Movie: Journey
Rating: 3/5
Banners: SK Pictures, Fox Star Studios
Cast: Sharwanand, Ananya, Jai, Anjali,
Music: Satya
Cinematographer: Velraj
Editor: Kishore
Story, screenplay, direction: M Saravanan
Producers: A R Murugadoss, Suresh Kondeti
Release date: 19/12/2011
Director A R Murugadoss arrives with his new film as a producer and this has Sharwanand in the lead. This is brought to Telugu by Suresh Kondeti so let us see how it is
Story
A tale of two couples, the story begins with Gautham (Sharwa), a random guy who is approached by Amrutha (Ananya) for a help. She comes from a small town to Hyderabad and has to go for an interview. She takes the help of Gautham for getting to the location but has several innocent suspicions on him. By the time the interview is over Amrutha starts liking Gautham but she doesn’t even know his name or anything. On the other hand, there is Krishnakanth (Jai), a shy guy who is in love with nurse Madhumita (Anjali). Unlike his nature, Madhumita is more tough, outgoing and assertive. However, she also likes Krishnakanth and eventually they start going around.
Krishnakanth decides to take Madhumita to his hometown and takes the Hyderabad- Vijayawada bus. At the same time, Amrutha who is unable to forget Gautham takes a bus going from Vijayawada – Hyderabad in the hope of seeing him again. What Amrutha doesn’t know is Gautham takes the same bus as Krishna-Madhumita to get in touch with Amrutha. The story takes a turn when both the buses meet with an accident. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.
Performances
Sharwanand is a class actor. Despite being given a regular character, he essays it with apt conviction and possesses a strong screen presence. He must be seen more on screen.
Ananya comes up with a cute performance. She is not much of a pretty girl but has that typical innocent looks and carries her role with good quality. Overall, she did a decent job.
Jai has got into his role very nicely and his body language and face in the crowd appearance will strike a chord with the viewers. He underplays his character to the right level.
Anjali is the showstealer. She has a strong homely sex appeal and good versatility in her expressions. Most of the times, it is her eyes that do the talking and her dubbing was suitable.
Highlights
- Screenplay
- Canning of the bus collision
- Music and RR
- Performances from lead cast
- Storyline
- Sharwa’s dialogue about Hyderabad
Drawbacks
- Lengthy climax
- Harsh dose of reality
- Nativity element missing to an extent
Analysis
Whenever a Tamil film comes to Telugu in dubbed format, the difference is quite visible.
For starters, the Tamil films are filled with more of daily life characters, their protagonists are regular faces in the crowd sans glamour, the depiction of each scene is done with strong narrative and realism. This is the feel which comes to the viewer from the moment the film starts.
However, it is not just about the nativity or the romance between the lead pairs, it is the underlying realities of life and the backdrop of the film that many will connect to.
Though the subject is simple, the director has elevated the emotion to a high extent purely by his screenplay and extracting good performances. The film also gives a message on how life can take a turn at any point and why one must share love with his/her dear one.
Overall, the film has been made with good sensibilities, a practical touch and above all, cost effective budget.
On the flip side, the Telugu audience is not used to such realistic treats so it remains to be seen how they can handle this.
At the box office, the film has all prospects of scoring a commercial hit and if the audience also connects, then the chances of success grow stronger.
Verdict: Realistic & sensible, watch it once
(Venkat can be reached at [email protected])
