Baadshah (Dir. Srinu Vaitla)

  Baadshah hit the theaters in Minneapolis with a bang. I am used to watching Telugu movies at a discount theater, but recently (first with Prabhas' Mirchi) the promoters have made an effort to show Telugu films here at a first run theater. They even had Baadshah's premier show at the biggest screen Carmike's Big D Digital screen. It was AWESOME! So wonderful for me to see my favorite hero on a huge screen with excellent sound for a change. Thank you TeluguVinodam for bringing Telugu films to a theater they deserve.

First let me remind my readers that Jr. NTR is my Favorite amongst favorites. And I have to also qualify my review with the fact that I do not understand Telugu so while I can usually figure out the plot quite well, I miss alot of the humour, especially Srinu Vaitla's dialog heavy humour. So for Baadshah I can only comment on the visuals and can't really give an account of the humour except that judging by the audience reaction it really really worked. I saw the movie twice so far and both times the audience was howling with laughter throughout the movie especially the second half.

The story follows Tarak as Baadshah, an underworld Don who is seaking revenge on Saddhu Bhai played by Kelly Dorji. Through a flashback in the first half (introduced in a voice over by Mahesh Babu) we find out the relationship between Saddhu Bhai and Baadshah, Baadshah is set up as a rival don to Saddhu Bhai. Sadhu Bhai then kidnaps Baadshah's father played by Mukesh Rishi and kills a close family friend played by Adhitya. Baadshah hatches a plan that will disrupt Sadhu Bhais plans for terror attacks throughout India and exact the revenge he wants. The plan involves Janaki played by Kajol. Janaki is the daughter of the police commissioner of Hyderabad played by Nasser..

The second half brings the story back to Hyderabad where Nasser runs his  household like a bootcamp. Enter Brahmanandam a hapless ne're do well member of the joint family. Tarak posing as a wedding planner convinces Brahamandam that he is in a dream and gets him to finally exert himself within his family and job as an IPS officer, The results are hysterical, like I said judging by the audience reaction the comedy really works. Tarak uses Brahmandam to help foil the evil plot of Sadhu Bhai while also disrupting Janaki's arranged marriage to a crooked cop, played by Navdeep. Another flashback in the second half involving a cameo by Siddharth reveals the real reason Tarak is going after Saddhu Bhai.

I am not a huge Kajal fan but I really liked her in this. She was cute and got lots of laughs especially in the first half.  Her character remained relevant throughout the film so the usual disappearance of the heroine did not happen.

The action in the film was well done. Tarak is always very good at fight sequences. The editing of the fights was done really well so it was easy for the eye to follow.  I couple of the fights had some fun moments, the kind of humour I like in Tollywood fights. For example, once he bent a guys leg around and grabbed his shoe and beaned a guy in the head with it. And he made someone pass out just by glaring at him.  I just love stuff like that.  The only draw back to the fights was when he was shooting during the interval bang and the climax fight, he was able to shoot almost everybody by walking strait at them. Nobody seemed to get a shot off back at him.  I think it would have been more thrilling if he had to duck and jump behind things to avoid getting shot. Over all the action was well executed.

The best part for me though was the songs. Tarak finally got some interesting choreography. His last couple of movies it seemed like the choreography had gone abit stale. The music by Thaman is great. All the songs are upbeat and allowed for some very energetic dancing by Tarak. My favorites were Sairo Sairo, Banthi Poola Janaki, and Rangoli Rangoli.  The Item Welcome Konakam and Diamond Girl were also good fun.  The Title song Baadshah was alittle too reminiscent of Shah Rukh Khan's Don in how it was picturized, but I think that was intentional.

I have to say I am a huge fan of Tarak's curls so I was very unsure of his hair getting straitened out.  But he looked fabulous. His styling was very well done and he looked trim and fit. Very pleasing to the eye. His performance was great, you can tell he puts all his energy and focus into every scene. He has such a presence it is hard for me to notice anything else the first time I watch his movies.

The supporting cast included Ashish Vidyarthi, Tanikella Bharani, Suhasini and Pradeep Rawat. M.S. Narayan plays a director in a funny send up of Ram Gopal Varma in the first half. Ajay also shows up but his part is too small. I can always use more Ajay in a movie.

 

Baadshah is well on its way to being a super hit for Tarak. It is already closing in on a million dollars in sales in the overseas market. I will do my part and try and see it one more time this weekend. All in all a great masala entertainer. It was so great to finally see a Telugu film in a top-notch theater. The only thing that would have improved the experience would be subtitles and samosas. I can't wait for a subtitled DVD so I can laugh along with everyone else.

