Perfect festive watch

This is non-stoppable laugh riot. The Rohit Shetty variety. Leave your common sense behind and sit back and have unadulterated fun. This is the kind of film that the critic would frown at and win the typical response from the maker that he cares no hoots as long as the viewers gets his paisa worth.

This is about everybody on the run. We have Raja (Sharwanand), smitten by Ammulu (Surabhi) who gives him the royal ignore. Supporting him in the process of winning her is Srinu (Prabhas Sreenu), his alter ego. He nearly wins her over till he messes up with her pet dog Silky (a Shih Tzu) that she simply cannot do without. Having sent it into the municipal van he has to get back it to win her love.

The dog quickly changes hands —first the pet dog shop owner, then another guy British (Supreet) who would take it for his daughter who coughs up a whole Rs 75,000 for it. To regain it, they employ Giri (Saptagiri) who is an expert in tracing kidnapped dogs. Now they kidnap the dog by which time we have British hide a precious diamond on the dog collar.

Having lost the precious jewel with the dog, he is chasing Raja and the rest. By now just as Ammulu is in love with Raja, she is engaged to Keshav Reddy (Harish Uthaman) a local don who is a mamma’s boy. Mamma (Urvasi) is made of stern stuff and wants to see her son as the local MLA and therefore fine-tunes the alliance with Ammulu.

By a bizarre accident mamma suffers a head injury and since she is watching ‘Vasantha Kokila’ she also suffers amnesia and falls for the pup and refuses to part with it. The hero now elopes with the heroine and is chased by the villain. Also caught in the cross-current is a drama troupe. The groups have their internal confusions and the chase is the kind that you see at a climax in a Priyadarshan film or reach out to a climax with a Woodhousian touch. Only the British style is missing.

What makes the film viewable is the fact that the one-liners are natural. Also there is no vulgarity in the humour and all the characters play a natural effortless role. The script, though a tad too long for good comedy, has the viewer interested. Everyone in the cast is worth mentioning: from the villain in Harish Uthaman to the likes of Dhanraj (Inumu) who plays a subtle role to be not missed.

Also doing a fine performance as the mom who is suffering amnesia is Urvasi with her great sense of comic timing. Then there is also Shakalaka Shankar bringing the house down with his antics. But it’s Sharwanand and Saptagiri who hold the film together and take you on a fine festive ride. Unhesitatingly recommended!

Film Name : Express Raja

Cast : Sharwanand, Surabhi, Prabhas Sreenu and Harish Uthaman
Direction : Merlapaka Gandhi
Genre : Drama-comedy
Likes : Humour and central performances
Dislikes : Hardly anything

Rating : 3.5