Chalo - Movie Review

A border line between two states was drawn in middle of the village some 60 years ago and since then the villagers are fighting with each other due to an incident that happened at the time of division. The fictional village is Tiruppuram. If anybody  crosses the line from one village to the other, the person will be killed. Such is the rivalry between these Andhra and Tamil folks. What happens if a guy from Hyderabad enters into this situation? This idea must have sparked director Venky Kudumula to pen the script for his debut film ‘Chalo’ (why this title? We don’t know).
 
The protagonist Hari (Naga Shaurya) is introduced as a Hyderabad engineering student who likes to get involved in fights. His father sends him to the village Tiruppuram in the hope that he would become normal guy after watching all the quarrels in that village. Hari enters the village to study engineering here and stays in part that belongs to the Telugus. In the college, he falls for Keerthana (Rashmika) and she turns out to be daughter of the village head of Tamil piece of land. After couple of funny incidents, romantic duets, the story proceeds like many of Sreenu Vaitla-Kona Venkat’s movies.
 
It is true that that there are villages that belong to different states in South India. But this whole idea of the dwellers of these two villages create mulla kanche between them and a zamindar giving rulings is far-fetched even for comic purpose. As long as the director focuses on comic portions, it is quite enjoyable but when the movie moves further to the end, the progression turns tedious as logic and loopholes creep in. In the beginning it is all about hero and hero’s love and their college sequences, which are filled with some good fun lines (though most of them are old jokes). The scenes are individually enjoyable. But post-interval, when the movie needs to come to the story part and logical conclusion, the director has not been able to handle it well. The final act is completely non-serious. In the end, the director tries to give the reason as to why the Telugus and Tamils are fighting in this manner for one incident happened in 1953. The reason given is laughable. If not for Vennela Kishore’s ‘Bloody Rutherford’ jokes, the final part is so lousy.
 
Naga Shaurya as the Engineering student who is smitten by college beauty has done neat job. Rashmika, who has become quite popular in her home state Karnataka with college fun drama ‘Kirik Party’, in her debut impresses with her charming expressions. Among the other actors, Sathya is hilarious. Posani’s first introduction sequence and Vennela Kishore’s scenes are quite enjoyable.
 
Cinematography is neat. Editing is okay.
 
The debutant director Venky Kudumula has talent for comic writing. His dialogue writing is quite appreciable. But the story part is weak. As a director he has handled the first half of the movie well.
  
Bottom-line: ‘Chalo’ is kind of romantic drama that gives some laughable moments but doesn’t entirely satisfy due to its unconvincing storyline. Funny dialogues and some neat humorous sequences have worked out but beyond that it is tad average fare.