Sarileru Neekevvaru

On the whole, Sarileru Neekevvaru is a well-packaged Sankranthi treat that has good entertainment narrated at regular intervals. The film is Mahesh Babu’s one-man show and the added advantage are the hit songs, mass fights, and good comedy. Though the second half gets slightly bogged down with a weak climax, the film is a feast for the fans and masses. It will rake in good collections and would be loved during this festival time as it has something for everyone. Go watch and enjoy Mahesh’s mass treat.

With Sarileru Neekevvaru, Anil Ravipudi brings back the old Mahesh Babu, someone who played cocky characters that fought, danced, saved the day and delivered speeches seeped in morality. There’s enough drama, emotion and most importantly, looming danger in the film (until Mahesh Babu saves the day) to fuel the wafer-thin story, but Anil is so caught up in weaving two mismatched story-lines together that he forgets to keep the repetitiveness in check. He banks on you to suspend disbelief for the most part and given as how the film doesn’t take itself too seriously in the first place, it might work for some. Ajay Krishna (Mahesh Babu) is the true-blue soldier posted at Kashmir who will disable bombs without safety suit on and walk into operations without a helmet on his head – that’s how you know he likes to live life on the edge and is the hero because he has nothing to lose. Professor Bharati (Vijayashanthi) is a patriotic woman and a single mother who has lost her eldest child when he was serving in the army and is yet ready to send her second son (Satya Dev) to serve too. She also has a biological daughter apart from an adopted one and is someone who does not shy away from taking tough decisions to ensure the good emerge victorious. Then there’s Kurnool MLA Nagendra (Prakash Raj) who’s the epitome of evil because that’s what Prakash Raj does best. In a tale completely unrelated to this, there’s Samksruti (Rashmika Mandanna), her supportive mother (Sangeeta) and tired father (Rao Ramesh). Her favourite pastime happens to be to propose marriage to anyone she sees just so she doesn’t marry the man her father chose for her. So it’s only natural that when she sees Ajay, she latches on to him like a leech and refuses to let go, consent and choice be damned. But it’s all fun and games and definitely shown in lighter vein till a fake rape scene is staged and of course, she’s also wrestled into the other half of the story by force. The good part about Sarileru Neekevvaru is that it never takes itself too seriously. What’s also good is that despite the paper-thin story Anil builds on, he does not veer in a direction you would expect the story to take. The way Ajay’s character is built, he seems to like to throw a few punches, deliver a speech and crack a joke or two to lighten the mood (in that sequence). The character is completely reminiscent of his roles from the early 2000s and is a trope that will work with fans. So just when you realise something completely implausible has happened on-screen, you are reminded that this is a commercial entertainer. The much-hyped scenes in the train drag on thanks to some of the jokes not landing. Also, what doesn’t work is that Anil seems to want to hammer the message home instead of letting his audience think. The jokes get repetitive, so do scenes, the catch lines and all that talk of soldiers serving at the border and patriotism, greatness of Alluri Seetharama Raju are repeated so much, you just wish there was a way to tell the director you get it! The jokes too about Rao Ramesh’s family being crazy, you don’t have to tell us so many times, we know! Not to mention that climax that veers between idealism and comedy, unsure of which side to take. Phew! The less said about it the better. Also, actor Krishna sure is there in the film, just not in the way you’d think. Mahesh Babu does a good job of playing a man who will serve the country, crack jokes and protect. It’s been long since he got a chance to act in a film like this and he grabs the opportunity with both hands, giving it his all. Rashmika Mandanna is there. She woos, gets hyper, dances, has a catch-line, all for the male lead, but why she exists in this tale, other than to fawn over him is a mystery. Vijayashanthi gets a solid role, and the way she’s set up you expect so much more from her character. But when even her role is reduced to mouthing one-liners praising the hero, there’s only so much one can do. She too gives it her all though, especially in an emotional scene, so do Prakash Raj and Ajay in roles they can play in their sleep. DSP’s music for the film is okay, with Daang Daang opening the film on an unexpected note but He Is So Cute and Mind Block (which is super-fun to watch) being horribly misplaced and breaking the flow of things. Suryudivo Chandrudivo and Sarileru Neekevvaru are the numbers that fit the narrative and comes at apt time. His background score however works and gets the job done without overpowering the narrative. Rathnavelu’s cinematography too works but is unfortunately overshadowed by subpar VFX shots. The action by Ram-Lakshman is engaging. Sarileru Neekevvaru definitely has its moments but Anil Ravipudi’s bloated narrative that tries too hard, not to mention do everything at once without a proper structure in place proves to be a major drawback. This one’s worth watching for Mahesh Babu and Vijayashanthi, especially if you miss watching them in top form. Meeku ardham avtonda?

Sarileru Neekevvaru gets some of the comedy scenes right.The fights, Mahesh's heroism, Vijayashanthi's presence, the technical values contribute to the viewer's experience.The wafer-thin story, the feeble climax, the old-school ideas, the simplistic analysis are a turn-off.At 169 minutes, the film is somewhat too lengthy.