Darling

Songs : 1. Neeve
                   2. Yeyo 
                   3. Bulle 
                   4. Pranama 
                   5. Inka Eedo 
                   6. Hoshare

Rieview : 

Entertaining from the time of ‘Tholi Prema’ till ‘Ullasamga Utsahamga’, director Karunakaran has always tried to make the audience smile. With ‘Darling’, he has not disappointed viewers who are looking out ways to relax this summer.

Talking about summer, ‘Darling’ is a summer treat for movie buffs and Prabhas fans in particular. Lets get to point now:

Varudu

Songs : 1. Aidhurojula Pelli
                   2. Bahusha Vo Chanchalaa 
                   3. Thalambraalatho 
                   4. Saare Jahaa 
                   5. Aidhurojula Pelli 2 
                   6. Kalalu Kaavule 
                   7. Relaare Relaare 

Rieview :  

“The intention of the director is good but has he succeeded in communicating it through the film?” is what you feel after watching Varudu film.

What starts off as a meaningful film aimed at showcasing the greatness of our marriage system, slowly gets into long and arduous spells of preaching and routine action drama.

Getting into the details, Sandeep a.k.a. Sandy (Allu Arjun) is a trendy youngster of twenty first century with enough respect to our culture and tradition. He is the doting son of a very sweet couple Vasu (Suhasini) and Gopi (Ashish Vidyardhi). Sandy’s parents are love married couple and Sandy helps his friends in their love marriages. He is the centre of attraction of his friends’ gang and everyone in his gang is of the opinion that Sandy’s will be a thrilling love marriage.

Maro Charithra

Songs :  1. Ye Teega Puvvuno Theme Song
                    2. Prema Prema 
                    3. Ye Teega Puvvuno 
                    4. Bale Bale Mogadivoy 
                    5. We Dont Care 
                    6. Ninnu Nannu 

Review : 

 In his debut directorial Maro Charitra, cinematographer-turned-director Ravi Yadav tries to reap the most out of the immortal fame of K Balachandar's cult love story of the same name.  He blends his vision of a tragic love story with colour, comedy (that is, unintentional) and tragedy (that is, despite the 'happy ending').  He believes that just the name and the memory of the 1978 original are enough to bank upon, conveniently forgetting that the same could turn out to be its biggest liabilities.  However, if you are someone who has always been hugely consumed by that intoxicating original, Ravi Yadav's interpretation may impress you a bit.  After all, don't we know that even poorly-composed and badly-sung bhajans of our favourite deity inspire devotion?

Taj Mahal

Here is another story of love for the Telugu audience.  Shivaji comes up with a challenging role, while as a producer, he displays even more guts.  Taj Mahal is not a run-of-the-mill love tragedy, but a melancholy story, with an element of risk in it.  This is one film which has not tinkered with the climax of the original.  You could say, the debut producer has allowed the story-teller in the director, carte blanche to be true to the original idea.

Yagam

First things first, our filmmakers must get their lessons right when they are scripting revenge dramas.  The audience who have liked a Ghajini, to be sure, cannot tolerate a milk-and-water delivery like this.

Years after delivering the well-executed Thammudu and neatly-told Gowtham SSC, Arun Prasad comes up with a supposedly racy thriller, and falters, rather terribly.  Set in Bangkok, the film begins off well, but falls in grace, way too early.  The ensemble cast - Navdeep, Kim Sharma, Bhumika, Rahul Dev, Ajay and Harshvardhan - and technical biggies like Mani Sharma (Music), Marthand K Venkatesh (Editing), Bharani K Dharani (Cinematography), try to make it a brilliant film, but it is only a handful of them who do justice to their jobs, while others, including Navdeep and Mani cause a heartbreak.

Aakasa Ramanna

Aakasa Ramanna comes with an eerie idea of the philosophy of Karma.  Though its understanding of karma is twisted and middle class, the film, thankfully, doesn't rest on the concept.  It belongs to the genre of suspense thriller.  It all takes place in a span of 40 minutes, but when it comes to a pleasing narration, it seems just there.

The best part is that Naresh, Gauri Pandit, Meera Jasmine and Naga Babu put in good performances, while Rajiv Kanakala and Shivaji come a cropper.  Though it is not a standard practice to speak about the performances even before the film's subject, here an exception has been made because the film seems to suggest that it has great actors as its biggest strength who can take a gripping film, with a philosophical undertone, on their shoulders.

