Review : Chitralahari- Story of an underdog

Chitralahari is a film which needs to click at any cost as Sai Dharam Tej is going through a rough patch in his career. Directed by Kishore Thirumala, this film has hit the screens today. Let’s see whether Tej gets his much needed hit or not.

Story:

Vijay(Sai Dharam Tej) is an engineering graduate who develops an app and keeps approaching various companies. But to his bad luck, he gets rejected most of the time. Left with no choice, he starts working at a TV shop and falls in love with Lahari(Kalyani Priyadarshan). But things change with the entry of Shanti(Nivetha Pehturaj) as Vijay loses his love and hope in life. Rest of the story is as to how Vijay gets back on his feet and proves that he is not a loser and becomes successful in life.

Plus Points:

Sai Dharam suits the loser’s role in a superb manner. He has caught the emotions of the character perfectly and drives the film through his expressions. His performance in all the scenes with his father Posani is very good and Tej showcases moving emotions during this time.

Kalyani Priyadarshan is just about okay as the confused lover. But Nivetha Pehturaj gets a meaty role and is superb in her serious character. Right from her expressions to her body language, she suited the role of a corporate head perfectly.

Posani is amazing as Tej’s dad and his character are relatable to every middle-class parent in the society. Like always, Vennela Kishore was hilarious in his role as an English speaking Tamil guy. Wish he had more screen presence.

Sunil gets a good role and was okay in the first half. There are many situations in the film where the youth who are struggling in life will connect to. Brahmaji was efficient as the crooked boss. Dialogues need a special mention as they run the show most of the time.

Minus Points:

One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the pace. Things take forever to come to the actual point. Also, the proceedings have a dejavu kind of a feel as such emotions and break up in love stories have been showcased in many films previously.

The climax of the film is not that gripping and could have been better as things have been wrapped up in a hasty manner. Kalyani and her role are not convincing as her character lacks clarity in many areas.

There is not much of comedy and entertainment in the film as it runs on a serious note. Though the emotions work well, somehow the spark in the proceedings are missing.

Technical Aspects:

Production values of the film are decent as the film has been wrapped up on a simple and neat note. Music by DSP is disappointing as some good songs would have made a world of difference to this film. Editing is crisp and so were the dialogues which had a lot of depth. Kalyani Priyadarshan has been dressed in a bad manner as she looks old school in most of the screens.

Coming to the director Kishore Thirumala, he has done just an okay job with the film. His strength is dialogues and emotions and he has executed them well here. But you always get a feeling that the film misses that spark either in the narration or screenplay which could have lifted the proceedings to another level. He narrates the film in a slow manner and does not showcase anything new but presents Sai Dharam Tej in a neatly.

Verdict

On the whole, Chitralahari is the emotional story of an underdog with some decent moments in both the halves. But the slow pace and serious tone of the film may not be liked by a section of the audience who come expecting entertainment. Because of this, the box office prospects of the film will also be tested. Having said that, the film is way better than Tej’s previous duds and has some feel-good moments which are quite relatable to the youth. Finally, the film can easily be given a shot once but just keep your expectations in check.

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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