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Balayya’s Punch Pataka
Highlights
Balayya’s Punch Pataka. ‘Legend’ takes off where ‘Simha’ left. Simply put, Balayya’s latest offering is like a ‘one plus one’ Ugadi offer for his fans with a checklist crossed off meticulously just to ensure fans don’t lose out on anything in this festival release. Balayya. Check.
‘Legend’ takes off where ‘Simha’ left. Simply put, Balayya’s latest offering is like a ‘one plus one’ Ugadi offer for his fans with a checklist crossed off meticulously just to ensure fans don’t lose out on anything in this festival release. Balayya. Check. Extra Balayya. Check. Glamour (one desi girl, one pardesi girl). Check. Villian to match super hero. Check. Stunts-drama-violence-sentiment. Check. Political punch dialogues. Check. The timing of the movie just when the poll drama heats up makes it an apt watch. The only thing that makes multiple entries to spoil the fun is violence. Too much of it, too frequent and too graphic. Some stunts look like the posts circulated on Facebook about Rajinikanth’s stunts.
With each dialogue (by M Ratnam), director Boyapati Sreenu sets the tempo of the movie. Janam ane padam vintene manam anedi marchipotaru (When they hear the word - people, they forget the word - us) says Suhasini, in a guest role, introducing her teenage son Jaidev and his ancestors. Jaidev has a mega showdown with Jitender (Jagapati Babu) who visits their village and messes with the locals. Unable to contain the violence and the killings that happen in the family because of the enmity with Jitender, the young boy is sent away from the village.
Cut to Dubai, we see a suave, competent NRI Krishna (Balakrishna) coming to India with his girlfriend (Sonal Chauhan). Some comedy, some romance and then we hear place maarite food marochhcu, bed maarochhu kani blood maaradu. Ade colour, ade power.
A fight in Dubai‘s sand dunes (well choreographed) establishes his competence and a fight in India confirms it. This time again, he messes with Jitender, who is the aspiring Chief Minister, and his wicked sons. But before he can wed his lady love, he is almost killed.
But as we all know, when the lion roars, the legend enters. Senior Balayya (Jaidev who was sent away from the village) is back to save Krishna and family. How he enters the scene, why exactly was he underground all these years and how exactly he manages to kill the same old rival – Jitender – is the rest of the story.
‘Legend’s high points are undoubtedly where Balayya addresses his political opponents and detractors. He is portrayed as a man who loses his wife, family and everything else for sake of people. He unabashedly thrashes politicians who promise and don’t deliver. To an MP from Delhi who comes to seek his help, he says: Seat kadu kada Assembly gate kooda taaka nivvanu (Forget about a seat in Assembly, I will ensure you don’t even reach its gate). The little scene where he handles female infanticide is good and perhaps will reach the masses at whom it is aimed at. He ensures that Jitender and his team is annihilated and promises people that he will always be there. In a whistle-worthy sequence, he takes it to a high with his signature style line: Neeku BP Vasthe Nee PA Vonukuthadhemo.. Kaani Naaku BP Vasthe entire AP Vonukuddhi !!! (If you get BP, only your PA will shiver. If I get it, AP will shiver). Wah wah.
Balayya packs in a punch in every move (most of them in ultra slow motion with tremendous background music for effect). Sujatha Kumar (who plays Sridevi’s sister in ‘English Vinglish’) delivers a good performance. Jagapathi Babu is a delightful discovery as Tollywood’s newest and hottest bad boy. With blood shot eyes and a ragged, black and white beard, he drips evilness. As the wounded lion waiting to lay his hands on his prey, he just rocks. Sonal is for the glam quotient. Radhika has a brief, but impactful role.
She looks almost size zero and is with a reason. In at least two scenes, Balayya has to lift her for quite some distance. So in that sense, the casting is great. DSP’s music is strictly okay. To imitate Balayya in a cheeky dialogue: Idi Legend, vere waste Ugadi cinemalaku the end!
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