Mahatma – Review

Synopsis
Das (Srikanth) is a rowdy-for-hire who makes his way through life by physically, and sometimes violently, settling disputes on behalf of people in return for money. Das eventually becomes involved in a clash between two powerful politicians over an expensive piece of land.

When he sets out to handle things his own way, an idealistic lawyer named Krishnaveni (Bhavana), and other circumstances, intervene to transform this violent man and show him the idealogy of Gandhian principles.

Review
Mahatma is Srikanth’s 100th film and he’s absolutely ferocious in it. He plays Das as the meanest, baddest goon in the city – a man who cruises the mean streets looking for trouble, extracting tribute and accumulating graft like a medieval warlord shaking down his serfs. His pose is that the job must be done this way: If you don’t intimidate the street, it will kill you. To see strong acting like this is exhilarating.

Bhavana, however, is disappointing. She had a chance to play Krishnaveni the way the character was meant to played – a smart, no nonsense, independant woman who catches Das with a level gaze and sees him for who he truly is. But, her performance falls short. Since this is her debut, we can cut her some slack.

As for the rest of the supporting cast – Jaya Prajash Reddy shines as Daga, Das’ overlord, and Ram Jagan skillfully portrays the role of a street-artist. Jyothy, as the greedy MLA, came off a bit dull and seems to have been miscast. The unpleasant surprise here is Brahmanandam, whose role is completely out of place in the overall flow of the film.

On a positive note, even though Mahatma had it’s requisite masala elements, Krishna Vamsi manged to effectively direct Srikanth’s transformation from a violent criminal into a steadfast pacifist. In a time of flashy directors who slice and dice their films in a dizzy editing rhythm, it is rewarding to see someone make a film that can look at, listen to, and attentively sympathize with it’s characters. On the downside, I would liked to have seen some of the ‘mass elements’ cut out.

While the overall story had it’s gravitas, the screenplay lacked the neccessary weight to carry it forward. Tighter scene-to-scene transition would have helped considerably. Same goes for the music by Vijay Anthony, which lacked the needed punch. The lyrics, on the other hand, were superb. Kudos to Sitaramasastry, Suddala Ashok Teja and Lakshmi Bhupal.

Highlights
1. Srikanth brings his A game
2. Strong members in the supporting cast
3. Krishna Vamsi’s direction

Lowlights
1. Bhavana’s portrayal of Krishnaveni
2. Loose screenplay with a few unneccessary scenes
3. Mass elements. Really need to start cutting them out.
4. Music should have been a lot better.

Bottomline
Mahatma is a taut, compelling production. Although the story eventually arrives at a solution, it is not about the solution. It is about the journey, and it provides Krishna Vamsi and Srikanth a chance to push their limits. Leaving aside the lackluster music and the completely unneccessary masala, Mahatma is certainly worth a watch.

Credits
Cast: Srikanth, Bhavana, Jaya prakash Reddy, Uttej, Ram Jagan, Jyothy, Paruchuri Gopala Krishna, Duvvasi Mohan, Brahmanandam and others
Music: Vijay Anthony
Cinematography: Sharat
Dialogues: Paruchuri Brothers
Producer: CR Manohar
Banner: Golden Lion Films
Story, Screenplay, Direction: Krishna Vamsi