Ismart Shankar

iSmart Shankar has created lot of buzz with its promos all because of Ram and mass masala promos. The film has taken a stunning opening at the ticket windows, but as a film it is just a slightly better effort from Puri compared to his recent outings. What is it about? iSmart Shankar (Ram) loses his girlfriend (Nabha) in a political conspiracy. Before he exacts revenge, CBI inserts an officers memory into Shankar's brain to get key information. Now Shankar has to avenge his girlfriend's death and also deal with the memories of the deceased officer. Performances: This is a dream character for Ram and he has done a fabulous job in an extremely eccentric character. We could see on screen how much he loved playing iSmart Shankar. Nabha Natesh gets a strikingly impressive character and she is good. Nidhi Agarwal is okay. Satya Dev played a vital role and Sayaji is his usual self as CBI officer. Villain gang and others did their bit in their respective roles. Technicalities: Puri Jagannadh plays to his strengths by lifting an idea from a Hollywood film. He relies heavily upon the makeover of the lead actor and does the same that he has been doing in every movie. There are flashes of vintage Puri here and there, but he is surely out of form. Mani Sharma's music is an asset. A couple of songs are very good and the background score is lit. Cinematography is good and the fast cuts editing makes it look slick. Production values are decent and dialogues by Puri are impressive. Thumbs Up: Ram Songs Dialogues Thumbs Down: Second half Routine template Over masala Analysis: Puri Jagannadh has a unique style of presenting his heroes. He brings the eccentric side of actors that we had known for years and surprises us. He gives them a stunning makeover that every actor waits for his turn to do a Puri's film. In spite of Puri's recent track record, Ram signed up iSmart Shankar and his decision was a no brainer. He must have been thrilled to hear his characterization and antics. It gives him the chance to woo masses like never before and Ram grabbed the opportunity with both hands. While Puri remains to his usual format of guns, goons and girls, Ram made iSmart Shankar watchable with his infectious energy. He made a meal out of the character and enjoyed every bit of it. iSmart Shankar opens on a highly energetic note with Ram in superb form. It is an enjoyable ride for some time, but like most of Puri's movies it loses steam. There is a concept of 'memory transfer' copied from the Hollywood film Criminal, which becomes the main draw in the second half. Ram once again takes control over things in the initial stages of 'Double Dhimaak' phase, but it too wanes off as the movie progresses. There is nothing interesting to keep us hooked to the story. Every twist and turn seems flat and even iSmart Shankar's antics become monotonous after a point. It is mostly a one note film with half baked characters and concepts. Ram's energy, Manisharma's music and a couple of action scenes are its plus points. iSmart Shankar is just like every other Puri movie but with a better plot and the lead actor totally involved in his character. It has chances to do well in mass centers and single screens. The eccentricity and hollow script is a bitter pill to swallow for class audience and families. The pre release buzz and Ram's new avatar should fuel it to survive at the box office. Verdict: Not So iSmart!

Story: Shankar (Ram Pothineni) is a criminal wanted for the murder of an ex-Minister. While he doesn’t shy from killing for money, what happens when he loses something dear to him? Review: With iSmart Shankar Puri Jagannadh aims to bring the story of a flawed, seemingly heartless criminal, who happens to fall for the only girl who will not put up with his nonsense. But what happens when said criminal finds out he has not just been paid to kill someone, but been used as a pawn in something far more sinister? With a plot like that, one expects the film to be fast-paced and maybe remotely logical. But with iSmart Shankar you get anything but that. Shankar (Ram Pothineni) is a criminal who doesn’t shy from making enemies. He mouths dialogues in an annoying manner while offing his enemies and is bronzed orange. His double-toned jeans and gaudy shirts happen to come across a civil engineer called Chandini (Nabha Natesh), someone who’s unafraid of him and his nonsense. But of course, she eventually falls for him even if his favourite pastime is to frustrate her beyond belief. On the other hand are CBI agent Anand (Satya Dev) who’s working on Shankar’s murder case and his girlfriend Sarah (Nidhhi Agerwal), a neuro-scientist, whose invention is crucial to this tale. There's also a mystery plot that Shankar must unveil that is so predictable, it's funny how you can smell the conclusion from a mile away. The issue with iSmart Shankar lies (surprisingly) not in the fact that the protagonist of this tale is such an uncomfortable and unlikable character that he believes threatening women with rape and objectifying their body is what makes them fall for him. And Puri would have us believe it works, even if he never pretends that Shankar is supposed to be likable. He even offers explanation for why Shankar could be the way he is in a throwaway dialogue but never takes away the discomfort. The bane of the film is however its core point which both requires you to stay engaged and expects you to suspend disbelief. But even in this make-believe world, when rules change by-the-minute, it’s hard to give a damn. To make matters worse, the long, tedious journey one goes through to find out something you already predicted doesn't make it any better. Ram Pothineni however gives Shankar his all, bringing in a kind of energy that makes it a delight to watch him on-screen, even at his most-disgusting self. He especially comes through when the film requires him to showcase massy dance steps in horribly ill-placed songs. He also breezes through the very few emotional scenes in the film and the numerous comic ones. Satya Dev’s character never gets a chance to flesh out much, remaining a caricature of what an agent is supposed to be like. Shame, seeing as how well he can act! Nabha Natesh and Nidhhi Agerwal’s characters too suffer from a similar syndrome where despite much being made of their professions; they only serve the purpose of being the perfect misogynistic male-fantasy. Nabha however delivers an earnest performance with what she’s offered. Nidhhi is plain okay. iSmart Shankar is a loud, messy and pakka mass film that fails to take off. While Mani Sharma’s effective music and BGM adds to the noise (literally), it doesn’t do much to help the film. Give this one a chance this weekend if you’re a Puri, Ram or Nabha fan, you might find the patience needed. If you’re looking for anything remotely logical, feel free to give this one a miss.

