Late by 20 years
'Sridevi Shoban Babu', produced by Vishnu Prasad and Sushmitha Konidela, was released in theatres on Saturday. Let's do a post-mortem of the latest release.
Plot:
Sridevi (Gouri K Kishan) is a budding costume designer whose creative urges take her to Araku, where she meets her 'bava' Shoban Babu (Santosh Shoban) either by design or by accident. What begins as a childish fight over a property soon blossoms into a potentially full-blown love affair. But there is a catch. Sridevi's father (Naga Babu) and Shoban's mother (Rohini) are estranged siblings. What is the reason for the quarrel between the siblings? Will it affect the future of the young lovers once and for all?
Post-Mortem:
The film's initial portions mirror a low-end, budget-constrained female-centric film. Gouri Kishan's character is introduced as a comically brash youngster who takes on an able-bodied male person outside a theatre playing 'Waltair Veerayya'. We soon learn that, at home, she pretends to be a coy and shy daughter of a possessive and protective father.
On the other hand, Santosh Shoban is introduced as a small-town, jobless guy whose only aim is to give the next biggest kind-hearted person in the town a run for the money. His intro happens late - after a backstory narrated by Naga Babu's character in the dullest possible manner. This is no hero-centric film, you see.
Once the action shifts to Araku, the film relies solely on a comedy that is two decades late to the big screen. A small-time comedian tries to hoodwink the heroine, who in turn comes up with a cheating trick even kids won't fall for. Then there is a track involving the heroine and her female roomie, whose weakness for horror movies puts her and the audience in a soup. The comedy track is so basic that even TV serials have got better screenplay ideas these days.
By and by, the film's inability to present even half-decent visuals tests your patience. A character says, "Mana budget inthe!" Yes, we agree!
On the plus side, at least one major character is not entirely black and white. But the film's failure to ooze small-town charm makes it a perennial wannabe. In recent times, only a couple of village-based family dramas have worked. 'Shatamanam Bhavati' was one such film. In a way, Shoban Babu and Sharwanand's character from that film bear some similarities. They value familial ties over material comforts. Such a character deserved a script that goes beyond scratching the surface.
Gouri Kishan of '96' fame is okayish. Santosh Shoban is dragged down by an elementary script. Naga Babu was seemingly forced to do the film; he shows little interest if any. Rohini is one artist who actually looks involved.
Closing Remarks:
'Sridevi Shoban Babu' should have got the grace of a Sridevi and the handsomeness of a Shoban Babu. Instead, it has got a screenplay that visits the cinemas twenty years late.
