Srinivasa Mangapuram, produced by P Kiran and presented by C Ashwini Dutt, was released in theatres today.
Plot:
Seenu (Jai Krishna) is a carefree young man living in the temple town of Tirupati. He falls in love with Manga (Rasha Thadani), a spirited village girl and daughter of a powerful power-wielder named Peddi Reddy (Kick Shaam). Their romance begins as a simple, joyful love story set against a rural backdrop. Their lives are disrupted when powerful local forces, family rivalries, and violent conflicts threaten to separate them. As the stakes rise, Seenu transforms from an easy-going youngster into someone willing to fight anyone to protect Manga and their future together. Meanwhile, Venkatappa Naidu (Dr. Mohan Babu), a Sarkar-type figure from Bellary, is waiting in the wings.
Post-Mortem:
Director Ajay Bhupathi has a way with twists. His debut, RX 100, planted easter eggs and red herrings with real craft. His third film, Mangalavaaram, was excruciatingly slow, but its reveals respected the audience's intelligence. His latest, though, feels closer in spirit to his second film, Maha Samudram; both are stories where life circumstances play spoilsport to romance. And like Maha Samudram, Srinivasa Mangapuram is also light on big reveals.
For a debutant, Jai Krishna (Mahesh Babu's nephew) couldn't have asked for better songs. GV Prakash Kumar's melodies are top-notch. In a long time, romantic songs and duets haven't felt this fresh. Vyjayanthi Movies must have played a role in this. Do reputed production houses keep the best tunes reserved by paying the composer a large advance? We wouldn't know. But these banners know a thing or two on how to get the best tunes. Rasha Thadani is ordinary to begin with, but she shows conviction as the story progresses.
Dr Mohan Babu's character enters the screen only in the second half. With no memorable characterization, or arresting story moments, there is nothing much to be had from him. VK Naresh, as a loser fellow named Swatantra Babu, is okay. Brahmaji, as singer Balu, is comical here and there. Ajay plays a negative part. Vasuki Anand and others have ordinary roles.
The film is essentially a love story, with the action part relegated to a secondary role. The only time the love track comes across as non-sterile is during the songs. This is despite the love story being fairly conversational. The crests and troughs of the romantic track would have seemed impressive with better drama. To be fair to the film, many scenes that felt painfully derivative in the first half make sense in the second half. But the consolation is fleeting, for the trigger behind those scenes itself is not an original idea.
The character played by Ajay, again, is too generic. Kick Shaam's Peddi Reddy is etched in a boring way; in one scene, he seems to be overly protective of his daughter, while in another, he is letting her commute by public transport despite being a millionaire.
On the upside, many scenes that unfold in the first half seem like they were shot in actual locations. The sound design in some of the scenes is superior as well. Jayakrishna Gummadi's cinematography is befitting. Sahi Suresh's production design is average.
Closing Remarks:
While the film benefits from strong songs and authentic visuals, its predictable conflicts, underwritten antagonist, and lack of compelling dramatic highs prevent it from leaving a lasting impact.
