This film is about a director Shyamgopal Varma (SGV) who churns film after film, recycles the stories and when he runs out of ideas, banks on making crazy statements and sequels to get publicity. On one such outing, while making Raktaniki Raktam on faction feuds, he rubs a factionist the wrong way. Consequently he is thrown into an isolated house and left to die. He escapes with great difficulty and decides to make a film based on his days in captivity.
While this is just an insipid fulcrum, the director surrounds it with all the big and small details of SGV, obviously picked with the least effort from Ram Gopal Varma’s interviews and micro blogging sites and the way he conducts himself in public. That is the only funny and bold part of the film and at the same time irritating. Irritating because the satire hasn’t been executed with finesse and ends up as some C grade time pass movie. Drector Rakesh Sharma instead of making a proper spoof ends up giving unnecessary mileage by making the story revolve around the central character.
The film begins with the director stating that he thinks of films 24x7; little does he realise that he would one day be caught in a precarious situation. While he is kidnapped, chained and locked in a house somewhere, a flashback shows his life as a director. There is a starlet dancing in skimpy costumes and SGV in front of the monitor announces ‘cut’, only to order a layer of her costume peeled and thrown away (just to show the director’s penchant for scantily clad women). He reads Mario Puzo, talks of Ayn Rand, walks with his arms in his trouser pockets and sometimes rubs the side of his nose. The filmi atmosphere that SGV moves around is too real. We get to see certain Cherukuri Brothers being prodded by a certain hero to give better punch dialogues; a dialogue writer approving of the hero pulling the plane down with a rope is looked upon with disdain by SGV. It is time for easy guesses when there is a woman who in a heavy American-Telugu accent heaps praise on SGV and treats him on par with Hollywood filmmakers and addresses him as ‘Shyam uncle'’ the film’s title is Debbaku Thha (read as Dongala Muthha).
Urmila becomes Sharmila, Rangeela turns Jangrila, Chota K Naidu is Bada K Naidu, there are wannabes from his community hailing from Bheemavaram and turning to SGV with recommendation letters. The sequels are Dee, DD, DDD and Purna Studios is actually Annapurna Studios. In fact you spend the next half of the film guessing who the characters are rather than following the story.
Shafi does a very good job, striking a fine balance between the real person and SGV and doesn’t over dramatise the character.
Media is an integral part of SGV’s career. Here, the Press asks, “Cinema Yelagocchindi?” and the reply is “Chala Chettaga Vocchindi.” “Industry lo success rate yentha? 100 percent because all producers hold success meets immediately after the release.” Question: “Aren't you making movies for money?” Reply: “No. To make movies I need money.” and finally, “Nenu Message Kosam Cinema Tiyyanu, SMS Isthe Chalu.” Those who follow RGV regularly will not be amused at all, such statements cease to surprise them. Those who don’t know him will continue to tear their hair on this indulgent and wasteful drama on a personality. Avoid it, for all you know the producer, director and RGV could in all probability have connived to fool the public once again.
A Shyamgopal Verma Film
Cast: Shafi, Zoya Khan
Direction: Rakesh Srinivas
Music: Mantra Anand
Plot: A superficial satire on RGV’s idiosyncrasies
Bottomline: Telugu film directors bankrupt with ideas?
