Cast: Jagapathi Babu, Priyamani, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Geethanjali, Jhansi, Suneel, Krishna Bhagwan, Venu Madhav, Brahmanandam, Kovai Sarala
Director:Madan
Producer:Madan
Music:Agasthyan
Camera: T Surendra eddy
Editing :Nandamuri Hari
Romantic comedy of errors
First-time director Madan (earlier writer for Aa Naluguru) needs to be appreciated for the effort to bring out a romantic comedy – Pellaina Kothalo – at the time when entire Tollywood is talking about doing only "mass films". Though the film is nothing new, is just a take off from Mani Ratnam’s Mouna Raagam to recent hit Sakhi, it looks neat and is worth watching for some well developed romantic sequences. But unlike its predecessors, Pellaina Kothalo seems to focus more about the first night part and barely touch upon the husband-wife relationship apart from sex.
Some fresh faces and catchy dialogues help the audience stick on to their seats till the end. All said and done, the film should have some more well-etched out sequences that could have developed both – Jagapathi Babu’s and Priyamani’s – characters and their individualities. The second half could be chopped into maximum 20 minutes and the film would have been much crispy and easy to digest for audience. Overall a good effort to provide non-strip teasing females’ belly dancing and violent blood shed on the screen.
Comedy of errors
Hari is a software engineer, modern and has traditional outlook about marriage. So is Lakshmi who works for a call centre. These two chances upon accidents twice, and both of them have left behind bad taste. Hari’s father wants him to get married and fixes up Lakshmi as Hari’s bride. He immediately accepts and they get married.
The film now shifts to couples from individuals. Hari – Lakshmi; Jhansi – Suneel (they own a marriage bureau); Krishna Bhagwan and his wife; Brahmanandam – Kovai Sarala; Kota – Geethanjali (grand-parents of Hari). Each of these couples is portrayed as contrast to our hero and heroine. Though we could accept most of the couples since they flow with the story, audience will never be able to make out what made the director to have Brahmanandam – Kovai Sarala pair. It is definitely not for comic relief since all through the film you have Krishna Bhagwan, Venu Madhav, Ali, Suneel, etc playing to the gallery.
Even as Hari and Lakshmi get married, Jhansi (who believes that wives should dominate husbands) brainwashes Lakshmi. On the other hand Krishna Bhagwan takes charge of Hari saying that husband should command over his wife. This gets registered very well into their minds (sic) and both of them start fighting from first night itself! They decide to leave in separate rooms, with an urge for sex rather than company in their minds. Having understood their behaviour, the grand parents of Hari enter the scene and convince them to come to the village for 10 days.
Hari and Lakshmi are put through various events, in the disguise of pooja, which provokes them to appreciate each other sexually. They also encounter another pair (domestic workers at grand parents’ house) they too seem to be sex starved. But the director finally manages to get away from the first night mode and make Kota sing song depicting the life of Lord Shiva giving the film non-sex starving image rather than talk about the relationship between husband and wife. This changes their minds and finally Hari and Lakshmi decide to stay together. Final dialogue of Krishna Bhagwan: "No problem, if everyone has their first night in bed rooms these two is having it in the fields!"
Jagapathi Babu seems to be much comfortable playing to family audience. Especially after having looked at Jagapathi’s recent "mass films", this comes has a welcome relief. The heroine, new face – Priyamani – is need fresh wave of air into Tollywood. Though she is not very glamours she has looks of the girl-next-door. If we Telugus can produce family entertainers she is sure shot hit… but alas!
Family entertainers always require a very good support from the music department, but here Agasthyan fails to give anything noteworthy. Madan seems to have handled this easy subject well, but should have made it shorter that would have helped him to sustain the momentum all through. Also similar films have come, so the director should have taken care not to repeat similar situations in this film. Otherwise a good effort!
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