Puri Jagan has been lying low with back to back flops in his career. His new film Ismart Shankar has hit the screens today and lets see whether it gives Puri his much needed hit or not. Story: Ismart Shankar(Ram) is a crazy contract killer who murders a high profile politician. Cops start chasing him and Shankar escapes with his girlfriend(Nabha Natesh). On the other hand, Arun(Satyadev) is a cop who is handling the same case. Just when he is about to nab the actual culprit behind the murder, he gets killed. In a crazy turn of events, the cops transfer Arun’s memory to Shankar. What is this whole memory issue? What has Ismart Shankar to do with it? That forms the rest of the story. Plus Points: No one other than Ram would have pulled off the role of Ismart Shankar. Ram’s transformation is mind blowing and Puri showcases him in a never before seen manner. Be it his dialogue delivery, dances or mass screen presence, Ram is a treat to watch on screen and is very lovable in his role. Nabha Natesh is impressive as Chandni and provides superb eye candy for the masses. Her chemistry with Ram is also good as she did well in her limited screen presence. Niddhi Agarwal gets a good role and does her best in the film. Ashish Vidhyarthi is neat and so was Satyadev as the cop. The film has full on commercial elements which will be loved by the masses. The lead pair’s dialogues, songs and glamor quotient, Puri is spot on with these factors. Ram creates good comedy with his mannerisms and action. The first half is decent and the interval bang of memory transfer is brought in well. Minus Points: One of the biggest drawbacks is that the story is the same old Puri mark cop drama. The only difference here is that Puri has added a memory transfer concept and made the hero a bit different. But sadly, he does not make use of the concept well. There are many scenes in the second half which defy logic. Ram’s character lacks clarity and is showcased in a confusing manner during this time. Also, the plot of family politics is age old and does not create any impact. The screenplay goes for a toss in the second half as the film slows down in many areas. Climax of the film is also routine. Every scene runs on Ram’s screen presence and if you omit that, there is nothing new that this film has to offer. The film has double meaning dialogues and lot of violence which will be a bit uncomfortable for the family audience. Technical Aspects: Production values of the film are top notch as Charme has handled things in a superb manner. Every location and visual looks authentic and gives the film a rustic vibe. Music by Mani Sharma is the biggest asset as all the songs provide good entertainment and have also been shot well. Ram has been styled supremely well in the film. Editing is decent and so were the lyrics of all the songs. Coming to the director Puri Jagan, his strength has always been the characterization of his heroes and in this film too, he is spot on. He showcases Ram in a superb manner and makes the film watchable only because of Ram. If he had managed the memory transfer concept well, things would have been a lot better for the film. Verdict: One the whole, Ismart Shankar is an unapologetic full on mass masala entertainer aimed at the masses. Ram’s crazy makeover will be loved by many. His one man show and good music make the otherwise ordinary story and dull narration click in several areas. All you need to do is to ignore the logics and go with the flow and enjoy the so called popcorn entertainment thrown at you.

'iSmart Shankar'features a predictable story with an inspired spin on the hero's character.Caricaturish villains, a grossly underdeveloped investigation track,love tracks that are rich in hate-feminism elements, a lazy climax - you have them all.