Film: Salute
Rating: 1.75/5
Banner: GK Productions
Cast: Vishal, Nayantara, Upendra, Kota, Ali, Brahmanandam etc
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Production: Vikram Krishna
Co-Producer: Shriya Reddy
Direction: Rajasekhar
Released On: 14th Aug 2008
The film was much hyped with the posters showing Nayantara and Vishal in hot poses and Vishal sporting his muscular six pack body. The film exposed nothing other than these two before the release. Let us see how everything gone with this film.
Story:
Satyam (Vishal) is an IPS officer and works as ACP. He believes in the concept of law and order is almost equal to God. He condemns encounters and states that everyone should be punished only by law and not by other means. On the other hand Kota Sreenivasa Rao is the main negative character in the film who wishes to become Chief Minister. He also conspires to kill some of the candidates those come in competition with him for CM's seat. He hires a killer for the purpose but the killer reports that he is not killing those candidates but someone else is doing all that. And the person who gives twist by those assassinations is Pratap (Upendra) who is a former police officer and gets betrayed professionally.
Satyam arrests Pratap and the latter challenges him that he cannot win over anti social elements by going as per law. But Satyam works towards proving that everything can be done within the periphery of law. And Divya (Nayantara) is the lady love for Satyam who is a crime reporter. Finally how Satyam proves that law is beyond everything forms the climax.
Performances:
Vishal did his role very well as Cop but still he has to groom up in terms of many other histrionics. Nayantara's role is mere waste and couldn't justify at all. Much hype was given for her glamour show but there is nothing great to mention about that. She is quite normal every where except in a single song.
Kota's villainy is good. Comedians Brahmanandam and Ali failed miserably as the comedy track itself is not convincing.
Technical departments are ok as far as cinematography, choreography and action episodes are concerned. Music stands out to be something better than everything.
In totality, the film failed to impress audiences.
Analysis:
The story line it self is something confusing and the narration is totally erratic. The director failed to convey what he wished to do. Nayantara's characterization is very weak. Although she is given a crime reporter's role there is no clarity in her acts on screen. The placements of songs are totally disgusting and the audience felt like sitting on thorns. The comedy track is totally dull. Although efforts were made to top up this Tamil dish with Andhra flavor using Ali and Brahmanandam that proved very dull spilling no laughs at all. Ali's role as Nayan's body guard is also not worthy. Both first half and second half proved to be duds. The only relief is the song canned on children. Music is good on a whole. There is no bloodshed in the film although action episodes dominate and that is the other notable factor.
(SiraSri can be reached at [email protected])