BOTTOM LINE
Routine Faction Fare
OUR RATING
2.5/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 52m
What Is the Film About?
Veera Simha Reddy (Nandamuri Balakrishna) is a powerful guy who takes care of his people at Pulicherla. Jai Simha Reddy is his son staying in Istanbul unaware of his father. Why do the father and son live separately? Who is Bhanumati (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar), and why does she want to kill Veera Simha Reddy? The answers to these questions form the movie’s overall story.
Performances
Nandamuri Balakrishna is again seen in a dual role. As is the norm mostly, there is a younger part and an older one. Unlike some of his past outings, Balakrishna looks good in both avatars here. The dominating one is the older one, undoubtedly.
The old Balakrishna character’s look has been designed superbly. It is the best one from him in such parts. The body language, too, is neatly taken care off, which adds to the effect. The action sequences look fabulous in this avatar and elevate the proceedings. The dialogue delivery needs no special mention. It is sharp and powerful, as one expects. The emotional scenes are done adequately.
Shruti Haasan plays the typical flowerpot heroine role in Veera Simha Reddy. She appears mainly in the first half and has a song but goes amiss in the second half. There is nothing from her when it comes to this mass emotional drama.
Analysis
Gopichand Malineni directs Veera Simha Reddy. It is his immediate next after the successful Krack that also hit the cinemas for Sankranthi.
While not many realise Krack was not just a successful movie, it marked a remarkable change in the way Gopichand Malineni executed the product. There was a visible change in tone from his past flicks. The same tempo and quality are reflected in Veera Simha Reddy as well.
The movie takes time to get going, though, as the initial block is reserved for small entertainment. The track between the younger Balakrishna and Shruti Haasan doesn’t work, unfortunately. It is over the top and offers very little worth mentioning.
The real drama and action kick off once the senior Balakrishna character is introduced. It is followed by three massy, adrenaline-pumping action blocks that are sure to be lapped up by the masses. Needless to say, they will be a feast for the fans.
The political tinge, the get-up and the ease with which the whole thing is executed leaves one with a high akin to the best of Balakrishna mass movies.
However, not much happens related to the story all the while. One action block follows the other, and they are indeed well done, but story-wise, there is hardly any progress. The interval block, therefore, comes as a surprise, and the twist makes one look forward to the proceedings post-intermission.
Unfortunately, the second half fails to maintain the tempo of the first. It starts well, but as soon as the flashback commences, the narrative stagnates. The change of one of the key character’s attitude is emphasised highly, which bogs down the narrative leaving it one note and flat.
The sentimental drama is overdone, but more than that, the core reason for the conflict feels flimsy and lacks substance. It makes one wonder if this is enough for all that has preceded before in the first half. The length, too, is a bummer, given the predictable tale.
The climax is again on expected lines barring one vital twist. One could see it coming miles away, though. There is scope for it to be more emotional, and that lingering feeling remains, which dilutes the dramatic punch related to the twist.
Overall, Veera Simha Reddy offers nothing new storywise, but the majestic presence of Balakrishna and the mass-pleasing moments take care of the first half. The sentimental course later puts things off track, and the movie never recovers. If one likes mass dramas with a heavy dose of sentiment, the movie offers enough to be a decent one-time watch.
Performances by Others Actors
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is the most crucial actor in the movie after the main lead. She gets a good character arc, but the killer impact is missing. It all begins well, reminding one of the Krack act from her. The later change isn’t that impactful, and the pre-climax sequence misses the required intensity.
Duniya Vijay playing the antagonist has the body but lacks the meat in the role to leave an impression. The weak characterisation is the biggest bummer. Apart from them, we have Honey Rose in a critical role playing the mother of Balakrishna. Yes, you read that right. This aspect, despite the make-up, looks odd; otherwise, she has a better role than the main heroine. The rest of the actors are fillers to take action forward.
Music and Other Departments?
S Thaman again does justice to the mass fare with his bombastic background score. It serves the purpose and elevates the action blocks even though it ain’t anything special. The songs could have been better, but they are shot well, so there is nothing much to complain about here.
Rishi Punjabi’s cinematography is superb. The visuals, coupled with the grand production values of Mythri Movie Makers, give a rich look to the movie. The editing could be ruthless. At neat three hours, the movie definitely feels lengthy and tiresome at points. The writing is par for the course for mass dramas.
Highlights?
Sr Balakrishna
Action Blocks In First Half
Interval
BGM
Drawbacks?
Thin Storyline
Length
Flat Second Half
Weak villain characterization
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, in parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, with reservations
Veera Simha Reddy Movie Review by M9News
Final Report:
Veera Simha Reddy has a ‘mass-blast’ first half that is sure to please all, but it fails to sustain the same momentum in the second half. The sister sentiment drags, and the weak villain adds to the woe. It ends up as an average fare that would be greatly helped by the festive season.
— Flashback is very lengthy and lacks the high moments. Now, younger Balakrishna to finish rest of the story in Seema.
— The second half started with Veera Simha Reddy’s flashback episode.
First Half Report:
Sr Balakrishna’s phenomenal presence and well designed action blocks hold the show together in Veera Simha Reddy’s first half. The interval ends on a neat emotional note making one look forward to the real drama in the second half. It holds the key now.
— There are a series of dialogues that directly hit the ruling party on ‘Development’ Vs ‘Demolitions’. The entire block reflects AP politics.
— Suguna Sundari has Balayya in a highly stylish avatar, and the choreography is nice.
— Veera Simha Reddy show started with a brief faction episode and moves to Istanbul.
Stay tuned for Veera Simha Reddy Review, Report from U.S. Premiere.
Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shruti Haasan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Honey Rose and Duniya Vijay
Story-Screenplay-Direction : Gopichand Malineni
Producers : Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar Yalamanchili
CEO : Cherry
Executive Producer : Chandu Ravipati
Music : Thaman S
Cinematographer : Rishi Punjabi
Editing : Navin Nooli
Dialogues : Sai Madhav Burra
Veera Simha Reddy Review by M9News
