Sunday, December 13, 2009

Post-Mortem : SALEEM

My Title: Saleem

My Tag Line: Thanu evaru anedi sariga cheppaledu, but definitega box-office daggara dammu chupaledu.

I love to watch Y.V.S’s films more than once, repeatedly in theatres & also on DVDs. But I was badly disappointed with his work w.r.t OKKA MOGADU. This time I thought & wished he would make a comeback with this film, giving a much needed break to Vishnu. But with this movie he cleared the confusion of one gossip/talk which was making rounds, though sounds funny!!! “Yes, Y.V.S only made OKKA MAGADU”.

I liked the basic concept/subject/plot/sub plots of the movie, excluding the geography he selected to make a 2.40 Hrs package.

- Family bonding, affection, after effects – between a telugu girl who grew up away from home, in western culture and her family.

- A girl leading a so-called love life without clarity between attraction & love.

- A triangle love story in which a boy changes & wins back his girl who ditched him badly for getting closer to other guy in the same of so-called love.

I felt these are the only important & useful points/plots in the story/movie. To make this a 2.40 Hrs package we need some geography, additions, songs, fights, comedy etc which altogether put in a good mix call it as screenplay or something else, which is very bad in this movie.

The points which I felt above, got totally diluted and in fact uninteresting at times with a biggest thing of choosing “Mafia” backdrop as geography. Taking this, Y.V.S couldn’t properly weave the various threads of love & relationship which are vital.

A good director has to give some hints well before related to the forth coming surprises, but it is bad of giving a hint and again trying to make one divert from it, I would sometimes term it as a cheating screenplay.

In a scene , Illeana speaks over phone, saying about her marriage proposal and asking the other person to come ASAP. Here the director gives a small hint that “there is / might be, someone in her life”, in the same scene, the person whom Illeana is speaking to is termed as a girl from Vishnu’s conception, when actually that person is a GUY and is a main part of this triangle love story.

It is clear that Vishnu is having a flashback, whenever he tries to say something he will be abrupted by the other person. But repeating the same kills’ interest of the audience in knowing about Vishnu’s flashback.

Well, the flashback, when revealed looks silly, it would be more fruitful if first it is answered “who is this saleem?” then saying cock & bull stories about “what he does?”. Here he is shown as a Gangster, without saying or showing anything about his family, parents, childhood, how he grew up?, how he became gangster? Etc etc.

In a scene Vishnu delivers a good dialogue which says like… “our culture treats sex as a divine thing used for creation , that too inside 4 walls, but western culture does the same as exhibition”. In this same movie there are some scenes between Vishnu & Illeana where he will utter some double meaning dialogues, about the structure of her body, where Mastar Bharath, younger brother to Illeana will be analyzing her figure measurements based on Vishnu’s dialogues. Where is the value given to our tradition & culture? What a culture are you projecting out?

First of all “Mafia” backdrop killed the essence of the basic subject, then why do we need graphics in this movie, that too for each & every unimportant situation. Also the graphics used are so substandard that they made those particular scenes more stupid. [Especially whenever an Airplane/Flight comes on screen, Vishnu’s stunts from a building top … more to add to this list]

What is the period of this story running in the movie? Hope it is current time, 2008-2009. Then where do we, in a village our A.P, still see a punishment something like “ooru bahishkarana” to villain. Please do remember PEDARAYUDU days are gone!!!

Mohan Babu is totally underutilized. Even for comedy sake can one imagine an English Teacher coming to teach him English, starts the course from A-Apple, B-Boy ? Am not searching for logics here!!! If that was taken in to consideration, a famous, big businessman in Europe can’t survive without English even though a translator is there.

In the introduction, in a scene, Mohan Babu, says that he used translator because he doesn’t want to speak English and wants to continue with his own mother tongue Telugu in Europe. In the same scene, when he is known that he got cheated by that translator, he immediately asks for an English Teacher to learn English in 26 days. If you know that there is a sudden variation, can’t you take a good care in dialogues which flow in the same scene?

Vishnu is a surprise here. His slim looks are impressive. He has shown good ease in dance movements. But sorry to say, all his best efforts for action sequences are purely wasted on screen with too much of wire/thread works & shoddy graphics. His efforts can be felt in doing justification to the character given, but screenplay let down his work.

Illeana – if she has something or major thing to do this in movie, then it is her regular – routine job, navel show, her trademark (?) shaking dance movements, irrespective of the song & scene. Not knowing, either choreographer feels it is apt or couldn’t they make her do anything new.

The major part of 1st half was dealt in a home atmosphere using ATHADU house here, with a gang, just to show a large family. But here the head of the family is Napoleon, who is a bad choice. In fact, at one moment I felt they couldn’t take Nasir, as ATHADU resemblance will become more in quantity. [Hero is a shooter, killer, same HOUSE set, large family etc]

Except M.S.Narayana & Ali we don’t find any comedian, also their intro’s promise good and they ditch us finally.

