Release Date : February 10, 2023
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Starring: Avika Gor, Sai Ronak and others
Director: Murali Gandham
Producers: Bhogendra Gupta, Avika Gor, MS Chalapathi Raju, Seshubabu Peddinti
Music Director: Shravan Bharadwaj
Cinematography: MN Bal Reddy
Editor: KSR
Related Links : Trailer
Uyyala Jampala fame Avika Gor and young hero Sai Ronak starrer Popcorn released in theaters today. Avika Gor turns producer for the first time. Let’s see how the film is.
Story:
Sameerana (Avika Gor) wants to become a singer but her health condition becomes a hurdle to achieving her dream. Meanwhile, Pavan (Sai Ronak) is an enthusiastic young lad who wants to become a musician. Unfortunately, they both, who are strangers to each other, get stuck in a lift in a mall. They realise that no one is there to rescue them. What happened between them in the lift? How did the strangers get closer? Did they face any problems in the closed space? Did they come out of the lift? The main film has all the answers.
Plus Points:
Though the narrative is nothing new to movie buffs, it has an okay storyline. Some of the scenes between the lead pair Avika Gor and Sai Ronak are lovely to watch.
Actress Avika Gor, who is well known to Telugu audiences as Chinnari Pellikuthuru, looks so energetic and bubbly in this film. Besides acting, she also co-produced this film. Her acting as Sameerana is okay to watch.
Budding actor Sai Ronak chooses a different concept again. In this movie, he looks charming and also has a satisfactory screen presence. His comedy timing and energetic performance will make him get good offers in TFI.
Minus Points:
When the director wants to make a film, the story needs to be flawless and the actors, technicians and other aspects are secondary. The point of the film, two strangers getting stuck in a lift, is okay but what would make the point more interesting is the proceedings. The film falls flat at this point. The director who also penned the script failed to narrate the story engagingly.
There would have been a lot of space for comedy, emotions, romance and even a message in Popcorn if it had an engaging story and proper narration. But, many scenes, especially in the second half give one boredom as they felt repetitive.
In general, when one gets stuck in a closed space, he would panic and find ways to come out of it as soon as possible. But, the male lead in the film is super cool and doesn’t think about getting out of the lift, at least for the girl. This is one of the loopholes in the story. Also, if a lift hits the ground strongly, the things obviously scatter here and there. But, in a scene, the hero celebrates the heroine’s birthday with an undamaged cake. How is this even possible? The film has many such illogical and silly scenes.
If the writer could have concentrated more on the story, Popcorn would have become a perfect entertainer. The performances from the lead pair have gone in vain because of the shoddy story and screenplay. This kind of movie needs to have fewer songs, but Popcorn has songs which became a hurdle to the flow of the film. The runtime is a major disappointment and it could have been crisper to make the film at least an okay fare.
Technical Aspects:
Writer and director Murali Gandham also penned the dialogues for the film. Some dialogues are okay to listen to. Though his concept is fine, he failed to execute it well on screen. The cinematography by MN Bal Reddy is the only technical aspect that needs appreciation.
Shravan Bharadwaj is one of the noted music directors in the industry. But, his music for the film is unimpressive just like the story. Editor KSR could have chopped off many unnecessary scenes in both halves. Production values are just fine.
Verdict:
On the whole, Popcorn remains a silly and boring fare even though it has decent performances from the lead pair. The story and screenplay are the major drawbacks of the film and they made the film a below-par film. You can skip the flick this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team