Writer – Director: Boyapati Sreenu

After a blockbuster like ‘Akhanda’, Boyapati Sreenu has teamed up with a young hero like Ram. They made ‘Skanda’ together and people confirmed that it is an out-and-out Boyapati film ever since the ‘First Thunder’ came out. This mass action entertainer arriving with a lot of riding on it. Let us see if the film met the expectations or not.

Story:

When the marriage of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (Ajay Purkar) is happening, the Telangana Chief Minister’s (Sarath Lohitaswa) son takes her way. Due to this, the AP Chief Minister seeks to take revenge of Telangana CM and his son. All the contract killers get ready to attack the Telangana CM one after the other. But Rudrakanti Bhaskar (Ram) comes in between and kills all of them. It is revealed that he is AP CM’s man. After entering Telangana CM’s house, he takes not just AP CM’s daughter but Telangana CM’s daughter as well. We later find out that he has an ulterior motive and targeted both the Chief Ministers. Who is Bhaskar? Why did he do this? Answers to all these questions form the rest of the story.

Analysis:

Over the years, Boyapati Sreenu has done a fantastic job of convincing the audience that he makes certain kinds of cinema which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Thanks to it, people know what they are stepping into when they enter the theatres. The audience knows that they have to keep the logic and gravity aside when they watch a Boyapati film. ‘Skanda’ is no different as he made it clear with the very first glimpse, teaser and every other promotional content. Looking at the way he made Ram turn the tractor in 360 degrees or kill hundreds of men with two swords shows that the movie is going to be a feast for the masses. People who expect those over-the-top elevations and oora mass action sequences will definitely enjoy the film. If you are looking for a fresh story and unique treatment, then you have entered the wrong theatre. It is a typical Boyapati mark movie where he used Ram’s energy in the best possible way and tried to entertain the audience.

It has been proved that Boyapati’s style suits no other hero except for Balakrishna. His ‘Vinaya Vidheya Rama’ with Ram Charan became a huge trolling material. People couldn’t see Charan in such an over-the-top role especially after ‘Rangasthalam’. In ‘Skanda’, he did not go ballistic and tried to please the audience with huge action scenes which makes you feel that they are over-the-top but you don’t laugh at them. The movie is filled with hero elevations and action sequences. But whether it is action or love or sentiment or any emotion, there is a little bit of extra in everything. In the two-hour and forty-five-minute movie, the hero appears on screen for over two hours and he fights for one hour in that. He also mouths one punchline after another. While Balayya can walk away with all such scenes with cheers and whistles from the audience, it is a bit weird to see Ram doing all these. Boyapati should have toned down the over-the-top scenes a bit more.

Coming to the story, it is revenge drama where the hero takes revenge for what happened to his dad’s friend. He goes against the Chief Ministers of both the states. Logic completely leaves your screens as a millionaire comes to a village and elevates the hero endlessly at marriage for no reason. They don’t have any connection to the story but they were just used for elevations. Ram’s introduction scene is wonderful and the interval scene worked out well too. Boyapati tried to bring emotions with a family angle and the flashback portions are okay. The grand scale of action scenes in the second half will impress the masses. If you ignore the story and screenplay and enjoy what’s happening on the screen including the bloodbath and gravity-defying scenes, ‘Skanda’ is a perfect watch for you.

Performances:

Ram looks like a very soft person but he can impress everyone in a mass role as well. ‘Ismart Shankar’ is the best example of it. He worked very hard to fit into the Boyapati mark mass character. His look and screen presence suited the role. We might take some time to get used to seeing Ram in such a heavy-duty mass role but he convinces you soon. Ram never did such a mass role in his career and his fans will be mighty impressed to see him in a Boyapati mark role. He was fantastic in fights and dance sequences. Heroine Sreeleela is just a glam doll in the movie. Compared to her, Saiee Manjrekar got a better role. But she looks very regular in the movie. Daggubati Raja and Srikanth did well in their roles while both the villains were quite ordinary. There was no use in getting such an experienced actor like Gauthami for such an insignificant role. Boyapati failed to use her acting prowess.

Technicians:

Thaman’s music was one of the main pillars in the success of ‘Akhanda’ but the same cannot be said about his work in ‘Skanda’. His songs were not that great but it was Ram and Sreeleela who made them work with their energetic dances. His background score is way too loud for one’s liking but it worked well for the mass tone of the film. He did a decent job overall. Santosh Detakee’s cinematography is fine. There are a lot of slow-motion shots in the movie and yellow and red tones are used a lot. The production values are top-notch as the makers did not compromise at all. Boyapati Sreenu once again delivers what is expected of him. There are huge fight sequences and ample hero elevations in the film. But the rotten story and predictable screenplay play the spoilsport. Considering who ‘Skanda’ is aimed at, it may work well.

Verdict: ‘Skanda’ – Weak Story & Peak Elevations! Only Mass!!