of binoculars. Again the scene cuts back to Tom Alter with his monoscope.
Gulshan Grover did a good job as the British Royal Pig but Gulshan Grover did not suit the role at all. Miscast completely. So is Prakash Raj as an 80 year old.
In one scene, Venkatesh fires a gun (A rifle it is which needs to be loaded after every shot), two bullets travel side by side and kill two British soldiers.
The water tank scene was the most hilarious scene of the movie. It is as if we were watching a very badly mutilated print of Maya Bazaar.
The graphics – I don’t want to disrespect our Darshankendrulu Garu but Ten Commandments or even One Million Years BC which was shot in 1930’s had better graphics. Why compare with Hollywood? Our own Maya Bazaar had better visuals. Rubbing salt on the wound is the statement from the makers – “We’ve spared no dollar in making this movie.”
The movie had a look and feel everyone had forgotten since the 1980’s. The climax shot of blowing up the bridge was indeed the point of fatigue for most people watching this meaningless piece of garbage in the theatre. Half the theatre was empty by the time the last song finished and half of the remaining half ran out screaming after the bridge scene.
Alright. Let us leave the poor director alone. I have a question to the man I respect a lot. Mr. Venkatesh, have you even read the script before signing the film? Reincarnation? And one glance at Prakash Raj brings back all those memories complete with a sensuous but misplaced song with a scantily clad Shriya?
Period movies need to be handled carefully. It was pathetic to watch the tomfoolery on the screen disguised as National Pride, Freedom Fighting… The movie fails to touch the hearts… fails to chug the viewers along with it. The viewers laugh at the movie… Even the supposedly serious confrontation scene between Gulshan Grover and Venkatesh was met with cat calls and “Challe Pora Babu”s.
The movie was cheap, rotten with bad acting, bad direction, bad screenplay, bad editing – To sum it up it was a bad idea.
After Gharshana which was a visual and technical feast with a gripping screenplay and Sankranthi which managed to penetrate into the depths of the viewer’s mind, Subhash Chandra Bose comes as a rude shock… Our Darshakendrudu should quit movies right away or confine himself to his forte – Family dramas.
There was a discussion some days back on one of the discussion boards: Comparison between Bollywood and Telugu Movie Industry. Friends, as long as movies like this are churned out there is bound to be no comparison at all. Look at how “The Legend of Bhagat Singh” was shot. Why go that far! Loot at how our own “Alluri Seeta Rama Raju” was shot. These movies transport the viewer in time to the period they are discussing. That is the art of directing period movies. KRR seems to have lost it all these days. He has delivered a flimsy product. And it was not expected of him.
It was a pitiable situation for most viewers in Pilot theatre of Chennai this Saturday. Sat next to me was Mallikarjun – the singer who breathed life into “Killi killi” song of Gudumba Shankar. Even he was seen shaking his head in disbelief at times.
Somebody reimburse me my hard earned 500 rupees spent on this trash.
I am a huge fan of Venkatesh. However this time it is clear that he erred big time. I hope he takes this as a learning experience and comes up with sensible fare in future. Give us a well made flop like Dharma Chakram – We will accept it. But don’t give us trash like this. We know you can do better than this.
All Venkatesh fans: I know you are going to target me now. I don’t care. My intention is not to malign Venkatesh or KRR. I have no ulterior motives in criticizing this movie and I belong to no one’s camp in particular though I am a fan of Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Venkatesh and Ravi Teja.
Cinema ku raanu raanu antey Venkatesh movie – chaala baaguntundi ani oppinchi teesukellaanu ee cinema ki.
థూ ... జీవితం.