Srinivasa Avasarala, who’d bridged slice-of-life treatment with adequate cinematic touches in Oohalu Gusagusalade with much success, takes a big leap as a director with his second directorial, Jyo Achyutananda . An easily deeper and enriching subject, he plays well within commercial diktats and yet doesn’t compromise with his story till the final frame. As promised, he steers away from an expected romantic triangle and instead makes Jyo Achyutananda , a fulfilling emotional ride between two brothers, Achyuta Rama Rao (Nara Rohith) and Ananda Vardhana Rao (Naga Shourya).
What of course takes the film to its destination is the lively tongue-in-cheek humour barring a minor sob-fest towards the climax, a happy departure from the Chinnodu and Peddodu one saw in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu . In fact, the director even hints at the contrast in a particular sequence. The character-distinctions are created well.
The likeable aspects of this brother-duo are their human facets; they openly acknowledge their shades of grey to each other, there are moments where they call each other Ravana and Dussasana, there are warm hugs, ugly rifts having them eating into each other. The reason for the latter is of course the girl, but Avasarala treats it only as a sub-plot in the story. For a major part, it’s the light-weight, fun approach that makes us follow their journey. The sequences where Achyut plays tennis for his firm and Anand tries to paint for his wife, the conversation the brothers and Jyotsna have at a café where they eat amidst darkness, bring the floor down. There are smart poetic touches in between, the significant one being Naga Shourya’s gift from his father, the Bucchi Babu-authored Chivaraku Migiledi . There are other catchy references to Devulapalli and Veturi too in hilarious love-letter sequence.
The first hour is a breeze, as it moves back and forth between the brothers’ episode with their tenant Jyotsna (Regina Cassandra), while the second fiddles well between humour, drama and emotion. Jyotsna is a little beyond the stereotypical glam doll in conventional cinema, yet bearing facets typical to a contemporary woman in real life. Regina brings her character alive in a story otherwise dominated by the siblings.
What separates Jyo Achyutananda from many other films is the sincerity with which the emotions unfold, you feel for the characters you see on-screen. Little pleasures of life are celebrated and not trivialised. Naga Shourya is the pick of the lot here; he delivers an extremely nuanced performance, a scale above his act in Oka Manasu . Nara Rohith does well to complement his co-actors. Pavani Gangireddy proves her worth in a part that’s her best after Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju . Despite the limited set of locations in the entire film, the cinematographer takes every effort to make the frame look lively. The film’s impact is only elevated by Kalyana Ramana’ (Kalyan Koduri)s subtle music score. It’s fitting to say, that the film’s strength is the collective effort, both from the cast and crew
Jyo Achyutananda
Cast: Naga Shourya, Nara Rohith, Regina Cassandra
Music: Kalyana Ramana
Director: Srinivas Avasarala
Rating: 3.5
