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     Stig Moderator Username: Stig Post Number: 7191 Registered: 01-2010 Rating: N/A |
http://www.hemanthology.com/khaaleja-god-of-intensity-packs- a-punch-bhayya.html // am neither an atheist, nor am I a firm believer in the concept of âGodâ. What I do know is that, conviction and belief that you can achieve anything can do miracles. Isnât this faith, which more or less translates to something similar to the concept of âGodâ? So, why am I talking about God, faith when this blog is supposed to be an essay on the latest Trivikram Srinivasâ Khaaleja starring Mahesh Babu, Anushka, Prakash Raj and a host of other actors? Because Khaaleja, has got a lot to do with our mental projection of God and what we expect him to be or do. And it also matters which side of the fence you are on when you watch this film. In the past 12 years, I canât think of a writer whose work has become a hot favourite at a coffee table conversation apart from Trivikram Srinivas. Itâs no easy task to inspire a whole generation of movie buffs go gaga about your dialogues. There were films, which went on to become blockbusters thanks to Trivikramâs dialogues. However, when he took up direction with Nuvve Nuvve, I had my own share of doubts whether he would be able to pull it off with ease. He has proved me wrong twice, with Nuvve Nuvve and his best till date, Athadu. Jalsa was an entertaining film, but heâs capable of doing much better than that. So, what happens when the God of Punchlines meets the God of intensity (Mahesh Babu) for the second time? Fireworks, much to our delight! And this time, Mahesh Babu goes for a complete makeover. Very few actors till date have looked as suave as Mahesh manages to look in Khaaleja. And it just doesnât stop thereâ¦heâs the comedian, side-kick, lover boy, fighterâ¦all rolled into one king sized powerhouse. Did I just confess that heâs one of the best actors in contemporary Telugu cinema? You donât have to read between the lines to reckon this fact. Mahesh stars as Alluri Seeta Rama Raju, a Taxi driver who embarks on a journey to a village near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan in search of an obscure family. Turns out that his job depends on his meeting this family and recover some money from them. Meanwhile, he bumps into Subhashini (Anushka), whoâs been a thorn in his life over the past few months. One fine day, Seeta Rama Raju is attacked and before heâs nearly killed by the goons, heâs rescued by a mysterious guy (Shafi) whoâs from a far away land. And what follows next is myth turning into reality, a man turning into a messiah in a Trivikramâs kickass style. Change is a strange thing, especially in cinema. Like any other art, itâs met with staunch criticism in the beginning. Yet, it becomes the norm after a period of time. Whatâs so dramatic about Khaaleja is how it gives a new dimension to Maheshâs aura and the whole progression of his characterization. Look, heâs no demi-god of Telugu cinema. Atleast, not yet. But I cannot think of any other actor pulling off the character of Seeta Rama Raju with the same ease as Mahesh does in this film. Heâs charming to begin with and the adjectives donât end there. His dialogue modulation, which some of my friends have called as âinconsistentâ, is precisely what works in favour of the film! When was the last time you were absolutely thrilled to watch a lead actorâs performance in a comic role? Perhaps, NTR in Adhursâ¦or maybe what Venkatesh did in films like Nuvvu Naaku Nachchav and Malleswari & Nagarjuna in Manmadhudu. Itâs like the lover boy from Murari, the intensity of Okkadu, the suave killer from Athadu and the brash guy from Pokiri all rolled into one Seeta Rama Raju. I seriously canât have enough of his comic timing and intensity in action sequences. And that fills up the entire film! For the first time in almost a decade, a filmâs hero gets more attention than the heroine, even on the basis of oneâs looks. Although I have joined the bandwagon which believes that Anushka is the latest pin-up girl who can act, Khaaleja, perhaps wonât figure in her list of âbestsâ. But then, most of the encounters between Mahesh and Anushka are so remarkably written, then you want them to continue for a little more time. How about the âcoffee shopâ scene? Or maybe even the scene between Ali, Sunil, Mahesh and Anushka? Prakash Raj is indeed restricted in his role where heâs trying to be the ambitious businessman who has to eliminate everything which hinders him. Nevertheless, he adds every possible ounce of sophistication in his role. The rest of the star cast are relegated to minor roles. However, Shafi and Rao Ramesh stand out, thanks to their intense performances. Rao Ramesh does an a la aghora