Gopala Gopala Movie Review – 3.25/5

Rating : 3.25/5
Cast: Venkatesh, Pawan Kalyan, Shriya and others
Directed by: Kishore Kumar Parthasani
Produced by: Suresh, Sarath Marar
Banner: Suresh Movies, Northstar Entertainment
Music by: Anup Rubens
Release Date: 2015-01-10

The most awaited movie of the season, Gopala Gopala is out in theaters. Venkatesh and Pawan Kalyan’s combination has generated huge hype for this film, which is a remake of Bollywood hit, Oh My God. Venkatesh played the role of a commoner who questions the existence of God and Pawan Kalyan plays the God who gives answer to all his questions.

Story :
Gopala Rao (Venkatesh) is an atheist who doesn’t believe in God. He sells the idols of Gods and makes a fortune out of it. One day his shop completely collapses due to earthquake and the insurance company rejects to give him any compensation as it is an ‘Act of God’. Gopala Rao takes this to court and files case against God. When Gopala Rao falls in trouble Lord Krishna (Pawan Kalyan) comes to his rescue.

Performances:
Venkatesh: Venkatesh is very good as a common middle class man, who doesn’t trust in the God. His character is entertaining as well as enlightening. He is too good in the court scenes. This is yet another matured role for him after Drishyam.

Pawan Kalyan: Pawan Kalyan is undoubtedly the biggest asset to this film. His screen presence and aura adds value to the character. Pawan Kalyan who is usually known for energetic roles has to stay away from all his antics and look pleasant throughout the film. He did a very good job in getting the Lord Krishna act right without hitting a single bad note as an actor. This is definitely one of his best performances till date. Watch out for his simple yet effective dance moves in Bhaje Bhaje song.

Shriya has a very limited role and she is alright as the middleclass housewife. Mithun Chakravarthy who also did the same character in the original is too good with his body language and mannerisms. Posani Krishna Murali is alright. Krishnudu is good as the loyal assistant of Venkatesh. Rest of the cast chipped in with decent performances.

Kishore Kumar Parthasani did some subtle changes to the script without disturbing the soul of the original. This is not an easy film to deal with. The subject is very controversial and a single wrong step could hurt the sentiments of many religious people. Kishore also took up the job of handling two big stars with such a sensitive subject to deal with. He has balanced everything so well and pulled off the film really well. This is a faithful remake of Oh My God, which comes close to it in terms of execution. Kishore deserves a pat on his back for his hard work.

Music by Anup Rubens is good. Bhaje Bhaje song stands out and so does the background music. Cinematography is good. Editing is perfect. Dialogues are well written. Production values are up to the mark. Visual effects could have been better. Graphics are tacky in some key scenes. We expect better output from a film having such a huge star cast.

Thumbs Up:
Venkatesh and Pawan Kalyan
Kishore’s Direction
Concept

Thumbs Down:
Slow pace
Weak Ending

Analysis:
Oh My God itself is a well-made satirical film which was backed up by superb performance of Paresh Rawal. That film which was made on a small budget has done wonders at the box office. However Telugu remake of Oh My God chose to have big stars to back the content. This is some sort of experiment and a huge risk taken by the makers. People expect a paisa vasool masala entertainer from this star cast. But Gopala Gopala is a concept based film that relies on the content.

There will be two types of reactions to this film. One section of audience who goes with very high expectations looking at the lead actors, will feel disappointed with the film. They don’t get their ticket’s worth even with Venkatesh and Pawan Kalyan in the lead. It would be hard for diehard fans of Pawan Kalyan to accept him in a subdued supporting role. The other section of audience who look for different entertainment will be pleased with Gopala Gopala. It offers ample entertainment and remains faithful to the subject irrespective of the star cast. They will give thumbs up to everyone who has dared to make this attempt.

Gopala Gopala is neither a typical commercial entertainer nor a family drama. It is entirely different from the routine genre of movies we are accustomed to. It preaches us to see the God in the fellow humans. There is sharp satire on our blind beliefs in the God. People who make a living out of ‘God Fearing People’ will get hurt by this film which directly targets them. Gopala Gopala is a decent film with strong content. This film doesn’t need any stars as it has enough potential in the content. But the makers felt that having big stars could take this film to wider audience. This theory could also impact the film’s result as audience will expect more from its stars. Pawan and Venkatesh did their best to shoulder the film and they will play a huge role in the box office prospects of it. However, commercial result of Gopala Gopala will depend on how the masses embraces it.

Verdict: A Message Oriented Film