Movie: Saindhav
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Niharika Entertainment
Cast: Venkatesh, Shraddha Srinath, Ruhani Sharma, Nawazuddin Siddique, Arya, Andrea Jeremiah, Mukesh Rishi, Jisshu Sengupta, Baby Ssara Palekar, JP, Getup Srinu and others
Music: Santosh Narayan
Cinematographer: S.Manikandan
Editing: Garry Bh
Art: Avinash Kolla
Producers: Venkat Boyanapalli
Written and Directed by: Sailesh Kolanu
Release Date: Jan 13, 2023
"Saindhav" is Venkatesh's 75th film, and much promotion has been done.
Let's see if director Sailesh Kolanu's film truly stands out in Venky's career.
Story:
Saindhav Koneru (Venkatesh) lives in the Chandraprastha port city along with his daughter Gayatri. Mano (Sraddha Sreenath), a neighbor who is living independently following her separation from her husband (Getup Seenu), has a close connection with Saindhav's daughter as well as with Saindhav himself.
Saindhav formerly served as a member of a drug cartel, but he has since transitioned into the role of a crane operator and is now living a life distanced from his previous crime activity.
Upon learning that his daughter has been diagnosed with the rare disease SMA and the medical treatment costs Rs 17 crore, he seeks assistance from his former employer. In response, his boss instructs him to eliminate Vikas (Nawazuddin Siddique), the current leader of the cartel.
Saindhav is faced with the dual challenge of saving his daughter and eradicating the cartel operations in Chandraprastha.
Artistes’ Performances:
Venkatesh plays a character that requires him to exhibit aggression. Although it is commendable that he is portraying a character that suits his age, the character he played lacks a distinct quality. It is a routine action role.
Nawazuddin Siddique attempts as an idiosyncratic antagonist. But he too irritates with his Hindi-Telugu mix dialogue delivery and overdosed histrionics.
Shraddha Srinath, Ruhani Sharma, and JP have regular roles in the film.
Actors such as Arya, Jisshu Senugupta, and Andrea impose a financial strain on production costs and they contribute little value to the narrative.
Technical Excellence:
The music composed by Santosh Narayan is underwhelming, with both the songs. But the background score is noteworthy.
The cinematography by Manikandan is commendable as he effectively sustains a somber ambiance throughout the film. Similar to the writing, the editing is devoid of rapid tempo.
Highlights:
BGM
Drawback:
Boring narration
Lousy screenplay
Predictable proceedings
No thrilling action episodes
Superficial emotions
Analysis
One would expect a popular actor like Venkatesh to sign a landmark film (his 75th) with a solid story. It's disappointing to see Venkatesh approve this plot that has nothing to root for. Why on earth would Venkatesh agree to make another action film after scoring duds earlier?
After watching this till the end, one wonders how director Sailesh Kolanu ("Hit") wrote this script and also thought it would merit a sequel (there is a hint of a sequel at the end of the film).
The story is set in the imaginary city of Chandraprastha. And the city has over 300 children with this rare condition, each of whom need an injection worth Rs 17 crore. But the government does nothing. A mafia runs the so-called pharmaceutical company that manufactures vials. Really? How could Venkatesh have agreed to this ridiculous story?
The film starts out slowly. The film is tedious for more than 40 minutes in the first half. It only becomes interesting toward the intermission. However, once the main conflict is created, it slips and becomes uninteresting again.
Why did Arya enter the story? We don't know. JP is the grandfather of Venkatesh’s daughter, but he is unaware of this. Shraddha Srinath's character is no better. There are numerous actors that do nothing except be there. The film has the sense of being just another rehash action drama in the style of some duds from 10 or 15 years ago.
In his promotional materials, the filmmaker stated that the final 20 minutes of the film will deliver a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience because Venkatesh's performance will leave us speechless. In reality, the climax feels stretched out, and the acting is nothing spectacular.
Overall, "Saindhav" is a huge letdown. Nothing except boredom is provided by this action drama. The film has no redeeming qualities at all. The incessant flow of action episodes makes no sense, and the audience gets perplexed as to why so many violent action scenes come one after the other. This film is a perfect 'no' for entertainment seekers, and even the action film lovers find it abhorring and taxing to the mind, as there is no emotional part to connect with what is happening on the screen. This is a big shock of how Venkatesh agreed to this script for his milestone 75th film.
Bottom line: What a Mess!