`Iddarammayilatho`
- In search of substance (Telugu Movie Review)
Rating: **
Allu Arjun is popularly known as Stylish Star, and this explains why most of his
films reek of style, and lack matter. However, his latest offering "Iddarammayilatho"
is so stylish that within few minutes into the film, you find yourself searching
for substance.
If I were to describe the experience of watching this film in one line, here`s
it - it`s like covering a torn innerwear with a highly expensive tuxedo. The
torn innerwear here refers to the core of the plot, while the expensive tuxedo
is the stylish presentation of the film.
When Akanksha (Catherine Tresa), daughter of a union minister (Rao Ramesh) moves
into a new house in Spain, where she has gone for her higher studies, she
stumbles upon a diary. As she starts reading it, she comes to learn that it
chronicles the warm love story of Sanju and Komali, played by Arjun and Amala
respectively.
However, as Akanksha begins to get attached to the story in the diary, it comes
to an abrupt halt leaving answered questions. Piqued by curiosity, she tracks
Sanju to discover more.
Puri`s films have begun to deteriorate with time and having seen "Iddarammayilatho",
we wish his worst days are over and hope to see a better film soon. It`s painful
to believe that someone who was lauded for making a slick crime-thriller such as
"Pokkiri" has resorted to making films that are neither entertaining
nor commercially plausible.
The love story is set in Barcelona, allowing the audiences to get lost in the
picturesque snapshots of the beautiful city captured through the celluloid of
cinematographer Amol Rathod. Audiences fail to realise that a place as gorgeous
as Spain is equally captivating when seen through naked eyes. You don`t need a
specialist to capture the beauty of a place that`s already breathtakingly
fine-looking.
One needs to understand that even the best of the cinematographer can`t beautify
a shabbily looking street in some corner of India.
Puri`s films also pave way to several pointless questions such as why would a
girl from India, of all the places, travel to Spain to learn classical music.
What is funnier is that she comes to learn music from Brahmanadam, a popular
comedian in Telugu cinema. If the director`s intention was to evoke laughter out
of this music episode, then it kills the purpose of Amala`s visit to the place
to learn music. Similarly, there are so many instances where you`re left to pull
out the hair from your scalp while trying to figure out answers to several
questions.
We know Allu Arjun is a better dancer and a champion at executing most difficult
stunt sequences, but isn`t he an actor at the first place? When do we actually
get to see him act? Arjun shines in his role with his terrific screen presence,
but hardly do we see him act.
Here is another Telugu film with two beautiful heroines; one is in fact drop
dead gorgeous, but both hardly with any scope for acting. Amala Paul stunned
everybody with her debut performance in Tamil film "Myna", but since
then, she has hardly proven her mettle as an actor. Puri has a weakness for
introducing extremely sensuous women who are extremely dumb to perform. Please
add Catherine Tresa to that list of actresses.
If you call this entertainment, then probably the standards of your definition
of entertainment is flawed.