Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha - Movie Review

What’s it about!

The movie is all about how a timid guy turns into hero to win his lover. Krishna (Nani) loves Mahalakshmi (Mehreen), both of them hail from Hindupur. While Krishna is wayward, Mahalakshmi belongs to a rich faction family. Mahalakshmi's relative ACP Srikanth (Sampath) is an ACP in Hyderabad and he sends his kids to Hindupur for holidays. One day, an attack happens on Mahalakshmi's family that spirals the drama completely different way. Nani is entrusted the job to transport the kids to their parents in Hyderabad. The drama moves on a different note.

Analysis

Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha is second film from director Hanu Raghavapudi whose debut movie ‘Andala Rakshasi’ received mixed reviews. But he was appreciated for his distinct visual style by all. In his second movie, he has written a story that has elements which appeal to mass audiences as well.

The story has four threads - romantic story between hero and heroine, two faction groups attacking each other, hero transporting kids to Hyderabad and an international gang after an ACP. All these are interlinked but we see less romantic drama in this supposedly 'Prema Gaadha' and get to watch about other threads. As long as the director puts the gear on love thread, it is entertaining but as he keeps mixing all these, it turns heavy.

Where the movie works largely is in romantic thread. Nani using Satyam Rajesh as scapegoat in his teasing banter with heroine Mehreen is highly entertaining. The Brahmaji's episode in police station is a LOL moment.

The concept of the movie has scope for more such hilarious situations but the director has used it in limited way. The first one hour of the movie is breezy and entertaining but the interval bang seems not convincing, or rather it has come too late. 

After the interval, the film focuses on two threads simultaneously - a gang after these kids and hero trying to transport the kids safely to Hyderabad. Here, the director has inserted some unnecessary episodes like a cat and mouse game at a wedding which drags on and duets in middle of the serious drama. Pace of the movie is uneven and runtime is excessive. 

Post interval the songs come only to break the mood of the narration. As the story point is already revealed by interval, the screenplay in the second half lacks dum to hold such lengthy proceedings.  

Nani who has proven his acting skills in films like “Eega” and “Bhale Bhale Magadivoy” comes up with another good performance. The “evolution” of Krishna, from timid guy to a brave person who takes on the mighty is well-established by the director and Nani has shown the arc perfectly. He is too good at comedy. The much-hyped angle of Nani as Nandamuri Balakrishna fan gels with the story but makes just an okay impression.

Mehreen has come up with decent performance in her first film. Satyam Rajesh as friend to Nani and Brahmaji, have provided some good comedy. Murali Sharma make his presence felt. Sampath Raj and Harish Uthaman are at their best.

Music director Vishal Chandrasekhar, who is from the school of maestro A R Rehman, has shown spark in his debut. Two songs are impressive. Lyrics are also good.

One aspect of the movie that appeals is the splendid visuals captured by Yuvaraj, the debutant cinematographer. Like his guru cinematographer Rathnavelu, he has an eye for beautiful frames. Seems cuch of the movie is shot in some virgin locations in Rayalaseema and adjacent Karnataka. Pace of the movie is uneven and gets slacken as the movie proceeds, the editing work should have been better.

As writer and director, Hanu Raghavapudi has shown his mark once again in telling a story differently with rich visuals. He has acquired his distinct style and that is visible in this movie too. The producers have put in huge money to make the visually stunning. 

Bottom-line:

Krishnagaadi Veera Prema Gaadha is a neat and decent love story set in the backdrop of Hindupur with rich visuals and some hilarious moments in the first half. Length is its main drawback.