Guntur Kaaram movie review: Mahesh Babu tries hard, but Trivikram prevents us from screaming ‘Jai Babu’ – The Indian Express
Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram serves as definitive proof that in-form Mahesh Babu can hold us hooked to a 159-minute film with out feeling fatigued. Okay, that sounds deceptive; let’s rephrase… Mahesh Babu, in top-notch type, is the only redeeming think about Trivikram’s unnecessarily stretched Guntur Kaaram, stopping it from changing into a tedious watch. Yep, that sounds extra correct.
The most important and most anticipated movie of this Sankranti/Pongal season, Guntur Kaaram is mainly a celebration of Tollywood’s celebrity and the whole lot related together with his stardom. Trivikram retains Mahesh Babu entrance and centre, by no means giving the viewers an opportunity to overlook him.
The movie begins with a flashback, unveiling a darkish chapter from Ramana’s (Mahesh Babu) childhood, costing him each his father Satyam (Jayaram) and mom Vasundhara (Ramya Krishnan): his father is jailed for homicide and his mom abandons him. Whereas Ramana grows up together with his paternal household in Guntur, his mom returns to Hyderabad, enters politics on the behest of her father Venkata Swamy (Prakash Raj), and ultimately turns into the Regulation Minister.
As years go, Ramana, now entrenched within the chilli enterprise, manages a large warehouse in Guntur. Satyam, having served his sentence, stays confined to his room with minimal contact with the skin world. In the meantime, Vasundhara’s household seeks Ramana’s signature on an settlement, severing all ties together with his mom. This transfer is meant to strip him of his authorized inheritor standing, permitting Vasundhara’s son from her second marriage to inherit her political legacy. Regardless of Vasundhara’s chilly strategy in direction of him, Ramana stays resolute in searching for a proof for her abandonment. Venkata Swamy, in the meantime, employs varied ways to maintain Vasundhara and Ramana aside, however he refuses to again off.
Watch Guntur Kaaram trailer right here:
Trivikram wastes no time delivering what audiences got here for – Mahesh Babu! He’s launched quickly after the movie begins, however solely in a mildly satisfying method. The movie is peppered with moments designed to incite cries of ‘Jai Babu’ from followers of Mahesh Babu. Whereas the intention is there, Trivikram fails to make sure that these moments ship a cinematic excessive. It’s only Babu’s commanding presence and his signature fashion that constantly elevate the scenes. Trivikram’s writing disappoints within the supposedly mass moments, failing to offer the anticipated adrenaline rush to the audiences.
Quickly, it turns into obvious that Mahesh Babu is the one spice in an in any other case bland and cliched Guntur Kaaram. At varied factors, Guntur Kaaram even evokes a way of déjà vu from the director’s earlier blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), significantly when delving into the dynamics between the mom and her son. It virtually feels as if Trivikram determined to create a brand new movie utilizing components that had been omitted or couldn’t be included in AVPL.
Babu’s close-up, Babu’s mid-shot; repeat: the movie principally consists of simply this, which could be seen as a strategic determination given the dearth of substance in its narrative. The subplots, flashbacks, and scenes involving supporting characters spotlight the vacancy in Guntur Kaaram’s story.
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Just like many latest mass movies, Guntur Kaaram additionally options the celebrity paying homage to his earlier blockbusters by dialogues and songs. Nonetheless, the overt use of this technique by filmmakers has turned it right into a temper dampener and the Babu movie isn’t any exception.
Whereas Trivikram has added some nuances to the character of Ramana, differentiating him barely from typical mass film heroes, the movie gives the look that the director addresses these elements solely sporadically. For example, the revelation of Ramana’s imaginative and prescient impairment in his left eye is launched early on however is just revisited throughout particular scenes the place the hero stylishly asks others to maneuver to the appropriate in order that he can see them correctly, harking back to Vishnuvardhan’s Nagamanikya in Bellary Naga (2009), a remake of Mammootty’s Rajamanikyam (2005).
The one impactful second in Guntur Kaaram happens in direction of the top when Ramana engages in an emotional dialog together with his mom, evoking a way of pleasure for the audiences as they witness Babu, who skilled the lack of his father, mom and brother in 2022, share a heat second together with his on-screen household.
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Together with Ramana, all characters in Guntur Kaaram are poorly developed, missing depth and substance. Ramana’s feelings are inadequately explored, whereas Vasundhara comes throughout as a spinoff mix of Tabu’s Yasoda in AVPL and Ramya’s Rajamatha Sivagami Devi within the Baahubali franchise, relatively than a singular character. The ensemble, from Satyam and Venkata Swamy to Ramana’s aunt Bujji (Easwari Rao) and cousin Raji (Meenakshi Chaudhary), fails to make a long-lasting impression, resembling typical characters seen in mass motion movies.
The feminine lead, Amutya (Sreeleela), Ramana’s love curiosity, is essentially the most poorly developed character, and decreased to nothing greater than a handsome lady for the hero to objectify often, all below the guise of affection. A typical Manic Pixie Dream Lady, their romance too turns into more and more irksome as the 2 lack on-screen chemistry. It’s value noting {that a} 22-year-old Sreeleela is made to romance a 48-year-old Mahesh Babu right here, including an ungainly dimension to their on-screen relationship. The dialogues, exchanged between them or with others, additionally sound synthetic. Not one of the actors manages to depart a long-lasting impression both with their performances.
Whereas the title itself conveys that the film is as pink as Guntur chillies, the extra efforts by Trivikram and colourist Glen Castinho to infuse pink and brown tones into practically each body have backfired, leading to a monotonous visible palette, disrupting a seamless viewing expertise. Manoj Paramahamsa’s cinematography additionally falls in need of expectations and Navin Nooli’s enhancing does little to boost the movie.
Though Thaman S’ songs are a delight, his background rating, whereas highly effective, appears considerably disconnected from the visuals and narrative, significantly within the extra intense moments. A notable occasion happens in direction of the interval, the place an emotionally charged scene is marred by a totally mismatched BGM, undermining the movie’s try at a compelling interval punch. VJ Sekhar’s choreography can also be disappointing, although not as a lot as Ram-Lakshman and Vijay’s stunt choreography as virtually all motion sequences seem half-cooked, failing to resonate with the audiences.
Guntur Kaaram film forged: Mahesh Babu, Sreeleela, Ramya Krishnan, Jayaram, Prakash Raj
Guntur Kaaram film director: Trivikram Srinivas
Guntur Kaaram film score: 2 stars
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