BOTTOM LINE
Chaotic and Outdated Entertainer
OUR RATING
2/5
CENSOR
‘U/A’ Certified, 2h 23m
What Is the Film About?
Vasu (Sundeep Kishan) is raised as a rowdy by his grandfather to regain the family’s lost prestige. His biggest challenge comes from Venkata Rao (Rajendra Prasad), whose only possession, a piece of land, is taken by a powerful local goon.
What did Vasu and the gang do to get Venkata Rao his land? Why is Raghu Naik (Bobby Simha) also taking the issue seriously? How it all culminates for various characters, in the end, forms the overall plot of the movie.
Performances
Sundeep Kishan plays his usual self in the movie. He is the lead, the star of the show, but is unfortunately lost among the crowd.
While characters like Vasu offer nothing, and it is all about playing to the galleries highlighting stardom, even it has to have some meat. Be it the punches or the core drama, there must be something to stand tall. Sundeep Kishan doesn’t get them and is languished behind for the most part.
Despite portraying a mass title role, Gully Rowdy is one of the weakest outings as an actor. For a ‘rowdy’ Sundeep Kishan hardly has anything mass. There is also a reluctance of his character to be one which further highlights the poor characterisation.
Analysis
G Nageshwar Reddy of Eedo Rakam Aado Rakam and the very recent Tenali Ramakrishna BA. BL directs Gully Rowdy. It is a typical commercial potboiler that has an outdated vibe all through.
The opening stretch looks like a movie from a couple of decades ago. Even the idea to do with comic undertone is executed in an old way. The lack of freshness in the proceedings is the first thing that instantly hits our minds.
If one keeps the dated-vibe aside, there is a heightened effort to entertain. Multiple characters are created for the same purpose. However, only a few bits involving them work. The silliness is acceptable, but the narrative and writing could have been better, even within the terrain.
There is some fun once the story shifts focus entirely on Rajendra Prasad and the main track involving the kidnap drama. It comes in parts, but that is enough to hook one until the interval. It is nothing exceptional but passable variety.
The second half takes a serious tone with the introduction of Bobby Simha’s police character. It leads to an uneven tone initially. Also, it generates a feeling that the comedy is less in the second half, which isn’t entirely true.
Again, it is the same entertainment blocks that are the mainstay of the proceedings. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work to the extent like the pre-interval stretch in the first half. The suspense element, too, fails to leave a mark as they reach a predictable end.
Still, a good ending could have changed the mood and gave a positive feeling while coming. We have seen it happen many times in the past with Kona Venkat works. Sadly, that is not the case here.
Overall, Gully Rowdy is aimed as a time-pass comic entertainer. But, it fails to deliver in the ‘entertainment’ aspect despite many specialists. The outdated making and weak writing is the culprit here. Gully Rowdy is strictly for over the top mass comedy lovers, but even they might find it hard to amuse themselves.
Neha Shetty & Others?
Neha Shetty looks fine but otherwise comes across like a miscast in the setup of Gully Rowdy. She sticks out like a sore thumb highlighting her weaknesses.
It is Rajendra Prasad and the gang who offer some respite in the narrative through their funny antics. The senior actor, like always, stands out and is easily the best performer in the movie. We have seen him do all that before, but he makes it work nonetheless.
Bobby Simha plays a serious role which reminds us of his villain acts in older movies. He is alright but should have been better utilised. Vennela Kishore’s track lacks effortlessness. It feels very strained to generate comedy. Viva Harsha and Posani Krishna Murali are alright. The rest of the cast is okay.
Music and Other Departments?
Chowrasta Ram and Sai Kartheek provide the music. While a couple of songs felt decent audio-wise, they are forgettable on screen due to insipid picturisation. The background score is standard fare without anything particularly standing out. The cinematography by Sujatha Siddharth is decent. Some parts do look good, but it lacks consistency. The editing could have been better. Sharp punches and writing is required for movies like Gully Rowdy to work. It is not the case here.
Highlights?
Few Entertainment Moments
Pre-Interval To Interval Stretch
Runtime
Drawbacks?
Outdated Making
Story
Lack Of Freshness
Alternative Take
The reluctant hero angle should have been better explored and incorporated as a narrative device. It would have made the narrative more cohesive and give the character some depth. Nenu Rowdy Ne comes to our mind in that aspect.
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge Reservations
Gully Rowdy Telugu Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
