Brahmaji’s son, Sanjay Rao has turned hero for the second time and he is out with a new film titled Slum Dog Husband. The film has released today. Read our review to find out if the film lives up to the hype or not.
Story: In the intriguing narrative of Slum Dog Husband, we encounter Lachi portrayed by Sanjay Rao, and Mounika portrayed by Pranavi Manukonda, deeply enamored and eagerly looking forward to getting married. However, an unforeseen twist enters their plans when a priest advises Lachi to marry a dog named Baby first, believing it will rectify astrological flaws in his life. Trusting in fate, Lachi proceeds with the unusual wedding to Baby before landing in a big mess. How does he come out in the story of the film?
Performances: In this film, Sanjay Rrao delivers a passable performance, particularly in the emotional climax scenes. When compared to the debut film, Sanjay has improved a lot. Pranavi Manukonda makes an impressive debut, showcasing both beauty and talent. She has the talent and can go a long way. Raju Yadav deserves applause for his comedic contributions, and his character’s unexpected transformation in the second half is well-executed.
Technicalities: AR Sreedhar’s direction manages to keep the film decent, but a more refined screenplay could have resulted in a different outcome. The songs, except for the retro track, are unimpressive, but Bheems Ceciroleo’s score stands out as he has elevated the film in multiple areas. Tighter editing could have enhanced the film’s pacing. Srinivas J Reddy’s cinematography is satisfactory, and the production values are good. The setup and the way the dog has been trained to perform is neat.
Analysis: The story presents a fresh concept but unfortunately, much of it is already revealed in the trailer, impacting the engagement of those who are already aware of the plot. A tighter screenplay and a more focused narration could have improved the film’s overall impact. The film underutilizes actors like Brahmaji and Sapthagiri, which affects the overall outcome. The writing is decent and the concept of a man marrying a dog sounds very good on paper.
The emotional scenes could have been better portrayed with a lesser reliance on the background score. There is no seriousness in the film as many key scenes are narrated in a fun manner. Because of this, the film becomes sold in a lighter vein and this is the drawback of the film. The makers should have done something about this to make some sense of the proceedings.
While the film touches on important issues like human rights and LGBT representation, the execution lacks the captivating factor. Certain scenes in the first half may lead to moments of boredom. The screenplay is the biggest villain as the director takes it easy in scenes which were needed a lot of drama. The concept is good and there is also comedy but where the scenes need to hold the attention of the audience, it does not happen and the film falls flat.
Verdict: Overall, Slum Dog Husband has a hilarious subject and is started off on a good note as well. But once the main case featuring the dog starts, the proceedings become clumsy and predictable. The film lacks drama and is over the top, for the most part, barring a few good scenes featuring Sanjay Rao.
Rating: 2.25/5
