REVIEW: 'SUNDARAKANDA'

Film: Sundarakanda
Rating : 2 /5

Banner : Chaitra Cinema Circuit

Cast : Charmy, Naresh, Ranganath, Prema, Kota, Sangeetha, Sunil Sharma and others

Cinematography: R K Raju

Music : Vidyasagar

Director : Bapu

Producer : Aparna

Release Date : February 08, 2008

Story

A typical Bapu product, the story starts with Ramgopal Varma (Sunil Sharma) who happens to be the son of the rich and royal Bobbili Raja ( Ranganath) and grows up in a very lavish and enclosed environment. He goes to a college picnic and chances upon another group of girl's college which comes to the same spot for a holiday. There, Ramgopal sees a girl and falls for her instantly. The picnic happens for three days and in this process he gets close to her, wins her heart and her physical intimacy and in a rather unbelievable situation gets married to her by the local tribes. He then brings her home, Bobbili Raja is shocked to see this and in that fit he gets a stroke of paralysis. While the entire family takes him to the hospital, Ram Gopal's wife is left alone and is told by Bobbili Raja's wife that she is the evil that has stepped into their house which has caused all this. Without waiting for a minute, the girl leaves the place and when Ramgopal get back , he is convinced by his uncle (Vizag Prasad) that the girl ran away with all jewellery and showed her true colors. Ramgopal remains a bachelor from then on. After sixteen years, enters Pinky (Charmy) a bubbly active girl who is full of energy and her goal is to unite the separated husband and wife and the family as a whole. Is she successful in her objective? What did she do in the end? How does her journalist friend (Naresh) help her? All this forms the rest of the story.

Presentation

Bapu's presentation of the subject was standard but then it lacked a message or a theme that can be carried home by the audience. The backdrop of the film looked a bit unrealistic and is nowhere in tune with the present times. It was more like a musical than a movie as most of the dialogues were flowing in the form of a poetical sonnet. Music had a major impact and was good enough. Camera was equally competent and it captured the right moments. Charmy was the one and all in the movie with her hyperactive behaviors and a lot of focus has been given on her. Naresh was a bystander and did not have much to offer. Prema looked slender and pretty. The other characters have done their role with ease. The make up department has to do some work as few shots showed excessive make up on few key actors.

Conclusion

A slow paced movie which ran more on a dramatic and theatrical level, the concept was slim and the presentation was not near the realistic lines. It will be difficult for the audience to gather the vision of Bapu as he conveys it in a format which is rarely understood by the general public. Mass is nowhere near the film and even the class audience will have a trying time to come to terms with the movie. One needs to get in with a very patient mode to understand the whole thing. Commercially not a good one, the film will hardly find its survival for more than three weeks.