Manmadhudu -2

Manmadhudu 2 is not a sequel to Nagarjuna's classic comedy Manmadhudu but a remake of French film Prete-moi ta main. It is about a man who doesn't like to have committed relation, but loves to sleep around with whoever he likes. What is it about? Sambasiva Rao aka Sam (Nagarjuna) is a middle aged bachelor who lives alone and likes to have one night stands all the time. When Sam's mother and his family pressurizes him for marriage, he hires a waitress named Avanthika (Rakul Preeth) to act as his lover. Things don't go as planned and Samba can't help but fall in love with her. Performances: Nagarjuna's physique is superb for a sixty year old, although his face gives away his age a lot of times. His styling is impressive and it is cakewalk for him to play a charmer. Rakul Preeth is comfortable beside Nagarjuna and the characterization of Avanthika doesn't make this pair look odd together. Vennela Kishore saves the film to an extent with his impeccable comic timing. He got some support from Rao Ramesh. Supporting cast consisting of Lakshmi, Jhansi and others is adequate. Technicalities: Rahul Ravindran who made a refreshing film in his debut as director couldn't make this remake work. He couldn't recreate the magic of Manmadhudu anywhere in the film, but still named it Manmadhudu 2. Barring a few episodes, Rahul's direction falls flat. Songs are not catchy and the background score is pretty standard. Cinematography is good with eye-catching visuals of Portugal. Dialogues are okay in parts, but there are far too many adult jokes. Editing is not up to the mark. Production values are fine. Thumbs Up: Nagarjuna Vennela Kishore's comedy Thumbs Down: Screenplay Double Meaning dialogues Adult humor Analysis: One would wonder why this film has been remade in the first place. The story offers nothing new in terms of plot or treatment. A middle aged womanizer falling in love with a young girl isn't an exciting idea for Nagarjuna to get into the shoes of Manmadhudu again. Firstly, Manmadhudu was a class film with clean humor. Secondly, Manmadhudu has fantastic dialogues, comedy, emotions and a superlative soundtrack that made it a classic. What was Nagarjuna thinking while naming this as Manmadhudu 2? What was he thinking while taking up this role at this age. It might have been okay to an extent had he played this role a ten years ago. But now Nagarjuna looks very odd when he is 'making love' to younger women. Few scenes in the beginning will leave the family audience in utter shock as they wouldn't expect this from a responsible star like Nagarjuna and that from a film that is certified UA by the censor board. Thankfully, such visual 'humor' is limited to few scenes, but there are far too many double meaning dialogues to ignore. Comedy in the first half works in parts and thanks to Vennela Kishore, who keeps it classy despite the adult stuff. Second half is a pain to watch as the film runs on a predictable note with routine scenes. Why would a younger woman fall for a much older man? All Rahul could think of is a scene where the man shows his muscle power and helps her hit back the person that had hurt her. We can see where the film is heading right from the intermission point and there isn't much in between that can keep us entertained. Even the comedy turns pale after a point as the comedians constantly keeps drawing a blank. Manmadhudu 2 is a disappointment on a whole except for some genuinely funny moments. Make sure to keep your kids away if you are determined to watch this. Verdict: Ekkado Kodathandi Chinna!

