Brand Babu - Movie Review

Brand Babu', starring Sumanth Shailendra and Eesha Rebba in leading roles, hit the screens this Friday.  Let's find out what works and what doesn't.

Story:

Diamond Babu (Sumanth Shailendra) is the son of a rich man, played by Murali Sharma.  The father-son duo are arrogant about their high status.  They use expensive branded products and look down upon anyone who doesn't use branded products.

Radha (Eesha Rebba) is a servant maid working at the Home Minister's house.  The HM's daughter Pavani (Poojitha Ponnada) is her all-weather friend.  

A mischief played by Radha's sister leads to complications.  Radha has been using the phone number of the HM's daughter. When he receives 'I love you' messages from the number, Diamond Babu starts believing that the HM's daughter loves him.    

This confusion leads to a comedy of errors where Radha thinks that Babu is an ice-cream vendor who loves her sincerely.  On the other hand, the hero believes that he is wooing Pavani.    

But when the secret is out, what does the hero's arrogant father do?  How does the heroine's family react?  What complications does all this lead to?  That's the second half.

Analysis:

Did you ever try TV serials?  In Episode #20, mother-in-law is shouting at her daughter-in-law; husband is irritated with his wife; sister-in-law is conspiring against 'Kodalu'.   In Episode #256, mother-in-law is shouting at her daughter-in-law; husband is irritated with his wife; sister-in-law is conspiring against 'Kodalu'.  

Similarly, this is how it's in 'Brand Babu'.  Scene after scene, the hero with pride is bragging about his status.  Scene after scene, the hero's father is  bragging about his status.  Once in a while, the hero is insulting the poor and middle-class people.   Once in a while, the hero's father is insulting the poor and middle-class people.  Director P Prabhakar, incidentally, comes from a TV serial background.  

Written by Maruthi, this film is a textbook case of what happens when the writer is obsessed with one word.  And the word is 'Brand'.  Every three minutes or so, some or the other character uses this word without fail.  

The film gifts a new acronym to the Telugu States: PM.  It means Poor and Middle-class people.  They all start a movement against the hero's family.  When we were children, our teachers told us that the society will come to a standstill if barbers or sweepers or drivers or any other class of workers stop working.  Maruthi has used this lesson to pen this film's second half, which is high on stupidity and low on conviction.  

This reviewer is yet to understand what kind of a heroine is Radha.  The more the hero insults her and her social status, the more she becomes grateful to him.  

Throughout the film, Sumanth Shailendra puts a one-note expression.  If ever he launches a brand, he should call it 'One Note'.  His character is so immaturely written that in every frame (with some exceptions), he is invariably seen with comedians Venu and P Sai Kumar.  

Murali Sharma is that mindless millionaire who does exactly those things which he shouldn't do and which no sensible adult will ever do in the real world.  The character is so immaturely written that immediately after escaping death by luck, he talks insultingly of poor and middle-class people on the hospital bed as if he has some bipolar disorder or dementia.

If Eesha Rebba and Poojitha Ponnada are wasted, the likes of Murali Sharma and Raja Ravindra don't make an impact.  The only scene that works is the interval bang and this too is because Venu is there.  

JB's music, the cinematography and other technical departments don't reach even director Prabhakar's expectations, forget the audience's expectations.  

Bottomline: Maruthi has seriously penned nonsense. Childish characters and unemotional scenes are the only features of this circus called 'Brand Babu'.