Film: Prathinidhi
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Sudha Cinemas
Cast: Nara Rohit, Shubra Ayyappa, Sree Vishnu, Kota Srinivas Rao, Ponsani Krishna Murali and others
Music: Sai Karthik
Story: Anand Ravi
Cinematographer: Chitti Babu
Editor: Nandamuri Hari
Direction: Prasanth Mandava
Producer: Sambasiva Rao
Release Date: April 25th, 2014
After some financial difficulties, Pratinidhi was released this Friday. But the troubles have worked in favour of the film and the release has been timed perfectly. In keeping with the mood in the country, TV is flooded with 30 second commercials focused on elections to cash in on the popular sentiments of the people. So, in that sense, Pratinidhi turns up a winner from the word go for following the trend.
Story:
A good and responsible citizen Srinu (Nara Rohit) kidnaps the CM and puts forth his demands. He threatens that if his demands are not met, he would kill the CM and then kill himself. Surprisingly though, his demands and his aim are not in sync.
This throws up a lot of questions. Who is Srinu? What is his background? What makes him kidnap the CM? What consequences does he face for his acts? Read on…
Artistes’ Performances:
Nara Rohit is a relatively new actor and is still honing his acting skills. But his voice is his core strength and in Pratinidhi, he uses it to his advantage. His voice becomes a huge asset for his role which questions the system and raises many issues.
But one is left feeling that a top-ranking actor would have taken the film to a totally different level. Rohit tries to ape Mahesh during the flashback scenes and falters badly. One wishes that he shouldn’t have treaded that path.
However, he puts in a powerful performance in scenes where he simply sits in a chair and mouths hard-hitting dialogues.
The leading girl Shubra Ayyappa is relegated to a few scenes.
Another strong performance comes from Srivishnu who plays an important character in the film. He uses the opportunity to leave his mark.
There is nothing new to write about the acting skills of a seasoned and veteran actor like Kota Srinivasa Rao. Incidentally, he gets to play a key role in the film and he plays it with his natural ease. Posani Krishna Murali who has become yet another staple in many films, gets to play a good role with loads of scope for comedy. The role is a virtual cakewalk for him.
Technical Expertise:
Let’s start with music. There a couple of songs and they can be easily forgotten. But Sai Karthik fails to provide good background music and you can feel the difference in some scenes.
Cinematography is mediocre and the entire film has a low budget look. Dialogues, story and screenplay are by Anand Ravi. His concept is thought-provoking and the questions he poses leave you thinking. So the film scores in terms of dialogues.
Though the plot is a little confusing during the first half, the editing is sharp in the second half. Director Prashant Mandava has handled some scenes beautifully and some rather blandly. The scenes involving Rohit, Shubra and Srivishnu are especially weak. Had he concentrated more on their track, it would have turned out to be a surprise package for the film.
It’s no small task to kidnap a CM with a country-made gun. But the director does not tackle these scenes. Had he been a seasoned director, he would have taken the challenge head on. Instead, Prashant makes the police and NSG personnel look weak and meek for his convenience.
One surely misses that master stroke which comes with experience.
Highlights:
- Dialogues
- Questions thrown up by Pratinidhi
Drawbacks:
- Background score
- Direction
Analysis:
To begin with, the Pratinidhi team needs to be appreciated for making a film that is not only timely but also issue-based. Though it’s not a political film, politics surely form the basis of the film.
It’s a film that questions and instigates the people to take action or at least consider action. With the elections coming up in five days in Telangana and in 12 days in Andhra Pradesh, the timing could not have been more perfect.
The film also broaches the topic of buying votes. So, the makers should be lauded for making a film sprinkled with such contentious issues without caring about the business angle.
The film had the potential of becoming a mass film given its storyline and powerful dialogues. But a weak screenplay and mediocre direction mar the film’s prospects of becoming a top grosser.
But the film has its moments – like the scenes where they discuss how fake notes are issued in ATMs, how small change is not given in most cases, etc.
Pratinidhi also has its share of messages which are sprinkled intermittently through out the film. The film also has a good twist. But the director fails to keep up the tempo and a film that should have been hard-hitting, ends up being a tame affair.
Of course, the audience will surely relate to the film due to its timeliness and its content, but the final product does not leave a long-lasting impression. So it remains to be seen if it can translate its plus points into revenue. Wonder if the audience will respond to this Pratinidhi?
Bottomline: This Pratinidhi leaves you thinking...
(Venkat can be reached at [email protected] or https://twitter.com/greatandhranews)
