CineGoer.com - Telugu Movie Reviews

Good Math Class, Bad Movie

APK | April 21, 2007

Rating: N/A (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad)

Cast: Venkateswara Rao Atluri, Vishaka Singh, Benarjee, Jayalalitha, Vizag Prasad, Ahuti Prasad, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Duvvasi Mohan, Hema and Others.
Lyrics: Varikuppala Yadagiri.
Music: Shekhar Chandra.
Direction: Uppalapati Narayana Rao.
Producer(s): Kongara Subhashini & Chakradhar Paturi.
Banner: Jermantown Entertainments Pvt. Ltd.
Release Date: 21st April, 2007.

Sometimes you want to watch small movies, simply because you believe they might set new trends and reverse old ones. It is a far-fetched idea if movies like Gnapakam come out. The climax has the main lead mouthing "Is this an illusion or reality?" That's what you'll be asking yourself while walking out-the quality of this kind of cinema today, in this day and age, is unbelievable.

Plot Srinu (Venkateswara Rao Atluri) is a math genius who is studying in Munich, Germany. He meets Sarangi (Vishaka Singh), falls in love with her and she reciprocates his love. Meanwhile Srinu gets into 'Palm-history' (that's how the female lead spells Palmistry) and realizes that Sarangi's love line shows a break-up and worries himself sick. Pratap, his cousin comes to visit him, but revenge (don't ask why) is his real motive-so he breaks the couple apart. Srinu goes mad, comes to India and goes through some more painful events-whether he and Sarangi defy all odds and fate and get back together is what the story is about.

Story, Screenplay and Direction Firstly, the story sucks. No other word for it. Why a genius gets into palmistry so deeply, why he goes 'schizophrenic' and why Pratap wants revenge because he is jealous is never clear. The screenplay shifts from the present to a flashback in such swift jerks that it gets confusing. Now the direction-the less said the better. All those close-ups and serial-like shots just make watching the not-so-interesting storyline unbearable.

The camerawork is nothing to write home about. Munich is captured well enough, but the direction is mediocre and there is more hamming and less acting anyways. The editing is just too jumpy and erratic.

Performances Venkat needs a makeover worthy of Allu Arjun (Gangotri to Desamuduru!). It's difficult to predict right now whether he can be written away as a non-performer based on just this movie, or whether he has potential. Only another movie, hopefully with a better story and character, will establish anything. But for now, his character is badly written and his performance did nothing to better it. Vishaka Singh is not bad, even though she's stuck in this mediocrity. The actor who played the role of Pratap overacts but might have some potential.

Song and Dance The songs are the only relief in the movie. The picturizations are average, but the compositions are above average.

Last Word After the whole effort of making a movie, from the conception of the idea to getting it to the theatres and promoting it-it's a big deal. To write away any movie as terrible is not a pleasant experience-but for this one, there is no choice. There is nothing in the movie to say 'this part was good'. Honestly, the only thing you'll learn here is that 1/2=0.4999. Oh, and you might also have an exhilarating experience when you walk out of the movie hall.