Inkosari

Inkosari, released after a delay of over a month, finally hits the screen on the day another youthful flick Yemaya Chesave hit the marquee.  Directed by Suman Pathuri and produced by Kalyan Palla, it blends fun with tacky seriousness and fares average.  For all the promise it held prior to the release, it falls short on delivering the goods.  However, it is enjoyable and feel-good, and throws up some soothing moments.

Sadhyam

Songs : 1. Najaane
                 2. Ayyorama
                 3. Addanki Highway
                 4. Bhoom Bhoom Shaka
                 5. Sexy kara
                 6. Asalemayyinde

Review :

Ghosh! Here is yet another trauma.  Jagapathi Babu, the once-promising actor and hero with a mild mass image and raw appeal, falters yet another time in his choice.  And, yes, Priyamani, wastes her immense talent, one more time.  Sadhyam is one good opportunity lost, to say the least.  It seems to be throwing up an interesting part, and it keeps lurking in the beneath, never to come up in the film.  It is because, the director seems to have undermined the essence of the film, rather unabashedly.

Om Shanthi

Seems that some of the directors who made a debut in the last months need to take a lesson in the craft of direction.  Watching 'Om Shanthi', you will like to make this suggestion one more time.  Prakash Dantuluri's first work begins like a terrorist flick, soon turns into a wafer-thin popcorn flick and culminates in a poorly conceived and executed climax.  So much so, you will ask, "where are five stories, five characters and one truth?"  Every character can't qualify to be called a narrative. Every narrative can't make a story.  Let alone five stories that we were always told would be running parallel, the film doesn't even boast of a compelling climax.

Shambo Shiva Shambo

There do come some films which require a thorough take and moral/intellectual critique of the subject they deal with or the arguments they throw up, than about the film itself.  Shambo Shiva Shambo falls under this category.  Like wise, there is not much to be written about this film.  At one point in the film, Shambo.. just outrages our moral sensitivities.  Here is a film that comes up with a shocking and terrifying moral judgement.  Thankfully, the ending was not as silly than this reviewer imagined.  There is some moral sense left in the writer of the film.  Thank God, for that.

Yuganiki Okkadu

Songs : 1. Neemeede Aasaga
                   2. Mammalni Paalinchu
                   3. Daachindi Manne
                   4. Oh Eesa
                   5. Singaarinchina
                   6. The King Arrives
                   7. Ninnu Eri Kori
                   8. Maalai Ninnu
                   9. Celebration Of Life

Rieview :

It is hard to believe that Sri Raghava, the director who has delivered sensitive entertainers like 7/G Brindavan Colony and Aduvari Matalaku Arthale Verule, could come up with a mediocre epic adventure like this.  Yuganiki Okkadu throws up a saga that is interlaced with fictional history, an element of divinity, royalty and heroism, but is strangely imbecilic.  There is big money involved, an ensemble cast, good technical team that does an impressive job, but nothing helps the film from coming a cropper.

Bindaas

Songs : 1. Suraangani

                   2. Suraangani 2

                   3. Spirit of Bindaas

                   4. Jum Garagara

                   5. Girija Girija

                   6. Character of Ajay

                   7. Entamma

                   8. Bindaas 

Review :

If you care a damn for major hiccups in story and screenplay, not to forget other technical aspects crucial for a film like cinematography, Bindaas would seem tolerable.  Veeru Potla's directorial debut is unexpectedly mediocre.  Given that the story writer has earlier lent excellent stories for films like 'Varsham' to 'Athadu' and 'Nuvvosthanante Nenoddantana', you feel surprised at the fact that he has selected a wafer thin line for his debut.

Leader

Songs : 1. Maa Telugu Thalliki
                   2. Hey CM
                   3. Avnana Kaadana
                   4. Leader Instrumental
                   5. Rajashekara
                   6. Vandemataram
                   7. Sirulu Pongina 
  
Review : 
 
After raising the expectations of the audience top-notch, Shekar Kammula's political flick releases with a bang.  The film comes in an avatar that is both commendably realistic as well as exceedingly direct and straightforward.  Leader has a soul, but it also has a frail body.  It's a film which will be counted as Kammula's first ever movie where the talented director has taken creative freedom to an extent that is more than what he should actually have.