from Magadheera and Shafi dazzles in his role. I firmly believe that Trivikram Srinivasâ work needs to be revisited to absorb the finesse of his writing. The sense of humour is always in the air and the gags are faster than bullets â blink-and -you-will-miss style. It has happened once with Jalsa, which I absolutely hated when I saw it in the cinema hall. Later, when I watched the same film I realised how brilliantly funny the film was. Khaaleja is no different. In fact, the humour is easy to digest and it just gets better and better with every repeat viewing. I have seen the film only once, but my intuition tells me that this film will have more repeat telecasts than any other film in the recent 2-3 years when it premieres on TV. I am no God, but I have absolute faith in Trivikram Srinivas. For me, Khaaleja is another proof that he delivers his best everytime he writes. Period! Thereâs a part of me which desperately wants to align with the perspective of thousands of you who have hated the film, because you believe that âthereâs no storyâ! Some people have even said that the film takes a long time to arrive at the crux of the story and that it had no clue where it was going. I beg to differ. The way I see it, the entire first half of the film is a metaphor for every extra-ordinary journey people have undertaken before they find their calling/karma/destiny. Seeta Rama Raju is in search of a family and circumstances lead him to change the course of not only his journey but also the lives of an entire village. He turns into their messiah, their god. The transition to this state is another factor which cannot be overlooked. Seetarama Raju is a reluctant superhero and he doesnât believe in himself despite the overwhelming evidence of his divinity. A friend of mine told me that he heard someone say, âThey have made a mockery of God. Does a God consume alcohol?â Bhayya, the fact the heâs God, gives him the license to do absolutely anything. You canât have rules for Gods, how they should behave etc! How could you miss such simple logic? You complain of excessive violence and I ask you, show me one battle from our mythology where there wasnât any bloodshed? It is afterall what Gods have been doing for agesâ¦.the truimph of good over evil has never been so entertaining. There is, however one thing which caught me off-guard â the existence of Iridium in Pali! Maybe I will have to watch the film again to figure out this aspect. Yash Bhatâs cinematography and choice of locations is spectacular. The arid lands have a charm of their own and are instrumental in giving the whole a raw look. Mahesh Babuâs styling deserves a big thumbs up! He has reinvented himself and itâs hard to believe that heâs in his mid 30s! Mani Sharmaâs music and songs stand out occasionally. Sreekar Prasad is at his usual best. Trivikram Srinivas, comes loaded with quite a few credits and credentials for this film. Lets say, I found his dialogues splendid, his story well written, screenplay gets better as the film progresses. With every film, he has tried to experiment someway or the other. How do you decide whether a director has succeeded or failed in his attempt? For me, everything he tried to do in the film worked and how! If you are of a different opinion, then I am sure even Trivikram doesnât have time to bother about our rants. Get it? The film was under production for almost three years, due to production delays and a host of other issues. At the end of such strenous exercise and excruciatingly long wait, is it all worth it? This is precisely where your point of view comes into play. I was throughly engrossed into each and every frame of the film that I didnât have the opportunity to explore where the film hit the wrong note. Chances are that you would have found crater sized holes in the script, direction and even Mahesh Babuâs acting. Under such circumstances, an ideal thing to do would be to close your eyes and think about the possibility of such a script and more importantly the philosophy behind the film. You donât have to be a God to save lives, but you canât stop others from believing that you are God if you save someoneâs life. How about that? Is that a difficult pill to digest? At the end of the film, 534 people remain in the village as per the prophecy. I think I saw God and wanted to be the 535th member of this clan. Would that be too much to ask for? Where else can you find a God whoâs panache could kill all evil? Where else can you find a God whose smile can heal your pain? Where else can you find a God who dazzles you with his mere appearance? I bow before thee, Mahesh. I bow before your creator, Trivikram. // -------- The Stig Says: Auto racing, Bullfighting and Mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games. !! |
