Movie: Brahma Anandam
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Swadharm Entertainment
Cast: Brahmanandam, Raja Goutam, Vennela Kishore, Priya Vadlamani, Talluri Rameswari, Aishwarya Holakkal, Rajeev Kanakala, Sampath Raj, Raghu Babu, Prabhakar, Divija Prabhakar and Dayanand Reddy.
Music: Sandilya Pisapati
DOP: Mitesh Parvathaneni
Editor: Praneeth Kumar
Art Designer: Kranthi Priyam
Producer: Rahul Yadav Nakka
Screenplay and Directed by: Rvs Nikhil
Release Date: Feb 14, 2025
“Brahma Anandam” signifies the collaboration of legendary comedian Brahmaandam and his son Raja Goutam in film. The film premiered in theaters today.
Let us ascertain its merits and demerits.
Story:
Brahma (Raja Goutam) is a struggling actor who mostly works on stage and lives in a Hyderabad apartment with his friend Giri (Vennela Kishore). His grandfather, Ananda Murthy (Brahmanandam), lives in an old age home.
When Brahma finally gets the chance to accomplish his ambition of staging his play, he will need Rs 6 lakhs. Around the same time, Brahma's grandfather offers him the acres of land in exchange for his accompanying him to their ancestral village and staying with him for a specific number of days. Brahma accepts and travels with him to the village in Krishna district, hoping to sell the properties and become wealthy.
The twist in the story is that Murthy, who did not own any land in this area, brought Brahma and Giri there for a different purpose. What is Murthy's true motive, and what will Brahma do when he knows his grandfather has tricked him?
Artistes’ Performances:
Brahmanandam has already played a powerful emotional role in "Rangamarthanda". He also succeeded in the emotional scenes here. His scenes with Talluri Rameswari are charming.
Raja Goutam has done the role with conviction. While his acting in the beginning isn't particularly effective, we can feel his sincerity in the latter parts. He shines in the final moments.
Vennela Kishore provides much relief. His shenanigans make for good humor. Without him, many sections of film would appear tedious. Talluri Rameswari is at her natural best.
Sampath Raj, Rajeev Kanakala, Priya Vadlamani, Aishwarya Holakkal, and Divija Prabhakar all have done their roles neatly.
Technical Excellence:
The film appears to have been produced on a low budget, with low technical and production values. The production design and cinematography are pretty basic.
The film requires extensive trimming and sharp editing. The dialogue writing is likewise quite routine. However, some portions provide decent laughs.
Highlights:
The basic concept
The twist in the story
Drawback:
Execution
Inconsistent narration
Feel of OTT movie
The sequences about stage play
Analysis
The trailer of “Brahma Anandam” and nearly half of the movie give an impression that this is all about a grandfather and a grandson and the dynamics between the actors—Brahmanandam and Raja Goutam. But the film’s main plot point is different. The core subject is about two “unexpected” people falling in love with each other.
The new director, RVS Nikhil, holds this point till the interval. He initiates the story with Raja Gowtam's character, dedicating most of the first half of the film to establishing his problems, his aspirations as a stage actor, his financial struggles, and gradually connecting his story to Brahmanandam. The story only makes sense when it shifts to the village and reveals the twist.
People wanting “thodu” (companion) in old age is not a new topic, but this film has another novelty that we won't reveal to avoid spoilers. While this core point is interesting, and some of the comedy that arose from the confusion is very humorous, the overall narration lacks consistency.
The entire episode about Raja Goutam and his attempts to become a successful theater performer, as well as his love story with Priya Vadlamani, is absolutely uninteresting. These scenes are reminiscent of web drama quality. Even the reasoning for the breakup between the leads feels contrived.
The sequences involving Brahmanandam’s granddaughter, played by Divija Prabhakar, don’t work. The writing quality here is substandard.
The second half, where the main plot takes place, has some fine moments and some enjoyable comedy portions. But even in the second half, the episode involving Sampath Raj, especially his attempts to clear the tenth-class exam for the past 25 years, defies logic.
The final 30 minutes, where Raja Goutam realizes his true mission should not be worrying about money but making Brahmanandam’s dream be fulfilled, and the emotional sequences are handled well. But for a film that has a final good message, it needed a more compelling narrative and more consistency. The title also doesn’t suit well to this story.
In a nutshell, "Brahma Anandam" contains an interesting central theme, some emotional scenes, and some hilarious moments that work well, but the inconsistent narration, low technical values, and lack of precise editing detract from the proceedings. Rahul Yadav Nakka, who earlier produced different movies like “Agent Sai Srinivas Athreya” and “Masooda,” has chosen a rather old-style story.
Bottom-line: Only for some moments
