Kobbari Matta - Movie Review

'Kobbari Matta', starring the parody star Sampoornesh Babu in the lead, hit the cinemas this Saturday. Let's find out what works and what doesn't in this self-proclaimed absurd comedy.  

Story:

Rayudu (Sampoornesh Babu) is the best man alive in his village. A feudal lord who delivers instant justice at 'panchayati' meets, he is admired for his purity.

With three happy wives, two super-loyal servants (Kathi Mahesh and his wife, played by Shakeela), three younger brothers and their wives, Rayudu leads a life that would make any mainstream masala male lead go green with envy.

But trouble comes from an unexpected quarter. Androidu (Sampoornesh Babu, again) air dashes into the village all of a sudden and tells everyone in the village that Rayudu is actually a person of vices. Since he looks exactly like Rayudu, the latter becomes an overnight villain in the family.

What follows next is not melodrama or drama but a showreel of spoofs and comedy! 

Analysis:

Did you ever find the love and affection expressed melodramatically in the films of the 1980s and 1990s too funny? If yes, you will find the parodies in 'Kobbari Matta' quite spot-on. Rayudu is that family elder who gets heart-broken when he is asked to allow privacy during the first night of his brother. "We have always been sleeping under the same roof. We will be with you during this 'shobanam'," he says, much to the shock of his daughter-in-law.

Even when he is creepy, everyone in the village is grateful to him. For example, a woman comes to him seeking justice because her husband is refusing to abandon his parents! After mouthing a long comical monologue on the greatness of women, Rayudu adjudges that he will marry the woman. Yes, he is very fond of women and is a compulsive polygamist. Guess what is the reaction of his first two wives? They are extremely happy that their husband has taken a selfless decision!

Scenes like the above are very many in the movie. The tracks involving Rayudu and his younger brothers, who behave like childish guys, are hilarious. 

The film deploys Kathi Mahesh for some below-the-belt humour, especially in terms of body-shaming. If you keep that minor complaint aside, the track of Kathi, Shakeela and Sampoornesh is fairly funny.

There is a backstory related to Androidu and why he looks exactly like Rayudu. It's so surreal that it can either make you laugh out loud or get irritated. Films like this one can evoke extreme reactions.  

The film could have avoided those hero elevation moments with 'Shambo shiva shambo' playing in the background. There are too many of them and they get quite repetitive. Also, too many characters behave like they are too emotionally fragile all the time.  

An atypical, idiosyncratic comedy like 'Kobbari Matta' is not everyone's cup of tea. Only some sections will like this. Take this from us. If you are someone who loves those crazed and crazy 'Jabardasth' skits, you may want to give this film a try. 'Hrudaya Kaleyam' was ridiculously funny and so is this movie. 'Kobbari Matta' takes some of the over-rated tropes of Telugu cinema for a ride. If you never had anything to complain about melodrama, you will complain about this movie. Or, maybe, you will like Sampoornesh's performance and the unreal situations and enjoy at least 50 per cent of the movie.

Syed Kamran's background music imitates massy films for a purpose. Mujeer Malik's cinematography works despite limitations of budget.

Bottom-line: 'Kobbari Matta' is a mindless comedy that is worth a watch if you love parody skits. This is full-length spoof on commercial Telugu movie making. And it is also a long show reel of Sampoornesh Babu's ability to look like a joker all the time. But this is more a jibe at Telugu cinema's outdated elements like item songs before the climax, making a god out of family heads, etc. While some portions are hilarious, some are utterly clichéd and tiresome.