BOTTOM LINE
Clueless Direction
OUR RATING
1.75/5
CENSOR
What Is the Film About?
Arjuna (Sree Vishnu) and his friends are typical youth seen in any village. They are comfortable at their homes promising grand things and doing nothing and taking the wrath of parents in the process.
Finally, Arjuna’s gang which doesn’t want to move out decides to open a factory. They face severe hardships while establishing it and are inadvertedly drawn towards the wrong side of the law when money lures them to smuggling. How they come out of all the mess is the movie’s basic story line.
Performances
Sree Vishnu is his usual self playing the boy next door kind of a part, again. But, it is done in a new setup, which is what he has been managing smartly recently. It makes his job easier, and minor additions like change in slang (Godavari accent here) bring an element of freshness. There is some action in Arjuna Phalguna, in addition to the usual, but it doesn’t add a new dimension to the act.
Analysis
Teja Marni directs Arjuna Phalguna. It is his second attempt after Johar that came out a couple of years ago. What is to note here is that he goes a bit commercial here compared to the debut but tries to maintain that grounded sensibilities.
It is clear that Teja Marni is well aware of the ground level chatter and, in general, the Godavari districts milieu at a village level. We see elements of the same in Johar, too. However, as mentioned earlier, in Arjun Phalguna, he tries to make it more commercial.
Well, the problem for Arjun Phalguna comes in the commercializing aspect. The director tries to incorporate fun as part of the narrative. He has the four friends and their behaviour for the same. A massive chunk of the first half is dedicated to their interactions with other characters of the world.
The Jr NTR fans angle, satires on village jobs like Grama Volunteers, dig on the alcohol (President Medal), etc. They are supposed to be entertaining, but the writing fails them. On top of that, the clichéd situations pile up the problem.
The story of Arjuna Phalguna really begins only towards the pre-interval mark. It is when the narrative shifts to Araku. There is an element of interest here, but the way it has been executed leaves a lot to be desired.
The second half furthers the same impression. The emotional mass drama lacks the required impact to elevate the proceedings. It is mainly due to the making and the failure to translate the script with impact on screen. The intentions and emotions on paper aren’t visible.
The narrative is back to the village again after the brief outward journey. There is a heavy dramatic shift in tone, which were previously touched in the first half. The screenplay lacks the balance between these emotional drama, action and undercurrent situational humour.
In the end, Arjuna Phalguna’s biggest problem is the lack of clarity with the tone. Is it a serious drama concerning the plight of the poor and unemployed in a village? or is it a slice of life drama with humour and heaviness in combination. In either case, it is okay if the story offers nothing new; the characters and writing should overcome the issue. But, we get nothing of that sort here.
What we have is a boring narrative that goes about its way without igniting any spark of excitement. The ordinary, realistic and grounded moments stay grounded without creating an impression. The emotions, as a result, drain out the energy and make the viewing a tiring experience.
On the whole, the idea behind Arjun Phalguna is right to make a grounded a realistic emotional drama. But, poor screenplay, writing, and ordinary presentation make it a dull and tiring watch.
Others?
Amritha Aiyer plays a forgettable part in the movie. She is brought in as part of entertainment initially and goes missing later. The sketchy character mars even those little moments. The film is predominantly about the four friends essayed by Sree Vishnu, Rangasthalam Mahesh, Rajkumar Kasireddy (Chaudhary of Rajavaru Rani Garu fame), and Chaitanya Garikipati. They are alright, and Mahesh easily stands out among them. However, his part gets way too melodramatic that sticks out in the narrative, but not positively. Naresh and Shivaji Raja are alright in their small supporting parts. Subbaraju could have been better utilized.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Priyadarshan Balasubramanian is ordinary. The background score doesn’t help the cause either, although it is slightly better in parts. The cinematography by Jagadeesh Cheekati isn’t impressive either, barring a few naturally appealing shots. It is unfortunate considering the backdrop of the village in the Godavari district. Viplav Nyshadham’s editing should have been better. P Sudheer Varma’s dialogues lack depth and are bland in action and emotional scenes.
Highlights?
Some Emotional Moments (Although Overdone)
Drawbacks?
Direction
Screenplay
Weak Story
Overdramatic and Logic less scenes Sequences
Alternative Take
Films like these are dependent heavily on writing, direction and screenplay balancing the emotions. A two hour Arjuna Phalguna doesn’t take off story-wise until pre-interval; one can imagine how important the script and writing are to it more than changing the story.
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Arjuna Phalguna Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
Final Report:
There is no respite in the second half as well. The uneven tone in balancing emotional drama and situational fun makes Arjuna Phalguna neither here nor there kind of attempt and boring watch overall.
— Arjuna Phalguna is heading to the climax. Final report soon.
— Arjuna Phalguna second half started. More troubles for Arjuna and his friends.
First He Report:
Arjun Phalguna’s story deals with the struggle of unemployed youth in the village setup.
The first half of Arjuna Phalguna is shallow. The second half requires a major overhaul to get the narrative going engagingly and be a moderate watch at the least.
— Arjuna and his unemployed friends want to start a Soda factory but struggling for funds. Arjuna and gang takes up a risky job to make some quick money. Interval.
— AP ‘Grama Volunteer’ and ‘ President Medal’ references in a scene between Arjun (Sree Vishnu) and heroine (Amritha).
— Farmers struggle, village emotions between Arjun (Sree Vishnu) and his friends families being established.
— Arjuna Phalguna show started with an explanation of title meaning.
Arjuna Phalguna Review, U.S. Premier updates will begin soon. Stay tuned.
Actor Sree Vishnu who gave a sweet surprise a few months ago with Raja Raja Chora is back with a new outing, Arjuna Phalguna. Another young one-film old director Teja Marni helms the project which hits cinemas on December 31st.
Sree Vishnu is slowly but steadily building a credible name for him as an actor. A small segment assumes a minimum guarantee content with his name attached to a movie. Arjuna Phalguna, more than anything, will be a test of this quality. If the movie scores in that front, it would be a big boost to his career.
The same would be the case with director Teja Marni. He has previously made Johar, a bold and hard-hitting drama. With Arjuna Phalguna, he is treading another uncharted path. In the recent past, young directors are making impressive outings and jumping to the big league. He too would be hoping for a similar impact with Arjuna Phalguna.
Anvesh Reddy and Niranjan Reddy produce Arjuna Phalguna on the Matinee Entertainments banner. They are fast on the rise backing both small and big scale films. A success here would add further repute to the banner.
M9News, as always, will give you a ‘first-on-net’ Arjuna Phalguna Review genuinely and honestly. Watch this space for our updates.
