Movie: Geethanjali Malli Vachindi
Rating: 2.25/5
Banner: MVV Cinema and Kona Film Corporation
Cast: Anjali, Srinivas Reddy, Satyam Rajesh, Satya, Shakalaka Shankar, Sunil, Ali, Ravi Shankar, Rahul Madhav and others.
Screenplay: Kona Venkat, Bhanu Bhogavarapu
Music Director: Praveen Lakkaraj
DOP: Sujatha Siddhartha
Editor: Chota K Prasad
Production Designer: Narni Srinivas
Producers: MVV and Kona
Directed by: Shiva Turlapati
Release Date: April 11, 2024
Upon its release, "Geethanjali" featuring Anjali and Srinivas Reddy achieved unexpected success. The horror comedy was well-received. A decade later, the same team came up with its sequel.
Let us determine if the film is on par with the original.
Story:
Director Srinivas (Srinivas Reddy), who has been unsuccessful in his previous attempts to direct a film, receives an unexpected phone call from businessman Vishnu (Rahul Mahadev), offering him a chance. Vishnu appoints Srinivas to shoot a story that takes place in a palace he possesses in Ooty.
With the recommendation of Vishnu, Srinivas and his writers (Satyam Rajesh and Shakalaka Shankar) select Anjali (Anjali), the owner of a coffee shop in Ooty, as the ideal candidate to portray the female lead.
Ayan (Satya), their friend, has been assigned the role of the male protagonist. However, does Vishnu have any hidden agenda for granting Srinivas an opportunity and choosing this specific location for the movie?
What is the relationship between Anjali and Geethanjali (of the original movie)?
Artistes’ Performances:
Despite Anjali being main heroine, she gets very little amount of screen time. Her performance is likewise somewhat informal.
Srinivas Reddy, Satyam Rajesh, Shakalaka Shankar, and Ali attempt to deliver comedic performances, but their efforts are largely unsuccessful.
The scenes featuring Satya in the latter half are impressive. This is a comeback film for comedian Sunil. It is proved that he can excel in his vintage comedy performances provided the right scripts come to him. His combination with Satya are impressive.
Rahul Mahadev does the rich businessman’s role satisfactorily, but unnecessary buildups and elevations were given to him.
Technical Excellence:
As the film is set in Ooty, the visuals are eye-catching. Major part of the film happens inside a bungalow. The art work is good.
The cinematography and the production design are the best part of this movie.
Back ground score is bad and fails to lift the mood of the audience. Even the songs sound outdated both with music and lyrics.
Highlights:
Comedy scenes involving Satya and Sunil
Drawback:
No dhum in story
Lacks interesting narration
Boring first half
Weak climax
Analysis
Geethanjali (2014) successfully combined elements of horror and comedy. However, the sequel, helmed by the new filmmaker Shiva Turlapati, is an inferior rendition. The primary issue with this movie is its feeble narrative and insipid screenplay.
The first half of the film mostly centers with the process of filmmaking, with a particular focus on Srinivas Reddy and his group's effort to direct a movie within a Mahal.
The comedic sequences of Srinivas Reddy, Shakalaka Shankar, and Satyam Rajesh fail to elicit laughs. The sequences involving Anjali fail to generate any interest either. Only the tracks involving Satya and Sunil are a relief.
The film captivates our attention solely upon the revelation of a surprising turn of events involving one of the primary characters at the interval.
During this interval bang, we learn the reason why Srinivas Reddy and his team were specifically chosen to direct the film at this location. However, the amusing aspect of the film lies not in this plot twist, but in the comedic filming sequences that take place in the Mahal.
Srinivas Reddy and his writers are aware that the Mahal is inhabited by three ghosts. However, they cannot to abandon the film project.
As they attempt to film the story involving these ghosts and the actors such as Anjali and Satya, it elicits authentic moments of entertainment. It provides lot of fun when Satya perceives these spirits as "method actors". In the entire film, this one particular segment is both captivating and humorous.
But the film deviates from its enjoyable drama as it moves toward climax. The purported revenge subplot and the use of flashback narratives do not contribute any significant value, while the protracted climax sequence is also underwhelming.
The songs are another huge minus. The two songs and a bit song hardly get registered.
Overall, there aren't many scares or belly laughs in "Geethanjali Malli Vachidi." Due to a subpar script and lackluster direction by a new director, the sequel proves to be uninteresting and tedious.
Bottom line: Bumpy ride