Film: Komaram Puli
Rating: 1.75/5
Banner: Kanakarathna Movies
Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Nikisha Patel, Manoj Bajpai, Nasser, Saranya, Charanraj, Ali, Girish Karnad, Brahmaji, Shriya (special appearance), Cochin Haneefa, Gopinath etc
Music: A R Rahman
Cinematography: Binod Pradhan
Editing: Prabhakaran
Story, screenplay, dialogues, direction: S J Suryah
Producer: Singanamala Ramesh Babu
Release date: 10th Sep 2010
Amidst huge expectations and chaotic atmosphere to procure a ticket, I walked in to the theater to watch the most awaited flick ‘Komaram Puli’. Much to the dismay I experienced an old formula scene in the introduction. The pregnant lady…police station..police atrocity…Murugan temple…divine light…mother teaching left-right marching to the growing baby in her womb…baby responding to that…..labor pains…villain chasing…lady falling into a flowing water body…giving birth to the hero!!! That is good way to pull mass pulse, but I wondered if I were watching a mythological film!!!
The grown up hero (Pawan Kalyan) introduces himself with a ‘heavy dosed action scene’ typically branded as South Indian masala. Pawan Kalyan is looking good in uniform but his body language didn’t match perfectly to that of a tough cop.
To say the story in brief, Puli (Pawan Kalyan) is the son of a betrayed mother (Saranya). The mother nurtures him with valor and makes him a police officer. He is very sincere and tough. He saves the life of Indian Prime Minister Samarasimha Rao (Girish Karnad) from international terrorists when the latter visits Bangkok. PM felicitates him amidst entire Police Community, but Puli asks him to give a few tough police officers to bring change in the nation and people and keep the pride of India high. PM agrees for that and introduces ‘Puli Team’. What Puli Team does to society? That forms major chunk of the movie. In the narration, the main theme gets connected to the family vengeance of Puli. Climax reveals to Puli that his father was killed by a few selfish police officers and a mafia kingpin Al Saleem (Manoj Bajpai). How Puli traps Al Saleem forms the final twist.
Pawan’s lengthy dialogues are like puzzles. His rendition is also swift although at times sounded like that of Chiranjeevi fully. Many times, he tried to imitate Rajni Kanth in delivering fast paced dialogues. But he missed clarity in that attempt. The dialogues are also didactic. Pawan Kalyan sounded like an emotional professor in taking classes but not as cop. Director should be blamed for that and not Pawan.
Above all, it’s only SJ Suryah who spoiled the dish completely without proper depth in narration.
There are innumerable flaws and gaps in the film. I didn’t understand the uniform that Pawan Kalyan wears-sometimes khakhi and sometimes olive green. Ali’s comedy is mediocre and miniscule. Manoj Bajpai’s over action as villain diluted the seriousness.
Coming to the best part in the movie-
- Nikesha Patel is the right choice for the film and she looked really pleasant through out. It is she who can hook the audiences to screen to some extent.
- Sharanya as mother is superb. Her dialogues are impressive. She could act with proper balance in every scene.
- The other scene-stealer in the movie is Shriya. Her item song is good but the role is very short lived.
- Cinematography and graphics work deserve great commendation.
On a whole, the content and narrative style sounded normal although the production values and technical adroitness are impressive.
I hardly understood why such huge sum was shelled out in making a movie without proper content. First half is average while second half makes audience look at their watches. It’s a 2 hr 40 min marathon that ends up with suffocation.
Sign-Off Note: Pawan Kalyan keeps on saying a dialogue about ‘sankalpam’. This movie can be watched till the end only by those who wish to sit with ‘sankalpam’.
Reviewed by Lakshmi ([email protected])