Seetharamula Kalyanam

Songs : 1. Basicga Opigga
                      2. Cheetiki Matiki Remix
                       3. Naa Kallalo 
                       4. Cheetiki Matiki 
                       5. Vellke Vellake
                       6. Kiss ME Baby
                      7. Naa Kallalo 2

Review : 

Here comes our Telugu hero, who scripts a simplistic fun drama to oust the villain from the matrix.  All it takes for him is an idiotic Appalraju (Brahmanandam) and an equally dumb-witted Veera Prathap (Salim Panda), who is just blinded by his love for Indu, so much so he has no hunch of what a fool he is becoming.  Another film that draws heavily from the format of films that have, in the recent past, reduced the blood-thirsty villain to an embodiment of imbecility and foolishness.  Yes, yet another time, he is, though a Ravana himself, a crack brain, easily trampled upon until the climax.  And in the climax, the film anyway has a fight-to-finish battle, that we all know, is won by the hero.

Kedi

Songs : 1. Neeve Na Neeve Na
                   2. Enduko Enthaki
                   3. Kedi gadu Orchestra
                   4. Muddante Remix
                   5. Janiya Jane
                   6. Relarey
                   7. Short And Sweet
                   8. Neelo Emunnadi
                   9. Kedigadu

Reviews : 

It has someone like Nagarjuna in the lead.  On technical standards, it scores well.  There is a producer who gives his best in ensuring that the film turns out to be a product that boasts of good technical-production values.  But, nothing stops Kedi from becoming the first big ticket disaster of this year.  You will be surprised to find the film worse than an average soap on your favourite channel, targeted for the urban youths.  To be fair to Kiran, the director sticks to his roots.  He makes an episodic caper littered with two or three excruciating duets.  To know how a top hero looks in a serial, watch this one.  It is being played out on the big screen.

Namo Venkatesa

Songs : 1. Soundarya
                   2. Non Stop
                   3. Tuttadoi
                   4. Nee Kallalo
                   5. Namo Venkatesa 
                   6. Ding Dong 

Reviews :
Hype is not always good.  'Namo Venkatesa' was said to be going to touch the pinnacle of comedy before its release, but it turns out that the film has only an ordinary comedy track.  Never matter, because it is enjoyable, even though a little less convincing than we would have wanted.  For yet another time, director Sreenu Vaitla employs his favourite formula, in the hope that it gives him results.  Will it or won't it?  Let's wait and see.  That not all tested formulae are fail-safe is to be borne in mind.

Avatar

What is it?

‘Avatar’, Oscar winner James Cameron’s next feature after ‘Titanic’ is a dazzling spectacular treat in technical terms but on content wise it’s another smartly woven Bollywoodish romantic heart beat.

Its no surprise by now that the English adapt the soap-opearish known and accepted Bollywood (or rather say human emotions) and come out dazzling as winners, the reason they do it with technical finesse and don’t go overboard like many of film makers or call it film fakers do.

Vaade Kaavaali

Of all the releases slated for today, only Vaade Kaavaali has made it to the theatres.  In all praise for the guts of the makers, we offer our kudos to them.  Starring Sairam Shankar, the film is well-presented and well-written.  Especially, its dialogues are simple but effective.  However, the film, like the previous of Sairam's film Bumper Offer, slackens in the second half.  This turns out to be its biggest disadvantage, though the narration scrapes through the restrained performance of the young actor.

Saarai Veerraju

Saarai Veerraju is an important film for Ajay, a budding artiste in Tollywood, whose acting mettle has never been explored so better.  As the lead, Ajay impresses from the word go.  His breathless explanation of how he won the Rs.6-costing curd rice is enough to sound the bugle.  However, at times, his acting seems a poor version of Prabhas'.  Though it is commonplace to see actors getting influenced by the style of others, it is better if actors are their ownselves.

Pravarakyudu

Pravarakhyudu is one of the most awaited releases of December.  Starring Jagapathi Babu and Priyamani, the film has been awaited by both the youth and the family audience, because it seemed to be a good motley of a universal theme and a protagonist (mythological Prvarakhya revisited) played by an actor who commands good popularity among middle-aged women.  As was expected, Madan comes up with a story that derives its strength from its characters.  Needed to such a story/film are interesting screenplay and dialogue, and on these parameters Pravarakhyudu is just about adequate.  There are suitable doses of intellectualism, with Jagapathi presenting his own practical philosophy on things as deep as romance and love.