Movie :Mukunda
Rating :2.5/5
Cast: Varun Tej, Pooja Hegde, Rao Ramesh and Others
Directed by: Sreekanth Addala Produced by: Nallamalupu Bujji
Banner: Leo Productions
Music by: Mickey J Mayer
Release Date: 2014-12-24
Mukunda had some buzz prior to its release as another hero from Mega family is making his entry into film industry. Nagababu’s son Varun Tej got good feedback for his handsome looks and made an impression that he is one to watch out for. Did Varun Tej live up to the expectations in Mukunda?
Story :
This film is mainly about a clash between crooked Municipal Chairman (Rao Ramesh) and Mukunda, a hot blooded youth (Varun Tej). One of Mukunda’s friends is in love with a girl that belongs to Chairman’s family. Chairman and his henchmen are after him and Mukunda stands in between. Finally Mukunda decides to bring Chairman down by taking away his power.
Performances:
Varun Tej:Varun Tej is handsome. He is certainly among the best in Telugu Cinema when it comes to looks and screen presence. He did a decent job for a debutant. But more is expected out of this mega hero. Maybe the hero characterization in this film is too one dimensional for Varun Tej to showcase emotions. He could become a bankable hero provided he takes care about the choice of his scripts and polish his acting skills.
Pooja Hegde:Pooja Hegde is cute and suits the character of an average town girl. She hardly has a role to play in this and shined whenever the camera focuses on her.
Rao Ramesh:Rao Ramesh is a revelation. His menacing presence and wonderful dialog delivery takes the villain character to another level. Rao Ramesh deserves and award for this one. He is the highlight of this film.
Others:Prakash Raj character is not written well. Although there is a good conclusion to his character the buildup to it induces boredom. Raghubabu and Ali didn’t provide any comic relief. Sekhar Kammula’s cameo is just okay.
Technicalities:
Direction:Sreekanth Addala who has directed films like Kotha Bangaru Lokam and Seetamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu that hardly had any action in them surprises us this time with an action filled rural rustic drama. There are glimpses of brilliance shown by the acclaimed director, but he couldn’t engage the audience with riveting drama. Except for the flashes of brilliance here and there, this is a disappointing effort from the director. He shouldn’t have experimented too much with a newcomer.
Others:Songs are soulful but almost all of them are misplaced. Even the picturization of the songs is average. Mickey did his best as the music director. Cinematography is too good. Editing is patchy. There is no connection between many scenes. Production values are grand.
Thumbs Up:
Varun Tej
Rao Ramesh
Songs
Thumbs Down:
Editing
Slow Pace
No Entertainment
Analysis:
Mukunda is not a run of the mill films for sure. It has a different premise and strong characters. However it lacked a proper story and that has affected the screenplay to a great extent. Despite having its moments Mukunda falls short of being a good film. Deliberate attempt to stay away from commercial elements will eventually affect the prospects of the film at the box office.
Apart from impressive scenes between the hero and villain there is nothing else in Mukunda to keep you hooked. Hero and Heroine never talks in this film but they are madly in love with each other. Call it variety or madness, but the romantic track is one of the biggest weak links of the film. Not many would like this novel attempt from Sreekanth Addala.
Mukunda is a very serious drama with lots and lots of action, which seems pointless after some time. There is not a single scene where the protagonist is put to test. Director should have at least concentrated more on the hero, villain tussle when he is not so interested about any other emotions or interactions in this film. To sum it up, Mukunda marks a decent debut for Varun Tej, but fails as a movie. You may watch it for Rao Ramesh’s career defining performance and Mayer’s soundtrack.
Verdict: Mega debut gone wrong.
