Release Date : January 12, 2023
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shruti Haasan, Duniya Vijay, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Honey Rose, Naveen Chandra, Lal, Ajay Ghosh, Mirali Sharma
Director: Gopichand Malineni
Producers: Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar Yalamanchili
Music Director: Thaman S
Cinematography: Rishi Punjabi
Editor: Navin Nooli
Related Links : Trailer
Tollywood star actor Balakrishna is back with another powerful movie, Veera Simha Reddy. Directed by Gopichand Malineni, the movie hit screens today. Let’s see how the film is.
Story:
Jaya Simha Reddy (Balakrishna) lives with his mother, Meenakshi (Honey Rose), in Istanbul. He falls in love with Eesha (Shruti Haasan) and decides to marry her. Then Meenakshi reveals the identity of Jaya’s father, Veera Simha Reddy, who lives in Rayalaseema and rules Pulicharla. Bhanumathi (Varalaxmi) and Pratap Reddy (Duniya Vijay) want to kill Veera Simha Reddy for the past 30 years. Why do they want to kill Veera? Who is Bhanumathi? Why did Veera Simha Reddy leave his wife and son? All these questions will be answered in the main movie.
Plus Points:
The first plus point to mention is Nandamuri Balakrishna. He solely lifts the entire film on his shoulders. The royal look of Balayya, his charisma, swag, and style are the biggest assets. The dialogue delivery and his aggressive nature in action sequences are powerful. Balakrishna once again proved that he is the god of the masses. His performance in emotional scenes, especially in the second half, needs to be appreciated. He also surprises with his energetic dance moves in a couple of songs.
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s performance as Bhanumathi will surprise audiences. She has done many aggressive roles earlier but, her character is designed in a good manner in this movie and her face-off scenes with Balayya are terrific and she aces them. Her performance in the second half is one of the major assets of the movie.
The other character that needs to be appreciated is Pratap Reddy, played by Duniya Vijay, who wants to take revenge on Veera Simha Reddy. His ruthlessness is showcased in a wonderful way. This is his Tollywood debut film, and the TFI witnesses another outstanding performer in the role of a villain. His face-off scenes with Balakrishna are good to watch, and they are definitely whistle worthy.
Honey Rose makes a decent debut and she gets a good scope to perform in many scenes. Lal as Siddappa, Naveen Chandra as Sekhar and others justified their respective roles.
The screenplay is racy in the first half and the director designs each and every character very well. With this film, one can feel that Gopichand can also direct an out-and-out action entertainer. Songs are good and so is the background score. Ram and Lakshman once again proved that they can design stunts that make people sit on the edge of their seats.
Minus Points:
The story falls in the first place in this aspect. The director chooses a standard story that was seen in many movies earlier. But, by writing a neat screenplay, he runs the show very well. The second half is a bit lengthy and draggy compared to the first half. In the meantime, it’s predictable too. Most of the scenes in the second half should have been chopped off, especially in the flashback episode.
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar gets a meaty role in this movie but her old look is not that much impressive. She looks pale in many scenes and the makeup artists should have taken better care of her look.
Shruti Haasan is just limited to songs and a few scenes. She is impressive as a dancer but the director should have written a few more scenes for her, at least in the second half. Eeswari Rao is of no use in the film.
Technical Aspects:
The director is a winner in writing a terrific screenplay that runs well in the first half and slows down in the latter half. The second half is laggy in many places. The director should have concentrated more on the story, which can make the film more interesting.
Some scenes in the flashback episode need to be chopped off to make the film a better experience. Camerawork by Rishi Punjabi and score by Thaman are praiseworthy. They made the movie a terrific one with their outstanding work. The art department also gives its best. The production values are so rich and you can see them on the big screen.
Verdict:
On the whole, Veera Simha Reddy is a decent action entertainer that has all the commercial elements to entertain Balakrishna fans. Balakrishna as Veera Simha Reddy is outstanding, and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar also stuns everyone with her performance. The second half disappoints much, and if it had been engaging like the first half, the film would have been a blockbuster at the box office. It’s a feast for fans, and it would be a decent experience for action lovers. Give it a watch this Sankranthi to enjoy the mass of Balayya.
123telugu.com Rating: 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team