Mister Middle Class, produced by GK and Chandhu Noothi, was released in theatres today.
Plot:
Venkata Ramana (Srikanth Meka), a devoted middle-class family man, sees his life spiral out of control after his ambitious restaurant venture fails. Crushed by mounting debts, family responsibilities, and losing his job, he lashes out at Lord Venkateswara (Rajendra Prasad) in despair. Moved by his plight, the deity appears and attempts to make his situation better. A series of mistakes squanders away God's intervention. Finally, a second boon arrives and this time, it's going to alter Venkata Rama's thinking itself. Will this divine gift rescue him from ruin? What are its conditionalities? That's what the second half is all about.
Post-Mortem:
The relevance of actress Laya (as the lead man's wife) and character artist Muralidhar Goud (as the father) to this film can't be overlooked. They are the only faces making sure we believe that the film was made in a recent year and not in a recent decade. Otherwise, who is making a fantasy comedy with a jovial God at the centre? Didn't Kantara and HanuMan practically end that kind of framing? Who is casting Ali as a doctor who gets to check the non-existent genital of a male person in the presence of a fair-skinned horny nurse? Who is casting the ageing comedian Babu Mohan in a character that tries too hard to make us laugh? Who in 2026 is casting Apoorva in the role of a housewife making those suggestive glances? Who is casting '30 Years' Prudhviraj in a regular role even after Tamil cinema has rediscovered him in a brilliantly complex role in Vikram's Veera Dhoora Sooran. Only a veteran Tollywood director does all of this with limitless self-confidence. He is G Nageswar Reddy garu, the most favourite director of dialogue writer Diamond Ratna Babu, who might be the most favourite writer of G Nageswar Reddy.
Mister Middle Class has this outdated understanding of how to portray the vulnerability of a 'madhya tharagathi' hubby mired in debts. Srikanth looks too handsome for the role; this becomes evident in the one scene where he, now a security guard guarding a Venkateswara Swamy Temple, complains about his life. He barely looks like he has been in a sorry situation. And his reactions in the presence of Rajendra Prasad's God character are confusing: he is too blinded by the extraordinariness of the situation? Or, does his self-image of being a great devotee make him believe that he always knew he deserved God's appearance before him in flesh and blood? People react more authentically in dreams than how Venkata Ramana behaves after the first cosmic event in his life.
To be fair, the male lead's characterization does have a takeaway. His life is a cautionary tale. He became over-ambitious and burnt his fingers. As someone who is brainwashed into believing that everything is willed by God, he doesn't know he must own up to his own blunders.
But then, such sparks are one or two in this overlong, philosophically dry film. Right after Venkata Raman's first tryst with God, he becomes unhinged. And it's not because he is unable to handle the higher energy now present in his life. His clash with the police department is an act of impulsiveness rather than the aftermath of an extraordinary event. Every now and then, God is paid a mechanical or pseudo-philosophical homage: "Your ways are unfathomable, O Lord!"
The dialogues are contemporary: the dialogue writer flaunts his immense understanding of current affairs when he makes a character use the word 'Gpay' thrice in the first 10 minutes. He is also aware of "Red Book" too. Such a researcher, we tell you!
In the age of the Anil Ravipudi variety of comedy, Mister Middle Class is a wasted opportunity. The wife, the hospital-loving father, the sister and her husband could have made for a decent time pass watch. Vennela Kishore's auto driver character and Sunil's presence are dull.
Closing Remarks:
Despite a relatable middle-class premise and a potentially engaging divine fantasy, Mister Middle Class is weighed down by outdated comedy, old-fashioned writing, inconsistent characterization, and an overstretched narrative.
