On the whole, Gaddalakonda Ganesh is a passable mass drama which has a few good moments. Varun Tej leads from the front with his solid performance and rocking makeover. The fun generated works in places and keeps the audience engaged. But a lengthy run time, lack of strong emotions and dragged climax take down the film and make it an okay watch this weekend. Just go in with your expectations in check.

Gaddalakonda Ganesh, previously titled Valmiki, is the Telugu remake of the Tamil hit Jigarthanda. It is the story of a filmmaker who yearns to catch a break in the film industry and learns that sometimes to make art, one needs to compromise. Nay, the term is adjust, as Tanikella Bharani’s character puts it in a scene. It is also the story of a gangster, who deals with fear as his currency, but seems to find himself in a strange juncture of his life and gets a chance to turn it all around. The film is not just the story of these two characters, because more importantly, it is Harish’s love letter to the film industry and the art of cinema. The film is incredibly meta in the most minimalistic of ways, which might not sit well with the regular masala flick lover. Abhi (Atharvaa Murali) is a short film maker who gets a chance to direct a feature. To set himself apart from the competitors, he decides his protagonist will not just have shades of grey, but will be a negative character completely. He finds the perfect muse in the much-dreaded gangster Gaddalakonda Ganesh (Varun Tej) aka Gani, a man so sadistic, he loves torturing and killing people for the most inane reasons. Gaddalakonda trembles at his name and he likes to keep it that way by killing everyone who even remotely challenge his authority, much to the chagrin of his rendered mute mother (Supriya Pathak). Abhi is willing to do anything to get Gani’s story, even go as far as to fake romance with Bujjamma (Mrinalini Ravi), the daughter of his cook. But what happens when Abhi and Gani’s worlds finally collide is something that needs to be watched on-screen. Gaddalakonda Ganesh is not a complicated film, but the emotions it deals with sure are. And while Atharvaa Murali breezes through his role that’s a mix of street-smart and cunning, one cannot help but wonder if his body language could’ve been a little funnier. It is a dark comedy after all and he seems to be taking things way too seriously. Mrinalini delivers an impressive performance in the screen time she has, so does Pooja Hegde in a beautiful flashback that works. It is Varun Tej however who steals the show as the gangster, making the role his own, complete with lanky awkwardness, manic laughter and surma lined eyes. While hardcore fans of Jigarthanda might find this interpretation of Assault Sethu a tad too melodramatic, it works when viewed as a stand-alone. He might not always inspire the kind of fear he’s supposed to on-screen, but Varun Tej nails it at bringing in the vulnerability the character requires. Ayanka Bose’s cinematography brings in a kind of panache and nuance even to a tale as raw as this, some frames in the film look simply stunning. Mickey J Meyer’s music is unobtrusive for the most part, even if the BGM does get a tad bit too melodramatic towards the climax. The length of the film could’ve been considerably shortened, as it might be too long for some, but for those who enjoy character studies, this is perfect. Harish Shankar makes an already hit film his own in ways that matter and reels it in, by delivering a frame-to-frame remake where needed. However, the only drawback the film has is that the comedy seems forced and same old in some scenes, even if Brahmaji nails his bit in a hilarious role. Satya too does a commendable job, even if he offers nothing new. The climax and ending almost take it a bit too far but Harish manages to reel it in almost at the end. The whole sequence could've just been handled a little better. Brahmanandam's cameo is a delight. Watch Gaddalakonda Ganesh this weekend if dark comedies and dramas revolving around two contrasting characters are your cup of tea. Watch it especially for Varun Tej’s performance as the gangster. But don’t go in expecting a typical Harish Shankar mass masala film, for you will leave disappointed.

'Gaddalakonda Ganesh'is a mixed bag.It's lengthy at 173 minutes. The second half tells the actual story.The first half establishes the premise and keeps dragging on and on. The comedy works in fits and starts.The romantic tracks are sub-par.Characters speak of the greatness of cinema without depth.