'Hero' is the latest box office release in the town. Let's find out its hits and misses.
Story
Arjun is badly itching to become a cinema hero. He is in search of suitable film offers. Much to his shock, he receives a pistol as a parcel one fateful night. Days later, he receives the photograph of his girlfriend's father as another parcel. He is threatened by a mystery character to eliminate the girlfriend's father. The rest of the film is about how Arjun ended up in a soup and how he comes out of it.
Performances
In recent years, newcomers like Vaisshnav Tej, Kartikeya and Akash Puri have charted their own paths. It was interesting to see which path Ashok Galla, someone who comes from Superstar Krishna and Mahesh Babu's family, would choose. He has picked a well-crafty comedy hero's role as a debutant. He gets into various looks and dances well.
More than Nidhhi Agerwal (who is passable), Jagapathi Babu and a few other male characters receive more importance in the story. Jaggu Bhai is not in the 'Peddanna' mould and definitely not in the 'Republic'/'Tuck Jagadish' territory here. He is measured. Senior Naresh and Archana Soundarya (who plays his wife) are reasonably good. Vennela Kishore makes even ordinary moments stand out. Satya's comedy could have been better. Brahmaji and others have small parts.
Technical aspects
A commercial entertainer like this needed healthy visuals and the two cinematographers (Sameer Reddy and Richard Prasad) complement each other. A Ramanjaneyulu's art direction and Prawin Pudi's adept editing enhance the visual appeal of the movie.
Considering that Ghibran has done BGM for a movie like 'Saaho', he knows how to animate elevation moments. The songs are meant for single screens.
Analysis
'Hero' would have been a boring murder mystery or a routine crime comedy in the hands of an inferior writing department. In the hands of Sriram Adittya of 'Bhale Manchi Roju', it becomes a genre-bender.
The film takes off as a comedy entertainer involving a reckless youngster, his comical friend and his exaggerated parents. A lecherous cop gets his comeuppance and from hereon, the trajectory of the story undergoes a change. There is a backstory involving a key character and his tryst with the mafia in Mumbai.
A minus is that the film doesn't know how to make us root for any single character. After a point, the male protagonist is sidelined in the second half. Of course, he does make a roaring comeback in a fun-filled climax. But since Ashok Galla's character doesn't show coherence in a perfect way.
The film works only if you are prepared to enjoy spoofs and laughable dons. Otherwise, you may not appreciate the writing.
Closing Remarks
'Hero' is a well-executed film. It has some writing flaws but the style quotient takes care of many things.
