Movie: Gurthunda Seethakalam
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Sri Vedaakshara Movies
Cast: Satya Dev, Tamannaah, Megha Akash, Kavya Shetty, Priyadarshi, and others
Music: Kaala Bhairava
Director of Photography: Satya Hegde
Editor: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Producer: Bhavana Ravi, Nagasekhar
Written and Directed by: Nagasekhar
Release Date: Dec 09, 2022
Satyadev and Tamannaah pairing up together for the first time grabbed the attention. Though the film has been delayed and got postponed, the team did last minute promotions to generate buzz.
Let’s analyze.
Story:
While travelling to the same location, Dev (Satya Dev) offers to drop off a girl (Megha Aakash) in Mangalore. Along the way, he talks about the women who crossed his path and the romances he had with them. In the beginning of the story, he describes his first love from his school days. His second tale involves a wealthy woman named Amrutha (Kavya Shetty), whom he met in college.
In an effort to meet Amrutha's financial demands, he relocates to Bengaluru and works tirelessly to improve his financial situation, but he and Amrutha eventually break up because of her obsession with money. To help him get over his ex-girlfriend, his friends set him up on a date with Nidhi (Tamannaah), a colleague.
When Nidhi and Dev tie the knot, they blossom into a happy, loving couple. Something happens just as they are about to have their first child, and it alters their entire world.
Artistes’ Performances:
In spite of his obvious discomfort in his role as a college student, Satya Dev turns in a good performance toward the film's end. When the story involves Tamannaah, he shines during the dramatic moments.
Tamannaah gracefully portrays an adult woman. In one particular scene, she really excels. But on a whole her character ends up shallow and mundane.
Megha Akash and Kavya Shetty are average. Priyadarshi is given a substantial part as Satya Dev's friend. Harshini paired up with him for padding.
Technical Excellence:
The film's setting, primarily in Karnataka, is one of its strongest points, and the camerawork does a fine job of capturing the state's verdant landscapes. The music has no effect. The dialogue is average. Sharpness in editing is lacking.
Highlights:
Visuals
Drawback:
Cliched storyline
Outdated sequences
Boring episodes
Lack of emotional connect
Analysis
"Gurthunda Seethakalam" is a remake of the Kannada hit "Love Mocktail" (2020). The story, on the other hand, lacks originality because Telugu audiences have seen similar stories and sequences in a plethora of films. Even the ostensibly "shocking" twist in Tamannaah and Satya Dev's romance fails to shock us.
While the story itself lacks originality, the casting of these characters is flawed. Satya Dev is unsuitable for the role of a college student, and the story involving him and Kavya Shetty is not only long but also tedious. This kind of stories work on three main factors: 1) chemistry between the lead actors, 2) fantastic music, and 3) novelty or entertainment. There are none in "Gurthunda Seethakalam."
We don't comment on or compare this to the Kannada original film because we haven't seen it. As a Telugu film, this only gives a sense of déjà vu.
There are some humorous exchanges and scenes, though. The movie drops in the second half, and the crucial scenes between Tamannaah and Satya Dev fail to bring in the required emotion. The film is largely dull.
This love story tries very hard to hold our attention with tried and tested sequences, but it fails miserably in an era when young love stories offer trendy content and new perspectives.
Overall, "Gurthunda Seethakalam" is uninspired. We're expecting a warm beverage like coffee or tea in the winter, but instead we're treated to a cold and insipid dish at this "Seethakalam."
Bottom line: Hard to Remember