Manmadhudu 2 is one film which many were waiting for eagerly. Directed by Rahul Ravindran, this film has hit the screens today and lets see how it is. Story: Sam(Nagarjuna)and his family are based in Portugal. While Sam’s mother and his sister’s stay together, Sam is a free bird who does not believe in relationships. But because of heavy pressure from his family to get married, he sets up a waitress(Rakul)to act as his girlfriend and cheat him so that his family would never force him again for his marriage. But because of a small twist, things change upside down and Sam becomes helpless. Rest of the story is as to how Sam sets his mistakes right and wins the hearts of his family. Plus Points: There is no denying the fact that Nagarjuna is the best when it comes to the looks. He is super sharp and looks perfect in the role of a mature bachelor. Though he did not have much to do performance wise, his screen presence is superb throughout the film. Rakul Preet Singh gets the best role in the film. Not only does she look super glamorous, Rakul has also done a very good job as Avantika. The manner in which her role is executed by Rahul looks good on screen. The first half is breezy and credit should go to Vennela Kishore for holding this part through his good comedy. His chemistry with Nag works well in the film and holds the proceedings together during this time. Rao Ramesh is hilarious in his role but he is not utilized well in the proceedings. Lakshmi is apt in her role and so was Jhansi. Production values are top notch. Minus Points: As the film is a remake, there are really no surprises in the script. Story is ages old and has been used in several Hindi films previously. It was left to director Rahul as to how he would narrate the film. He did a decent job in the first half but spoilt the second with his dull narration. There are way too many unnecessary scenes in the second half which make the narrative slow and dull. The main plot is put aside and the love story between the lead pair is also not established well. After a slow start to the second half, things rush to the climax all off a sudden and because of this, the emotions do not work well. There is a bit of vulgarity as scenes like Rakul kissing Jhansi could have been totally avoided. Except for Jhansi, the rest of the supporting cast is bad. Samantha and Keerthy Suresh’s cameos do not create any impact at all. Technical Aspects: As said earlier, the production values of the film are superb as the good camerawork showcases the Portugal locations in a good manner. Music by Chaitan Bhardwaj is good and so were the lyrics. Editing is below par as the film needs to be trimmed by atleast 10 minutes. Production design is good and the costumes designed for Nag and Rakul are superb. Coming to the director Rahul Ravindran, a lot was expected from him after Chilasow. He had the set up and good star cast but he did not create the emotions well in the film and this is where the film takes a downfall. But he has showcased Nagarjuna quite well and justified his age with decent romance. If he had a tighter screenplay in the second half, things would have been better. Verdict: On the whole, Manmadhudu 2 surely does live up to the hype and expectations created. Nagarjuna and Rakul Preet manage things well but the weak second half and routine story take things down. The comedy punches by Vennela Kishore work well but the rest of the emotions don’t as the film does not have entertaining proceedings which light you up and ends as a strictly okay watch this weekend. All we suggest you is to keep you expectations low.

Story: When a commitment-phobic casanova gets an ultimatum from his family to get married within three months, he hires a waitress to be his pretend-fiance and ditch him on his wedding day so that his family gets off his back. However, things don't go according to plan, causing severe consequences. Review: They paid no? - any Tollywood film buff in the new milennium would remember this dialogue from Brahmanandam in Manmadhudu. The film has become a modern day cult classic of sorts largely because of its comedy. Seventeen years later, Nagarjuna is back in Manmadhudu 2, directed by Rahul Ravindran. And while this film has no connection with the original, one thing that remains constant is the rip-roaring humour. If it was Brahmanandam who stole the show in Manmadhudu, this time it's Vennela Kishore who leaves the audience in splits with his terrific comic timing, that lifts this rom-com into something special. Having had his heart broken, Sambasiva Rao AKA Sam (Nagarjuna) decides that he doesn’t believe in commitment or marriage, and instead deals only in one-night stands. When his family gives him an ultimatum to get married, he ropes in Avanthika (Rakul Preet) to act as his fiance and ditch him on the wedding day. Little does he know that his plan could have serious consequences. When you look at the rushes of the film, you'd expect it to have plenty of humour — and Rahul Ravindran doesn't disappoint there. There are some absolutely hilarious scenes in the film, especially involving Vennela Kishore, who really is the scene-stealer as the hero's friend. Whether it's him bursting into a long monologue in English or one particular instance where he inadvertently smokes weed and gets stoned, the actor is involved in some side-splitting humour. The visuals too are wonderful, with the stunning locales of Portugal and Switzerland adding to the film's vibe. In attempt to balance the story, Rahul sometimes makes it seem a bit too melodramatic. The climax, in particular, could've been a touch better. A little less melodrama and a little more of that brilliant humour would've probably served the film better in the last half hour, especially how given the plotline, one could've predicted a melodramatic climax from a mile away. It doesn't take much for Nagarjuna to convince us while playing the role of a casanova. "I don't fall in love, I make love," Nag quips in one scene and the effortless ease with which he pulls it off shows the trait of a seasoned actor. What's heartening to see is that both Rahul and Nagarjuna were willing to joke about the age-difference between the two lead actors. At one point, Rakul refers to Nag as "the hot older man". Rao Ramesh and Lakshmi - both terrific in the film - also take some hilarious wisecracks at the couple's age difference. Which is why a love story between the two of them doesn't seem cringe-worthy, and Rahul deserves credit for it. The director missed a trick or two with the climax but gets almost everything else bang on, ensuring a hilarious entertainer that you wouldn't mind watching on repeat. Too much of something can be an overkill, they often say. But when it comes to Vennela Kishore's comedy in Manmadhudu 2, that doesn't ring true. In fact, it only leaves you wanting for more.

The film offers a predictable fare that hardsells its atypical characters.The writing department doesn't quite succeed in remaking the French film 'I Do'.The technical departments make the cut.