BANNER: Sreshth Movies
EDITOR: Gowtham Raju
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Amol Rathod
MUSIC: SS Thaman Anup Rubens
PRODUCER: Nitin
DIRECTOR: VV Vinayak
Tagline: Impressive Debut but not an Impressive Film
Plot:
The Ojo tribe in Central Africa treats ‘Jua’ as a sacred entity of their God Sun and the Sun rays that fall upon the Jua on an eclipse would save this planet from destruction. Kathrochi, a filthy rich and powerful businessman eyes upon this Jua and Bodo, a young man in the tribe risks his life and escapes with it. Meanwhile, Akhil a gutsy happy-go-getting orphan falls in love with Divya (Sayyesha Saigal), the daughter of businessman Mukesh (Mahesh Manjrekar), a close of ally of Mambo & Katrochi who are chasing Bodo & the Jua. In the due course of impressing Divya, Akhil eventually lands up in the lethal pursuit of the Jua. What is the connection between Akhil & Jua and how did he accomplish this vital mission forms the rest of the plot.
Performances:
Akhil Akkineni: This star kid proved that he is worth the hype. His hard work is evident in each and every frame (that sometimes goes overboard). His screen presence, grace, energy in the action sequences and especially his dance need a special mention. Who said the Akkinenis are not great dancers – show them Akhil! However his comic timing, ease and intensity in acting need to refine – indeed an impressive debut!
Sayesha Saigal: It is not an Akhil’s show all the way but this debutant also succeeds in grabbing the attention and appreciation. She was undoubtedly impressive with her presence, glamor, and dialogue delivery and sometimes even outshines Akhil with her acting caliber and grace in dances. Long way to go Sayesha!
Besides the lead, Mahesh Manjrekar is seen in yet another routine role of a doting father with shades of villainy and comedy.
Vennela Kishore as Nanda Kishore, JP, Saptagiri as Pothe Babu Rao & especially Brahmi as Johnson & Johnson provide the much needed comic relief.
All the African actors did a decent job!
Analysis:
VV Vinayak, the ray of hope for the young Akkineni star kid and the care of address for young debutant heroes stepped out of his comfort zone and tried to make a commercial offering with sky high expectations to catch up.
A fiction adventure of this scale usually carries huge expectations and when it is the debut of a star kid like Akhil, it is indeed a herculean task. VV Vinayak, the smart director, chose a safe commercial storyline to launch a hero like Bellamkonda Suresh but this time, he chose to row against the high tide and fumbled once again. Looks like larger than life stories are somehow not his cup of tea and Akhil once again proves it.
This film acted as a perfect platform for Akhil Akkineni to showcase his talents and he impresses all the way especially with his energy and dances. Vinayak was successful in presenting Akhil at his best but the story of Veligonda Srinivas lacked the quintessential substance for the director to row the boat. Though they kept the run time short you can feel the story going nowhere. There is alluring cast, top notch cinematography and editing but the narrative neither has the essential substance nor emotional connect. All the logics are conveniently ignored and on top of it there are no wow factors to mesmerize.
The first half is a decent affair with Akhil trying to do fights, dances, comedy of course aided by Vennela Kishore, Rajendra Prasad, Saptagiri in the comedy segment. The film routinely breaks into intermission with an action sequence but on an intriguing note. So when you come back to check out the mystery of Jua and the adventures of Akhil, you are greeted by Brahmi but even his comedy doesn’t amuse you enough. However, Akhil, Vennela Kishore & Brahmi pull the wagon towards the climax to end the adventure drama. Well the screenplay puts the fragments together to make it a one-time watch which is now.
In a nutshell, Akhil is in fact a wasted opportunity exploited by commercial interests.
Merits:
- Performances of Akhil, Sayesha Saigal
- Vennela Kishore & Brahmi comedy
- Cinematography
- Music & Bakcground score
De-merits:
- Substantial Story & Narration
Music:
The commercial album given by Thaman & Anup Rubens was well picturized. All the songs especially the introductory Chill Maro, Padesave, Akkineni Akkineni were impressive. The background score by eminent composer Mani Sharma indeed pumped up life into the life without which the film would be unimaginable.
Others:
The locales in Padesave song are exotic. Art Direction department deserves a special tap on the back. King Nag’s special appearance in Akkineni Akkineni song scooped up the spirits and energy.
Verdict:
Akhil is an impressive debut by Akhil Akkineni & Sayesha Saigal but not an impressive film by VV Vinayak. It remains to be a one-time watch and that too for the Akkineni fans.
