Srikant Addala’s characters are all carnivalesque and casual, making you feel that you bumped into them somewhere. Be it Seetamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu or Mukunda, the middle-class stories came alive as glossies just not because of a big star cast but due to his distinct aesthetic sensibility. In his stories, the basic plot is never complex but the emotional swirling throws light on fading attitudes and relationships. In fact his films have heavy leanings on Rajashri and Karan Johar projects that have a pan-Indian appeal. When it comes to territories..one must note the audience is different. Addala must question himself how relevant such plots are to the current generation. .
Brahmotsavam that is loosely translated in this context as the ultimate in celebrations, revolves around joint family system, harmonious existence, selflessness, respect and unconditional love for elders etc. The first half focuses on harmonious living and post-break, it is the hero’s efforts to find his roots. There were boundless possibilities to narrate it in an interesting manner, but the director squanders it away. There is a heavy hangover of SVSC and Srimantudu in this film. Technically the film is a feast but Mahesh’s looks and work can’t lift a stale story .
Satyaraj runs a paint factory with the help of his brother-in-law (Rao Ramesh) and his four brothers; all their families live together. It is trouble in paradise when a family friend’s daughter Kajal arrives and there is a seemingly possible romance between Mahesh and Kajal. Rao Ramesh has designs to get his daughter Pranita married to Mahesh and when that doesn’t happen, he breaks away from the family. From thereon the hero not only works for a reconciliation but also hunts for generations that preceded him.
How long can one fawn over Mahesh’s colour and his looks, shouldn’t there be a strong story that he can lean on for support? For instance, the director shows a shot of a kid asking the hero to marry her through gestures. Samantha heaps praises on the hero in a heritage structure as well. The saving act in all the three films came from the very talented Rao Ramesh. Here too, when the film in the first half, when the film moves in a meaningless way for one hour ten minutes, Rao Ramesh sweeps the audience away and makes you hang on for the next half. Samantha has nothing new to offer, her expressions and body language are predictable; Kajal on the other hand has a very interesting role of a woman who has a mind of her own and charms her way through, though she has a small footage.
Dialogues are lengthy and post-interval become needlessly cryptic. Most of the time, Mahesh becomes a beguiling factor in moving the otherwise dragging plot, ahead. His character is not consistent but is never aggressive, despite a small action scene post-interval. The producer has provided all the big character artistes on a platter, Revati suddenly disappears after her husband’s death, and returns in the last scene. Brahmotsavam is a confident, grand and sublime title for a noble plot that has been given a superficial treatment. Any joy that comes from the hero or this story is only ephemeral.
– Y. Sunita Chowdhary
Brahmotsavam
Cast: Mahesh, Kajal, Samantha
Direction: Srikant Addala
Music: Mickey J Meyer
Bottomline: Discomforting monotony
