Release Date : June 23, 2023
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring: Shiva Kandukuri, Megha Akash, Priya Vadlamani, Pragathi Shrivastav, Suhas, Daali Dhananjay, Srikanth Iyengar, Madhunandhan, Harshita Chowdary, Garima Kaushal
Director: Bharath Peddagani
Producer: Narala Srinivas Reddy
Music Directors: Gopi Sundar
Cinematography: Rahul Shrivatsav
Editor: Prawin Pudi
Related Links : Trailer
Manu Charitra, starring Shiva Kandukuri, Megha Akash, Priya Vadlamani, and Pragathi Shrivastav in the lead roles, has hit the screens today. The film is written and directed by Bharath Peddagani. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Manu (Shiva Kandukuri), an academic topper, loves multiple girls, but he parts ways with everyone without telling them the reason. He loves Sravya (Priya Vadlamani), and Sravya, too, loves him. After a few days, Manu says he wants to terminate the relationship with Sravya. Why did Manu end the relationship with Sravya? Why is Manu loving multiple girls when he doesn’t intend to continue the relationship? How is he connected to local goon Rudra (Dhananjay)? The film has the answers.
Plus Points:
The protagonist’s character is designed pretty well. As a person who is undergoing deep sorrow, Shiva Kandukuri gave a captivating performance. But the best part is his looks and performance in the flashback portions. Shiva Kandukuri looked so good, and he has a charming screen presence. From start to end, Manu Charitra is Shiva Kandukuri’s show.
Megha Akash gets a nice role, and she did justice to her character. All her scenes came out quite well, and she shared a neat chemistry with Shiva Kandukuri. Pragati Shrivastav, the debutant female lead, did a neat job. She, as a North Indian girl, performed well.
Gopi Sundar’s music is one more highlight, and a couple of songs are so good to listen to. The first half moves at a good pace, and particularly the flashback sequences are engaging. Suhas, Srikanth Iyengar, and Priya Vadlamani pass muster.
Minus Points:
The main drawback of the film is its excessive length. Especially, the second half is a tad slow, and the makers should have trimmed certain sequences to make things better. A few good scenes, too, looked ineffective due to the lengthy runtime and wrong placement.
The reason why the protagonist loves multiple girls could have been presented in an even better manner. The emotions and the narration in the second hour lacked sheen, and also, there was no proper flow in the proceedings. At times, a few scenes remind us of previous films.
The film is good when the scenes related to love are showcased, but when the narrative moves to the goons angle, the film becomes boring. Dhananjay plays a regular villain, and there is nothing new that he brings to the table here. The dialogues are not that good.
Technical Aspects:
Gopi Sundar’s songs and background score are huge assets for Manu Charitra. Rahul Shrivastav’s cinematography is neat, and he showcased the Warangal city in a beautiful manner. The production values are good, but the dialogues could have been better. The editing is below par.
Coming to the director, Bharath Peddagani, he did a below-par job with the film. While the first half was partly engaging, the second half was a bit lengthy. The way he handled the love portions are fine, but the scenes related to politics and goons needed better presentation.
Verdict:
On the whole, Manu Charitra is an okayish romantic action drama. The movie was a bit engaging when the scenes related to love are depicted, but the other aspects brought down the film. Shiva Kandukuri, Megha Akash, and others did a neat job. The team could have taken care of the film’s duration and the second half. Hence Manu Charitra ends up being a strictly okay watch this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team