Where Is TheVenkatalakshmi Movie ReviewBOTTOM LINE
Mundane Affair

OUR RATING
1.75/5

CENSOR
‘U/A’ Certified, 2 hrs 19 mins


Ram KarthikWhat Is the Film About?
Chanti (Praveen) and Pandu (Madhunandan) are nuisance makers in the village of Bellampalli. They are a source of trouble for everyone. How they get involved with Venkatalakshmi (Lakshmi Rai) and what happens next is what the film is all about?

How Is Ram Karthik’s Performance?
Ram Karthik plays hero in the movie for namesake. If not for the songs and a heroine, even here the comic duo gets a better deal, he would be just another guy in the movie relegated in the background with no bearing on the narrative at all. He looks fragile and is emotionless.


Kishore LaddaDirection by Kishore?
Kishore (Ladda) directs Where Is The Venkatalakshmi. It has a simple and predictable plot with twists that can be guessed by a mile. Still, the clarity of the director with what he is making, and a few comedy moments make the whole tedious process of watching it alright if the expectations begin way beyond zero on the negative scale before the begining.

As said above, the story is plain vanilla, nothing surprising happens, and the small twists are also predictable. There are a few double meaning dialogues based funny moments that work if the expectations are set in the negative zone at the start. Also, Kishore goes about the proceedings unflinchingly with a nice pace.

The first and second halves of the movie are as flat as they get with nothing interesting or exciting happening. There is a hooking point at the interval, but even that fizzles out at the start of the second half. In the end, there is a sudden change of heart and a twist, which is again nothing special, but it had an opportunity to be developed into an engaging premise. That is entirely wasted by the time we reach those points due to the extreme silliness in the process.

Overall, Where Is The Venkatalakshmi is highly predictable and bland watch. The low brow setting and sensibility offering a few comic moments is the only relief and might find a few takers. But, by and large, it is an avoidable fare.


Raai LaxmiLaxmi Raai, Praveen , Madhunandan and Others?
Laxmi Raai and Poojitha Ponnada are the female leads in the movie. They have nothing to do apart from giving a voyeuristic treat to the male protagonist who is paired with them respectively. Technically, they give the narrative a push, but it is just a small one and everything else of taken care of by others. Praveen and Madhunandan are the real leads of the movie. They carry the film entirely. For Praveen, it is not a new thing, he had his moments of sunshine in the past, but for Madhunandan it is a big deal. The latter has done okay. Annapurna is wasted in an inconsequential role, and so is Jabardasth Mahesh. Gemini Suresh gets a better deal in comparison. Others are forgetful.

Music Director Hari GauraMusic and Other Departments?
The music by Hari Gowra is passable. There is a likeable sound, but the tunes are weak. The background score doesn’t register compared to the songs. The cinematography is below par. The editing is neat in that there is no real lag. The writing is unremarkable and comes across as corny many times.


PraveenHighlights?
Few Comedy Moments
Praveen and Madhunandan Jodi

Drawbacks?
Predictable Story
Feels Lengthy
No Emotional Connect


MadhunandanAlternative Take
Better track leading to the emotional connection between the characters of Praveen, Madhunandan and Raai Laxmi would make for an engaging alternative take

Did I Enjoy It?
No

Will You Recommend It?
No

Where Is The Venkatalakshmi Review by Siddartha