 

Brindaavanam (2010) dir. Vamsi Paidapally

I won't be able to explain exactly how excited I was to finally see my favorite Tollywood hero on the big screen,  let me just say that for me personally, Endhiran and Khaleja were fabulous opening acts for what has turned out to be a superfantastic (yes that is one word) October.
I saw Brindaavanam in a very packed theater (the most I've seen in the theater and lining up for the later show since Om Shanti Om). Since I was going to be seeing a movie without subtitles, I did my usual peeking at reviews so I can get an idea of the basic story going in, so I knew that the first 15 minutes would have a fight and a song. I had my friend Marcia with me who is a newbie to Tollywood and had become a huge Jr. NTR fan after only one viewing of Yamadonga and some dance videos. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the Hero Introduction and it was so cool to see the theater erupt and Marcia almost fall out of her chair. (I of course remained quite composed, I am from Minnesota after all) Ha-Ha! Such fun!

Jr. NTR plays Krish, a millionaire's son, who has a girlfriend Indhu, played by Samantha. She tells him about her friend Bhoomi, played by Kajal who needs help getting  out of an arranged marriage. Prakash Raj plays Bhoomi's Dad. He is wonderfull as the stern Father. He has lots of stoney stares and glares. I wasn't able to figure out why the heck he would push Bhoomi into an arranged marriage with the evil looking goonda played by Ajay, I mean couldn't he tell by looking at him he was bad news? Anyway Indhu convinces Krish to pretend to be Bhoomi's boyfriend in order to help her get out of her predicament. While traveling with her to her rural home (named Brindaavanam)she fills him in on her family which seems to be a very miserable and dysfunctional bunch. Once Krish arrives he is able to win them all over and resolve some of their problems. The supporting cast is excellent and features what seems like almost all the main supporting stars of Telugu films.

Kota Srinavasa Rao plays Bhoomi's grandfather, he tells Krish about his other son played by Srihari. It seems Prakash Raj and Srihari are step brothers who have been feuding for a long time. Someone in the theater was kind enough to tell me the feud was over a lack of respect exhibited at a wedding, not sure whose, maybe Srihari's. When the grandpa leaves to visit his other son Krish goes along.
     Srihari was great! Seemed like all his dialogs started with "Rey!" and were said in an echo chamber. (I just love the Tollywood sound effects during fights and speeches and funny moments. Such a wonderfull part of the ride, puts a smile right on my face!) Krish manages to bring the two Brothers together and Prakash Raj is happy now to let Bhoomi marry Krish. A bit of a problem because Indhu is really Krish's girlfriend. Not only that but it turns out Indhu is Srihari's daughter. Indhu comes up with another plan to play along with the engagement by bringing in  Brahmanandam in as a pretend Father for Krish. At the same time Srihari finds out Indhu has a boyfriend and  brings Krish's real parents to Brindaavanam.
       The rest of the film is a series of comical escapades as they try to keep the charade going. The audience was in stitches during the scenes between Tarak and Venu Madhav and Tarak and Brahmi. Brahmi's entrance caused almost as many cheers and whistles as Tarak's entrance. I enjoyed Venu more I think primarily because his comedy scenes were much more physical and so the lack of subs didn't deminish my enjoyment of him.

    Samantha and Kajal did fine with their respective roles. I liked Samantha's charactor better maybe because I think she is a better actress. It's not an easy task to keep up with Tarak, and I have to confess I was mostly watching him, but I thought they both did an excellent job in the dances.

The movie's climax had Krish confessing to Srihari and Prakash about his deceit. That doesn't go over very well, but then Bhoomi needs rescueing so when Krish saves her all are happy again. In the end Krish has to decide who to marry and like in Simhadri it is implied he ends up with both. 

Brindaavanam can really be summed up in one word: Tarakariffic! (Hee-hee I made that one up!) Tarak was his usual awesome self. The audience cheered during his dialogs, especially the Racha Racha speech (not me though I *ahem* remained quiet and ladylike throughout) The fights were great! I loved some of the funny details like when he wrapped his fist in the towel and helped all the rowdies he pounded land on the ground quietly so he could sneak up on more of them. I loved the tree breaking apart and cutting the other tree in half during the climax fight. The variety of looks on his face when he was in Brindaavanam trying to keep his charade going were priceless. His dialog delivery was fun to watch. I can't wait for the dvd to get the full benefit of the comedy and the emotional scenes. 

The music by S.S. Thaman is very good and Tarak's dancing proved once again that he is the best. There aren't video clips sufficiently long enough to post the songs, so that will have to wait for the review with screencaps I'll probably do whenever the dvd with subs comes out.   I loved Yuvakula, the first song picturisation right after the Hero Intro scenes. What a great way to start the movie! I also loved the the picturizations for Eyi Raja and Chinnadho. In all the songs I was really glad they weren't over edited. I hate it when there are too many cuts like in Adhurs. It takes away from the enjoyment of just watching the man move.

All in all Brindaavanam had everything I love about Tollywood movies. It was definetly worth seeing in the theater even without subtitles. But for me I think the hero made it Tarakariffic!

