BOTTOM LINE
Lifeless depiction of emotions.
OUR RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
‘U’ Certified, 156 mins.
What is the film about?
To put it frankly it’s very hard to tell. Where do we begin? It’s a celebration everyday in a family that looks happy on surface. One day all the hate beneath the surface comes out courtesy of one person and it leads to an unfortunate incident. How the son following the footsteps of father brings the family together and makes them really happy is what the film about.
How is Mahesh babu’s performance?
Generally in some of the really bad films too Superstar Mahesh Babu shines however this is not that film. It is not because he has performed poorly but because his character has been etched poorly. Even then one could shine if there are moments that connect audience to the character or if there are scenes that put the natural flair of the actor on display. Nothing of this sort happens in Brahmotsavam. There are only couple of scenes that could be mentioned in the context of performance but he has done infinitely better in past.
Direction By Srikanth Addala?
Srikanth Addala undoubtedly has to be blamed for the way the film has turned out. Agreed, he had noble intentions but even they need to be properly presented to have an impact. The biggest problem with the film is that it is completely in contrast to what it wants to convey on narrative level. It wants to bring out the true emotions, showcase the family bonding and so on but what unravels on screens is as fake and lifeless as it can get. Despite the overflowing display of emotions in literally each and every scene it is never felt as a viewer.
First half of the film happens entirely among the family members. They cook together, dine together, dance together and work together. However at no point is the warmth of the family felt. Part of it is due to the dialogues that don’t feel natural but more than that the space that these characters live in never looks real. It’s like the actors are walking in and out of sets doing their parts mechanically rather than family members living together. Every scene that showcases Vijayawada, for example, looks tacky and automatically disconnects from proceedings.
Add to these problems the completely unappealing and boring way the love track is handled between the lead pair, once between Mahesh Babu and Kajal and then between Samantha and Mahesh Babu. Compared to the former the latter has few fine moments in second half but the absolute lack of story hurts it in second half. One is supposed to shed a tear or two when the characters of Mahesh Babu and Vennela Kishore separate or when the main lead discovers love but that never happens. Climax has good performances but feels underwhelming after all that has preceded before. In the end Brahmotsavam is a beautiful portrait that is completely lifeless.
Samantha, Kajal and others?
Kajal and Samantha have good characters that definitely take the narrative forward. Performance wise Samantha is slightly better than Kajal. Both look good on screen though. Pranitha is wasted. Apart from them there is a huge ensemble cast comprising of the likes of Revathi, Jayasudha, Rao Ramesh, Sathyaraj, Naresh, Krishna Bhagwan, Shayaji Shinde, Jayaprakash Reddy, Tanikella Bharani etc. Among them clearly the most impactful character is played by Rao Ramesh. He is superb and brings life into the dullness whenever he is around. He is followed by Sathyaraj who is decent. Revathi and Jayasudha are wasted.
Music and other departments?
Music for the film by Mickey J Mayer is alright. It goes with the flow of the film. Background score is provided by Gopi Sundar. Again nothing special and is in fact a bit let down at places. Editing of the film is bad, it never lets the emotion build. Songs come and go just like that, cut into segments never letting one get hang of it. It could also be a director’s choice, so here too Srikanth Addala gets to be blamed. Choreography of songs is okay. Production values are good and cinematography is fabulous.
Highlights?
Underlying message
Cinematography
Rao Ramesh characterization
Drawbacks?
Extremely poor execution
Zero emotional connect
Editing
Screenplay
Alternative Take
Not just Brahmotsavam but most films made in Telugu with the same intention suffer from a similar problem. They all appear fake. The same film with Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu kind of set up would have felt infinitely better. The only alternative take to have here is to ground the film and give it is a realistic set up.
Did I enjoy it?
No
Will you recommend it?
No. Of course the diehard fans don’t need any recommendation, do they?
Brahmostavam Review by Siddhartha
