‘Andhra King Taluka’ movie review: Ram Pothineni and Upendra lead this feel-good tribute to cinema

Some bonds defy rational explanation, similar the devotion an ardent instrumentality feels for a movie star. What drives idiosyncratic to spell to bonzer lengths for an histrion who whitethorn ne'er cognize they exist? Andhra King Taluka, written and directed by Mahesh Babu P, frames itself arsenic a “biopic of a fan” to research precisely this question. Through the fictional travel of Sagar (Ram Pothineni), an admirer of superstar Surya Kumar (Upendra), fondly called the “Andhra King”, the movie examines however fandom shapes individuality and ambition.

Mahesh Babu steers wide of the darker edges of obsession dissimilar Maneesh Sharma’s Fan, with Shah Rukh Khan, oregon the pitfalls of fandom depicted successful the Telugu anthology Anger Tales, featuring Venkatesh Maha. He besides avoids interrogating whether stars exploit their instrumentality bases. Instead, helium crafts a feel-good, coming-of-age play successful which cinema becomes fuel: sparking Sagar’s dreams, inspiring his village, and yet looping backmost to assistance the precise prima helium worships.

The communicative of mainstream cinema and its ecosystem gets an arsenic mainstream attraction — flamboyant colours, songs, dances, romance and tears. Set successful 2002, earlier smartphones and the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the movie uses agrarian East Godavari arsenic a backdrop wherever moviegoing is simply a communal ritual and radical readily question from colony to colony to ticker their favourite stars.

Interestingly, a movie that celebrates cinema, stardom and fandom opens with the superstar’s decline. In his lavish location lined with awards, Surya (Upendra) confronts a paper study likening him to a mounting sun. The metaphors are direct: Surya the star, Sagar his devoted instrumentality from an land with nary electricity, and Mahalakshmi (Bhagyashri Borse) arsenic the inevitable symbolic presence. Both men request wealth — Surya to past a slump, Sagar to beryllium the powerfulness of hard enactment and belief. Sagar’s unwavering loyalty is rooted successful a puerility infinitesimal of cinema-fuelled hope, contrasted with the realism of his person Eshwar (Rahul Ramakrishna).

Everything revolves astir theatres and the civilization astir them — from instrumentality cutouts and firecrackers to the contempt of theatre owners who presumption specified fandom arsenic disruptive. The romance betwixt Sagar and Mahalakshmi begins predictably but gradually nudges the movie into a coming-of-age track. Andhra King Taluka takes clip to settle, but erstwhile it finds its rhythm, it holds attraction contempt its generous 166-minute runtime.

Some of the strongest moments amusement however a emotion for cinema tin physique an ecosystem that benefits everyone. Yet contrivances undercut the impact: a astute country is often followed by a perfunctory enactment beat, slowing the pace. When momentum dips, the performances clasp the movie together.

Ram Pothineni sheds his accustomed surface persona to play a naïve, earnest fan; it’s 1 of his much grounded performances successful a agelong time. Bhagyashri Borse follows her caller enactment successful Kaantha with different assured performance, portraying her quality with grace and strength. Rahul Ramakrishna’s deadpan transportation lifts his well-written role, and Rao Ramesh and Murali Sharma stay reliably effectual successful their little parts. The existent astonishment is Upendra, who brings a quiet, lived-in prime to a middle-class superstar confronting his ain decline.

Vivek–Mervin’s songs, particularly ‘Nuvvunte Chaley’, enactment good wrong the narrative.

Andhra King Taluka is simply a reasonably engaging, adjacent if familiar, reflection connected the powerfulness of cinema. The recurring images of theatres and screens underscore its cardinal idea: airy astatine the extremity of the tunnel. The instrumentality and the prima springiness each different anticipation — a poetic interaction that mightiness person resonated adjacent much with tighter editing.