Jul 13, 2009 01:33 PM
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Arundhati has a lot going for it. The producer M. S. Reddy is known to have lavish budgets for his movies. He is also a great CGI fan and churns out graphics stuff that is always of its time – at least in the Telugu industry.(Case in point: The “hand” in Ammoru and the wonderful depiction of Lord Shiva in Anji.)
The director, Kodi Ramakrishna, a known face in the fantasy/mythological circuit, is a veteran in dealing with such subjects. His movies are known for edge of the seat action sequences and of course plenty of divine intervention.
Arundhati has everything aforementioned and some more. In fact it is so extravagant that you feel suffocated at times. The story unfolds at breakneck speed and throws unmanageable events at you one after another. That lovely jaw of yours that is supposed to drop in awe at the sequences happening on the screen is not allowed to actually drop as another sequence starts right away. You gasp for breath and you stare at the screen disbelievingly. It takes a while to acclimatize to the high pressure screenplay of Arundhati.
Once you learn to handle it with the seatbelts fastened and oxygen mask kept ready, the movie takes you through a detailed and gory portrayal of a family haunted by the ubiquitous evil spirit. Only one person can stop the force. And you know who it is, even before the movie has actually hit the marquee.
Let us be very clear. This is not a movie for everyone. If you are faint hearted or under 18 years of age, stay clear of this movie. Please do not take your kids to the show. They cannot handle it. It is too violent, gory, bloody, sadistic for them. I pity the kids in the movie hall today. I can give it to you in writing that they would not be sleeping peacefully for the next one week. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are any long term psychological impact on these children.
That makes me wonder. Why do parents, who are otherwise very responsible and wish for the best for their kids, expose their little angels to movies such as Arundhati? The movie would earn an “R” rating in the US – Not even a 18.
Please do not take chances. Leave your kids with their grandparents if you are planning to watch this movie.
That said, there is not a single dull moment in this movie. The action starts the moment the censor certificate disappears. The songs do not stand out. You won’t even notice them. The director has ensured that the tempo doesn’t come down anywhere. The first half, the interval bang, the second half, the climax – such differentiation has no place in this movie. Every scene has all the elements to excite you and make you wait for the next scene. Only, before your wait starts, the next scene ends.
The story is pretty much predictable and the end is what you have foreseen in the beginning. There are some silly rituals and methods thanks to the creative liberty available in fantasy genre. The process of setting up the grand annihilation of the evil spirit starts to look very contrived after you leave the theatre and your dazed feeling begins to wear down. However when you are in the middle of the action, such thoughts don’t cross your mind and spoil your experience.
Anushka doesn’t disappoint. She proves that given a good role, she can come up a credible performance. Her dancing skills however are inadequate in the context of this story. The classical dance movements fall absolutely flat. A great classical dance performance helps in elevating the scene to the highest level.(For instance, Shobana’s stellar show in Mani Chitratazha – the original of Chandramukhi.) Discounting this minor hiccup, Anushka has risen to the occasion.
The rest of the cast is adequate. Another stand out performance is given by Shayaji Shinde – as a good hearted Phakir who helps Anushka in her battle with the evil spirit. The evil is efficiently personified by Sonu Sood. The role requires him to look menacing and – basically “evil”. He manages that commendably.
Fortunately, there is no comedy track diluting the experience. The CGI work is pretty good though not in the same league as Hollywood. Given the budget constraints we have in the regional cinema circuit in India, the graphics work is fantabulous. You are not going to see anything like this in the Telugu Cinema – for a long time to come.
Background score is very good. Koti has turned in a lovely score though the first song reminds you of “Amma Brahma demudo” song from Govinda Govinda.
I have a question though. If you have seen the movie, can you tell me who the husband of Arundhati(Jejamma) is?
Final Word: Strictly not for children and for people who cannot enjoy sadistic horror. For the rest, don’t miss the movie.
