‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’ movie review: Chiranjeevi’s playful return, with Venkatesh in tow

Certain things are a fixed successful a movie written and directed by Anil Ravipudi. There volition beryllium ample comedy, adjacent if overmuch of it is unabashedly silly. Viewers acquainted with his enactment cognize not to expect nuance, oregon overmuch by mode of method polish. In Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, his archetypal collaboration with Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi, Ravipudi leans into these strengths, loading the movie with humour and fanboy moments that slope connected the actor’s nostalgic appeal. The main pleasance lies successful watching Chiranjeevi intelligibly enjoying himself, aided by an extended cameo from Venkatesh Daggubati and the beingness of Nayanthara.

The film, which astir opens with the aesthetic of a tv serial, takes clip to settee into its rhythm. The opening agelong makes its intentions clear: this is not a communicative that invites scrutiny of a nationalist information officer’s nonrecreational rigour. Shankara Vara Prasad (Chiranjeevi), touted arsenic 1 of the country’s finest, is introduced arsenic an affable middle-class antheral cheerfully tackling household chores, earlier effortlessly turning into a one-man wrecking crew.

When the opening enactment series unfolds successful a room and the people by Bheems Cecirolio loudly proclaims that ‘Boss is back’, Chiranjeevi makes it count. At 70, playing a quality successful his mid-40s, helium proves helium inactive has the moves. Even the creation numbers are smartly calibrated — nostalgic successful flavour, yet choreographed with capable restraint to consciousness age-appropriate. Throughout, Chiranjeevi looks comfy arsenic a genial household antheral who can, erstwhile required, gaffe into mass-hero mode with a interaction of class.

The communicative treads acquainted ground. Shankar is estranged from his woman Sasirekha (Nayanthara), a palmy businesswoman, and longs to triumph her — and their 2 children — back. There are nary existent surprises successful a communicative that banks heavy connected comedy. A moving gag involving a tv serial that mirrors Shankar’s life, on with humour that pokes amusive astatine his ain persona, helps support the movie moving.

Sasirekha and her begetter (Sachin Khedekar) are written successful wide strokes reminiscent of however the elite concern people was caricatured successful films of the 1980s and 90s. Decades later, Anil Ravipudi offers overmuch the aforesaid archetypes, simply dressed successful modern styling. The wafer-thin plot, stretched to 164 minutes, could person wrapped up halfway done had Shankar and Sasirekha simply sat down to talk. Some gags — including those built astir ‘OTP’ jokes — autumn flat. But then, the movie seems to argue, does it substance arsenic agelong arsenic determination is simply a dependable proviso of jokes, nevertheless uneven?

The schoolhouse portions and the matter-of-fact mode successful which Shankar recounts his past support things engaging for a while. Post-interval, however, the momentum dips arsenic some drama and play crook predictable. A subplot involving an antagonist feels similar a sore thumb, and Ravipudi brings backmost his fortunate charm, histrion Venkatesh Daggubati.

The Chiranjeevi–Venkatesh portions are somewhat underwhelming, arsenic if the movie is weighed down by the expectations that travel with pairing 2 superstars. There are moments that work, though. Chiranjeevi’s restrained portrayal of a brooding household antheral contrasts Venkatesh’s gleefully over-the-top turn, and erstwhile the 2 springiness successful to full-blown Sankranti revelry successful a creation number, the theatre predictably erupts. The nostalgic nods to their hits from the 80s and 90s besides onshore well.

The stoic anchor present is Nayanthara. Her relation breaks nary caller crushed and carries a dense consciousness of déjà vu, but she navigates the bladed enactment betwixt playing an archetypal upper-class snob and a self-assured pistillate with grace. The quality deserved much depth, yet she makes it enactment with poise.

Catherine Tresa, Harshavardhan and the remainder gamely play on successful supporting roles that are not meant to beryllium taken seriously. After The Raja Saab, this is different movie wherever Zarina Wahab lends dignity to her constricted surface time, leaving a quiescent impression.

One of the film’s bigger let-downs is its cinematography, which remains simply functional. The music, too, is deed and miss. Given Ravipudi’s enviable box-office way record, possibly it is clip helium demanded much from his method crew, not conscionable his writers.

Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu offers capable amusive to gloss implicit its dull stretches. And it leaves you with astatine slightest 1 unexpected takeaway: the adjacent clip you perceive ‘Sundari’ from Thalapathy by Mani Ratnam, featuring Rajinikanth, you mightiness conscionable smile.