'Seetimaarr' was released today in the cinemas. What is in store? Is it worth a watch? Let's find out.
Story
Karthik (Gopichand) works as an assistant manager at a bank and also coaches a female Kabaddi team. Kabaddi players from his village are going to play for the national trophy with an ideal purpose in mind. But this is when Karthik and team run into trouble when Makhan Singh and Trilok Singh, the dreaded monsters in Ghaziabad, come into the picture. It is now up to Karthik to race against time to ensure that his team plays the match. His bonding with his sister (Bhumika Chawla) and brother in law (Rahman as a sincere cop) forms the anchor of the story.
Performances
After masala movies such as 'Goutham Nandha' and 'Pantham', Gopichand has done one more action-masala movie, where Kabaddi is just a ruse. The story gives him ample scope to play to the gallery and indulge in some appealing character tropes. He does a decent job at it.
Tamannaah Bhatia's character was expected to be strong, but we get an ordinary one. Tarun Arora is in a routine league in terms of how his villainy threatens the hero's mission. Rao Ramesh entertains in two serious scenes with his irreverent delivery style. Digangana Suryavanshi is seen as a TV journalist who doesn't have an exciting role. Bhumika Chawla enjoys evoking the sisterm sentiment. Preeti Asrani is the only one in the Kabaddi team who registers her presence. Rahman and Posani Krishna Murali fit the bill.
Technical aspects
If the title song and 'Pepsi Aunty' sit well with the mood of the film, 'Jwala Reddy' is the best of all. Mani Sharma, the music composer, does an overall good job. But the BGM is too loud in the second half. Soundarrajan's visuals are able. The final portions would have felt special had the camera work and the BGM come together with extra force.
Analysis
'Seetimaarr', written and directed by Sampath Nandi, stages its first half in a decent fashion. Two tracks run in parallel. In Athreyapuram, Karthik has the dream of resurrecting a memorial school. In Ghaziabad, a top cop named Aravind is threatening a villainous gang. Despite the oddly familiar premise, the film manages to be commercial in a regular fashion. The scenes involving the Kabaddi team and the hero work here. The likes of Annapurnamma and Pragathi are hilarious in a comedy scene. Digangana and Rao Ramesh, the daughter and father respectively, try to deliver some laughs.
The pre-interval block gives rise to the suspicion that 'Seetimaarr' may just not be worth our 'seeti'. The second half descends into template-driven narration. After a point, the narration becomes unbearable.
The film needed a better padding in terms of the portrayal of emotions. Gopichand's character does routine things in emerging victorious. The screenplay doesn't pack a punch. The antagonists are too loud.
The climax is lengthy and the Kabaddi game is half-baked. The violence tests your patience.
Closing Remarks
'Seetimaarr' would have been a full-on commercial movie had the story not been too template-oriented. The second half loses the plot and is boring with very average action scenes.
