Noted actor Venu Yeldandi turned director with a small film titled, Balagam. Bankrolled by Dil Raju, the film has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it fares.
Story: Set in a small village in Telangana, the film revolves around the death of an aged person named Komarayya. What kind of incidents happens in his family after Komarayya’s demise? How do ego clashes between the family members suffer the departed soul? What is the role of Komarayya’s grandson Sailu( Priyadarshi) in the entire setup, forms crucial crux.
Performances: All the artists who played the family members of Komarayya did their part perfectly. Their natural acting and dialogue delivery in Telangana delict adds a realistic texture to the entire film.
Even though Priyadarshi played the lead role, his character is just the other one in the film which can be termed as the best thing. Priyadarshi as an actor has once again proved himself with his emotional acting during the climax portions. Heroine Kavya Kalyanram is cute on-screen and her chemistry with Priyadarshi is showcased nicely. Her acting in a few episodes in the second half register well.
From the old man who played Komarayya’s character to director cum actor Venu Yeldandi everyone is impressive with their respective key roles.
Technicalities: The music composed by Bheems Ceciroleo is the soul of the film. While all the songs are situational, the two songs that come in the second half carry the mood of the film superbly. His background score is apt for the setup created.
Acharya Venu’s photography work is impressive. He presented the entire film and the village locations on a captivating note. The editing work is nice.
The production values for this limited-budget movie by Dil Raju’s daughter Hanshitha Reddy’s production house are good.
Analysis: Firstly, the actor-turned-director should be appreciated for coming up with a family-based story. His intention behind exploring the emotions and ego clashes between the family members is good and executed the same without any unwanted deviations. Venu as a director passed the litmus test with distinction for sure.
Even though Venu took the Telangana backdrop and showcased the rituals and activities being conducted in the region after a person’s demise, the content has a universal appeal. Apart from a couple of dragged scenes in the first half, his screenplay is gripping with an entertaining narrative. To summarize, Balagam is an emotionally charged village family story that has elements like situational comedy and striking performances for the artists. If promoted nicely, the film has chance to mint good revenues at the ticket windows this weekend.
Verdict: Highly recommended!
Rating: 3.5/5
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