    
Andhrawala
Mudiripoyina Bewarse
Username: Andhrawala
Post Number: 9292
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 75.182.103.11
Rating:
Votes: 2(Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 9:46 pm: |    |
http://filmchamber.com/mainnews.aspx
ATHIDI - MOVIE REVIEW Date: 2007/10/17
Rating:5/10
Title: Athidi
Banner: Krishna Productions
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Amrita Rao, Asish Vidyarthi, Venu Madhav, Sunil, Brahmanandam, Nazar, Rajiv Kanakala, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Ajay and others
Music: Mani Sharma
Stunts: Stun Shiva
Producer: G. Ramesh Babu
Story, screenplay and direction: G. Surender Reddy
Released Date: October 18th, 2007
Introduction
Athidi, the much-publicised movie of Mahesh Babu in the direction of G. Surender Reddy of Athanokkade fame, has not touched the expectations of the audience. Despite rich production values, superb performance by Mahesh Babu, homely and glamorous heroine Amrita Rao, the movie disappoints the audience with weak climax and rain of blood.
Synopsis
An orphan aged about 7 comes under the caring fold of a young couple in Delhi. He is named as Athidi (Mahesh Babu). One fateful day, a mugger kills the couple for surrendering small cash. He keeps the revolver in the boy�s grip and escapes. The couple�s daughter Amrita (Amrita Rao) thinks that the boy is the real murderer of her parents. After 14 years, he gets released from jail. His mission is to track down and kill the mugger. He has no clues but the photograph of his target. Running parallel to his revenge, another thread would come in. Athidi is after a Delhi-based drug peddler (Ashish Vidyarthi) and ruins his underworld activities. He also saves the life of a beautiful girl by pumping oxygen mouth-to-mouth, when she meets with an accident while escaping from the rowdies. She falls in love with him. Athidi comes to know that the girl is none other than childhood Amrita. Meanwhile, one Kaiser (new artiste), a notorious gangster and nail in the shoe of Home department, is after the life of Amrita. At the same time, Amrita comes to know that her lover is none other than the person whom she thinks is the killer of her parents. Athidi finds out that Kaiser is his target. How he accomplishes his task and wins the heart of the girl forms the crux of the movie.
Artistes� Performance
Mahesh Babu as usual looked very handsome, and stylish, all through the movie. He sported a couple of hairstyles, which becomes another highlight from his side. He sounds excellent in the stunts sequences, and lively in dance numbers. There are nothing like dialogues for Mahesh Babu in particular, but you can say, it�s a conversation. To cut the ice, Mahesh Babu shoulders the central weight of the film on his shoulders.
Amrita Rao is both beautiful and glamorous. She has innocent looks and touch of Telugu nativity. Her chemistry with Mahesh Babu is good.
The new artiste, who did the main villain as Kaiser, did his job with �lan. He played two assignments as a single person � as a police officer and gangster. However, there is no consistency in his characterization.
Asish Vidyarthi did the sidekick to the main villain. His mannerism with long and matted hair and ugly teeth is hilarious. Nazar appears as the state minister and uncle to the heroine. Benerjee played a simple role as Nazar�s man who sells himself to the villain.
Venu Madhav performed his comedy in the first half as a pickpocket, while it is the turn of Sunil and Brahmanandam in the beginning of the second half. Rajiv Kanakala and another female artiste played the roles of parents to the heroine. Kota Srinivasa Rao played the role of a Home Minister-aspirant, who is ready to do any cutthroat business. All other characters performed neatly within their limitations.
Technical Details
Story is formulaic. There is lot of expectation in the story, though its author and director tried to bring in as many twists and jerks as possible, which all seem to be dramatic. Surender Reddy wasted the entire first half without touching on the main road. It is only at the interval bang that he tried to give a twist, which again is under the purview of the audience prediction. Screenplay is tightly knit, but it gives a feel that the story advances episode by episode, de-linking the main thread. Surender Reddy�s direction relied mostly on stylish angling of the hero and his stunts.
The romance between the hero and heroine is not built up naturally. But, again, it is dramatic. Each time the heroine meets the hero, she invites him to have coffee, tea or liquor. There is no variety in this romantic streak.
Stunts are a major strength to the film. Stun Shiva�s imagination has clicked well with the dynamism of Mahesh Babu. However, a lot of gunfire has given vent to boredom and unpleasant experience. The climax fight, in which Mahesh Babu beheads or stabs or fatally wounds the baddies (numbering around 50), is disgusting. You can say, it is rain of blood springing from human bodies.
Comedy is weak. Venu Madhav simply comes and goes in the first half. It is Sunil who gives some relief in the second half, but short-lived. Brahmanandam has no significant role, but it sounds on the lines of the one in Athadu. The comedy in which Brahmanandam pushes the broken bottle on the back of Sunil; and the latter grabbing the �organ� of the former in turn, is vulgar and might be embarrassing to the women crowds.
Characterization of the villain confuses the audiences. Most of the characters, including Nazar, has no punch and make you feel that they could be donned by any Tom, Dick or Harry. The laughing mannerism of the villain is a big monotony. The manner of death of the role played by Asish Vidyarthi is ridiculous.
Surender Reddy seem to have handled the sentimental or say emotional scenes in a reckless manner. For instance, when the villain kills an innocent girl (who accompanies the heroine), it has no impact on the audience. In several scenes, the hero sheds tears. Better say, his eyes go wet. Here also, the treatment goes staged.
Music by Mani Sharma will not let you down. Songs shot in foreign locations are good in parts. The first song and the last song are canned in style. Background score is arresting in some scenes.
Just as in Pokiri, Mahesh Babu is made to use informal style of dialogue delivery � a plus point.
Editing is good in songs. Cinematography is excellent, coupled with rich production values.
FC Verdict
Weak story, weak comedy and heavy violence are major minus points. Mahesh Babu�s stylish performance is the lone strength |