What happened to Y.V.S, who is one of the best ever, especially in last 10 yrs , in picturising songs? Except “Mama Mia” & “Kalthi Kalthi” none are not-so interesting on screen. “Baby Baby” & “I wanna talk to you”, seems like having similar/same choreography of Illeana’s trademark (?) shakings, with different costumes and locations, where Vishnu will be just standing & roaming here & there!

In “I wanna talk to you”, Vishnu will be roaming with a Camera , shooting Illeana’s beauty, but in the same song, loads of Vishnu’s developed photos are shown hanging, what a contrasting creativity!!!

In “freak out” song, why some pad is used for Jaya Prakash Reddy, on his stomach, to show it huge? He is by natural a big size personality, right? Then what do you want to show/tell there by using some pad like thing under his kurta? [I felt so. Sorry, if am mistaken.]

Is there any good connection between 1st half & 2nd half apart from 2,3 dialogues used between lead pair? At least once, a small photo is being reused, especially anything worth to mention related to family? Are their sufferings, pain shown in middle anywhere?

This kind of things, improperly woven multiple threads would also lead to one serious feel to the audience, something like “SINGLE TICKET, TWO MOVIES – but SINGLE CLIMAX”

With respect to the basic concepts …

Krishna Vamshi’s - CHANDAMAMA & SASIREKHA PARINAYAM are mirror images.

Y.V.S’s – DEVADASU & SALEEM are not exactly, but can term in some aspects.

Y.V.S - I Still have good hopes on you. Eager to hear about your next immediate Project.

Vishnu - you are on track. Please take a good care of scripts & also directors.

Sandeep Chowtha - Please relate to telugu cinema especially in BGM work.

Best Wishes.

Mudra.

Movie ReView : SALEEM


Trailer:

Y.V.S who was termed as a minimum guarantee pure & pucca commercial director, one of the best in Tollywood directed this movie after his first debacle “OKKA MOGADU” with Bala Krishna last year. Vishnu who is looking for a good break acted in this after his disaster “KRISHNARJUNA” with P.Vasu. Illeana joined Y.V.S [after "DEVADASU"] and Vishnu [for the first time] having a good hit recently, KICK with Ravi Teja & Surender Reddy. Last but not least, it is not M.M.Keeravani who worked for this movie , the job is done by Sandeep Chowtha.

Title: Good Title got wasted. Not properly justified.

Flavor: Action packed Love Story.

Story: (Y.V.S, Gopi Mohan, BVS Ravi ) : [I do not show personal interest in revealing the story of any film, that too in detail, unless I feel it is necessary or even if I reveal there wouldn’t be much effect for someone who will watch the film after going through my view on that particular movie.] The basic concept is good, but backdrop killed the essence.

Screenplay: (Y.V.S.Chowdhary ): Biggest villain for this movie right from the scene 1.

Direction: (Y.V.S.Chowdhary ): Good in parts, but depending upon unnecessary graphics spoiled the best “half” efforts kept.

Dialogues: (Chintapalli Ramana ) : Good in parts

Lyrics: (Chandra Bose ): Good. Very good for “Kalthi Kalthi” & “I wanna talk to you” songs.

Music: (Sandeep Chowta ): Good to hear, though not in a range of YVS’s earlier albums, but not equally good on screen. Background music is not good on the whole.

Cinematography: (C Ram Prasad ): Very Average

Editing: (Kotagiri Venkateshwara Rao ): I say 2nd villain of this movie, next to Screenplay.

Choreography: (I missed in Titles ) : Good in parts.

Action/Fights: (Vijay): Very Average to Below Average, too much of wire/thread work.

Art: ( Anand Sai ): Not worth mentioning.

Production Values: (Dr. M.Mohan Babu - Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures): Money poured is not visible on screen in good quality.

Performances:

Vishnu: Looks good, did well in all departments, showed ease & improvement.

Illeana: Routine, routine nothing new to offer, in fact brings boredom with her trademark (?) steps.

Mohan Babu: Is underutilized. But still, he is good in his limits.

Kaveri Jha: Strictlyyyyyyy for glamour.

Venkat: I felt he is taken, as no other alternative.

Others: SERIOUSLY nothing worth to mention about.

Publicity: Not up to the mark.



USP: Combination craze Y.V.S + Vishnu + Illeana + Mohan Babu + Sandeep Chowtha


+ Points:

New & energetic Vishnu

Illeana’s glamour

--Points:

Screenplay

Editing

Graphics

Below average picturisation of Average songs

No good comedy

Public Talk: Head Ache Movie. 1st O.K, 2nd Half ROD.

My Feel: I could watch complete movie without any headache, liked the basic concept of the movie Vishnu’s work & few songs.

A must watch for movie passionate, who can look at how a good subject get's killed with bad backdrop and screenplay accordingly.