Rajamouli Magic

    S.S. Rajamouli is Tollywood's director with the Midas Touch.  He has a 100% success rate with his seven releases. All have been hits, with his  last couple (Yamadonga, Maghadeera) out doing each other and all other releases at the box office.  He is my favorite director and will remain there until someone makes a movie that unseats Yamadonga as my most treasured film.
    With his next release (Maryada Ramanna)just around the corner I decided to finish out his body of work and watched the last two Rajamouli films I had left, Sye and Vikramarkudu. Each of his films deserve a review/post of their own so I won't review each now.  Instead I will briefly write what stands out for me about each film, some of which I watched months ago. I tried to rank them but gave up after getting too many tied for 2nd and 3rd place, so I will just discuss in the order released.

Student #1 (2001) This was Jr. NTR's first hit.  I watched it on a DVD without subtitles. Even without subs I was able to follow the plot. This is one of only two Rajamouli films that has made me tear-up. I am a complete sap for Heroes crying about their Moms. The scene when Aditya's Mom is coming to visit him in jail and  her husband stops her? That scene killed me, I was a sobbing mess.  I'd say Rajamouli did an excellent job of conveying the  emotions in that scene, if I could be so moved without being able to follow the dialog. If anyone knows of a version that has subs PLEASE let me know!

Simhadri (2003) Another Jr. NTR starrer.  I just watched this last week on DVD that was supposed to have subs, but didn't. (yeah I'm frustrated) I loved the music and dancing in this one and Rahul Dev's demise as the bad guy stands out as particularly spectacular. I missed out on the comedy and sentiment in this one I think, because of the lack of subs.

Sye (2004) This was my first Nitin film- what a cutie-pie!  I would say very different from Rajamouli's previous two. This one is more a campus rivalry than a revenge flick.  The shots of the Rugby game are very exciting. The game didn't seem staged like a lot of sports flick can be. And another stand out is Genelia's dancing. I never thought she could dance very well untill I saw this one.

Chatrapathi (2005)  This was the first Rajamouli movie I saw. What is most memorable for me in this one is the fights. Prabhas kicked-ass in this.  He fought a CGI shark and folded someone in half. It was gloriously over the top. And his brother (played by Shafi)  was a very memorable villain. Plus the Mom scenes. This is the other Rajamouli flick that made me cry.

Vikramarkudu (2006) The Hero in this one is Ravi Teja. Ravi plays a double role as a thief and a police officer. I loved the cute little girl and the villains in this. Ajay as a dacoit seemed like a giant. Once again the music and the song picturizations stand out.

Yamadonga (2007) I love this film. It's as close to perfection as a film can get. Perfect cast from Jr. NTR to Mohan Babu, Priyamani and Mamta. Brahmi and the other comics were used very well.  The fights were wonderfully choreographed and executed. The Music and dancing spellbinding (with Tarak how could it not be?) The story was sweet, funny and exciting. What's not to love?

Maghadeera (2009) This film has opened the doors to the thrill ride that is Tollywood to alot of non-desi Bollywood fans.  I get the sense from blogs and forums that Magadheera has been an eye-opener for alot of Indian movie fans who have never strayed South of Mumbai.  Ram Charan Teja does really well with the action and dancing in this his, second film. I loved  Chiru's cameo, Sri Hari's supporting role and Kajal was beautiful in both present day and past scenes. Great action and a superbly evil villain. Let me also add that Ram Charan has beautiful hair, I'm totally jealous. (He should keep it long. Seriously.)

    So what is behind the Rajamouli magic? Whoever helps him cast his movies should get a raise. The Heroes and Heroines and supporting cast are perfectly chosen.   All of these movies have well put together stories. The majority of them written by Vijayendra Prasad, who happens to be Rajamouli's father. I particularly like how the comedy tracks are so well integrated into the story, something that is often not the case in Telugu films.  The music is memorable and composed by  M.M. Keeravani,  I believe he is Rajamouli's cousin. The set design has improved and gotten more impressive with each film.

    Maryada Ramanna is releasing next week.  It has comic actor Sunil in his second outing as Hero. This film is supposed to be different than Rajamouli's others.  According to his tweets about the film it is less "vulgar and violent" than his previous films. If that is the case then choosing Sunil as the Hero makes sense as he usually plays sweet, funny, sidekick type roles. This short trailer highlights how different from the typical Rajamouli Hero Sunil will be.

    The only concern I have about the film is whether it will have subtitles on it's overseas prints. I have been pestering Rajamouli on his Twitter and Facebook pages and the producer Shobu Yarlagadda on his Twitter account to include subtitles for us non-Telugu speaking fans. I have gotten "we'll try" responses from both of them. It is time for SI films to have them. Magadheera has opened the doors to SI films for alot of non-desi Bollywood fans I think. It would be a shame not to draw more in with the aid of subtitles. I got my fingers crossed, I'll go first day first show regardless - I hate waiting for DVDs and missing out on the big screen experience.

   So the big question is (well besides whether it will have subs or not) will the Rajamouli magic continue and have Maryada Ramanna give him another hit and his fans another wonderful ride? I can't wait to find out!