Manjeera which saw a low profile release today in just two theatres is one of those movies which leave you with a feeling that this flick could been a much better entertainer. Having got a much used-abused successful theme of love stories set amidst gangwars, it loses its way in trying to do everything without making any difference!!!

What is it about : Vasu (Gowtham) is a brooding gangster working for the brutal and menacing Ansari (Saleem Panda) who has a deep-rooted rivalry with the cold and calculative Baaji (Raghuvaran). Beena (Sridevi) lands up in Hyderabad to return a ring called Manjeera to Gowtham that he has lost during a mission in Vizag. While he is unaware of her existence, she keeps pursuing him while her brother-in-law schemes to sell her to a Dubai sheikh. Over a series of convenient coincidences, these two meet only to have Ansari lusting after her which sees some action when the couple is on the run from Ansari. The movie comes to an overdrawn predictable and tame climax where it is revealed that Baaji was the master manipulator trying to get his rival Ansari eliminated.

What is Good: Some of the performances esp. by Raghuvaran and Sridevi are above board. Though Raghuvaran does not have too much screen time, his calculative character and his one-liners is the most convincing. Sridevi puts in a sincere effort and she is quite natural on screen. Saleem Panda is quite menacing in his negative role and overshadows the hero with his physique and looks. The movie moves at a brisk pace only to lose steam during the end when two ill-timed songs spoil it.

What is bad: The problem is that the movie tries too hard to be a violent love story and ends up just being violent. The major drawback is the hero’s character which is poorly sketched. Despite his intense brooding character, he ends up as a villain’s timid side-kick for most of the movie without any reason why he is there in the first place. He certainly needs some acting classes as well as a stylist. The rest of the characters such as scheming politician, the greedy brother-in-law remain as stereotypes. A lame comic track between Venu Madhav and Jeeva doesn’t tickle your funny bone.

Me Thinks:This is a movie to be watched if you have nothing else to do on the weekend.

Tailpiece: Wondering why the name Manjeera …that’s because Manjeera is the name of the ring worn by the hero. Apart from that, there is no reason why the movie is called Manjeera!!!