Movie :Bandipotu
Rating :3/5
Cast: Allari Naresh, Eesha, Sampoornesh Babu and Others
Directed by: Mohana Krishna Indraganti
Produced by: Rajesh, Naresh
Banner: EVV Cinema
Music by: Kalyani Koduri
Release Date: 2015-02-20
It has been a while since Allari Naresh’s film clicked at the box office. He has been struggling to get back on track post Sudigadu and in his latest attempt he teams up with acclaimed director Mohana Krishna Indraganti. Let’s see if Bandipotu can end the bad run of Allari Naresh or not?
Story :
Viswanath (Allari Naresh) is a petty thief who makes a deal with Jahnavi (Eesha), a girl that wants to take revenge against three people (Posani, Rao Ramesh, Bharani) for cheating her innocent father (Subhalekha Sudhakar). Viswanath with the help of his friend Tellabbayi (Sampoornesh) plans a con to teach a lesson to all the above three.
Performances:
Allari Naresh is good as the con man who uses brains to cheat all the villains. He is perfectly groomed for the role and this is is best in terms of screen presence. However there is not much slapstick comedy in which Naresh excels. This is primarily a classy comedic film and Naresh did the best he could.
Eesha is alright as the female lead. She can emote and did good job in emotional scenes. Sampoornesh didn’t get much scope to steal the show. He is just okay. Seasoned actors Tanikella Bharani and Rao Ramesh excelled in their roles. Posani gets another meaty role and he is good. Srinivas Avasarala, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Chandra Mohan and others played their part.
Technicalities:
Mohana Krishna Indraganti is known for making classy films and Bandipotu bears his trademark style despite having Allari Naresh in the lead. Direction is good and the film entertains in bits and pieces. However there is not enough comedy that we expect out of an Allari Naresh film. Script is just okay and there is very little to keep you interested till the end.
Music by Kalyani Koduri is average. Songs are good on screen. Cinematography is very good and the first half has been edited well. Same cannot be said about the dragging second half. Bandipotu is technically well made and looks rich in every frame.
Thumbs Up:
Allari Naresh
Decent First Half
Thumbs Down:
Weak Script
Not enough comedy
Dragging second half
Analysis:
Bandipotu starts off on an interesting note. Director Indraganti’s style of classy humor clicks at times in spite of predictable plot. First half runs at a smooth pace and sets the right mood for the next hour. But the director lost grip over the narrative during second half.
The film gets boring as the political drama begins. It may have worked if the director focused more on comedy in the second hour. There are so many actors that can take the scene to another level, but none of them were effectively used.
Bandipotu is a different film for Allari Naresh who is accustomed to do mass comedies. Other than that this film offers nothing new and ends up as a disappointment for the audience who expect a laughing riot from Allari Naresh and co. Indraganti focused on intelligent play and mind games rather dishing out comedy.
As a film Bandipotu is an average fare and fairly decent than recent Naresh’s films. However the film lacks the punch and humor that is a must for Allari Naresh’s film to work. Bandipotu is well made movie but misses the mark by a fair distance. A lot will depend on how the masses laps up this film to swim across to a safe zone.
Verdict: Bandipotu lacks the Punch!
