'Sharathulu Varthisthai', produced by Sreelatha-Nagarjun Samala, Sharadha-Sreesh Kumar Gunda, and Vijaya-Dr. Krishnakanth Chittajallu, was released in theatres today.
Plot:
Chiranjeevi (Chaitanya Rao Madadi) comes from a lower-middle-class family. A loyal employee and a soft-spoken male, he is in love with Vijayashanthi (Bhoomi Shetty), his childhood sweetheart. Meanwhile, a Ponzi scheme wreaks havoc in the lives of the Chiru-Vijayashanthi duo in an expected turn of events. How the duo solves the thorn in the flesh is what the film is about.
Post-Mortem:
Chaitanya Rao's career has seen the woefully amateurish 'Annapurna Photo Studio' and the new-age 'Keedaa Colaa'. His chequered filmography has been made worse by 'Sharathulu Varthisthai', easily one of the most slow-paced, unTelugu movies with the maximum number of unnecessary scenes in recent times.
In the name of detailing, the film attempts to be a suicidally slow, conversational drama in trying to establish the nature of multiple characters in the first half. For example, in Chiranjeevi's family, friendly arguments ensue over all sorts of matters. The love track between Chiraneevi and his GF is bereft of chemistry. Talking of chemistry, the male lead shares better chemistry with his male boss. The boss bro is excessively soft-spoken; so much so, there could have been a sugary, melodramatic song between him and his subordinate.
No matter how much artificial drama and excruciating detailing you might put into your film, it will be a pain to watch it if the characters are dull and their language is yawn-inducing. There is the sub-plot of a wannabe Corporator named Shankar. In Vijayashanthi's family, the father is a drunkard with daughter issues.
In a remarkable display of a love for third degree torture, the pacing issues don't resolve even in the second half. In a scene, Chiranjeevi is told about his wife's pregnancy. He reacts like how actor Achyuth used to react in ETV serials in the late 1990s.
Chaitanya Rao has been typecast ever since he shot to fame with '30 Weds 21' (YouTube web series). In a scene, the doctor tells Chiranjeevi that his mother can be discharged from the hospital right away. We expect he and his mother to be at home in the next scene. But no! In the next scene, the doctor reveals his decision to discharge her to the patient herself. Had this been a web series, the doctor would have been shown writing down the Discharge Summary, prescription, etc. Detailing is important, Bigil-uu!
Arun Chiluveru's music leaves no impact. The background music by Prince Henry is ignorant of the current trends. The cinematography by Praveen Vanamali and Shekar Pochampally is mundane. Gandhi Nadikudikar's art direction is absent. The editing is criminally lazy.
Closing Remarks:
The treatment is so outdated that this film wouldn't have made the cut even if it was made as a Public Service Announcement commercial against Ponzi schemes. A series of preachy dialogues test your patience.
