Movie: Sreekaram
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: 14 Reels Plus
Cast: Sharwanand, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Rao Ramesh, Amani, Sr Naresh, Sai Kumar, Murali Sharma, Satya, Sapthagari, and others
Music: Mickey J Meyer
Cinematography: J Yuvaraj
Editor: Marthand K Venkatesh
Art: Avinash Kolla
Producers: Ram Achanta, Gopi Achanta
Written and Direction: Kishore B
Release Date: March 12, 2021
Sharwanand has been going through the worst phase with series of flops. Still, he has managed to get huge buzz around “Sreekaram”, thanks to its super hit songs, interesting trailers, and promotional events.
Let’s find out whether the film reaches the expectations.
Story:
The film is set in a village near Tirupathi. Karthik (Sharwanand) works in a software company in Hyderabad and regularly sends money to his father to clear the debts the family had.
For some strange reason, a rich girl Chaitra (Priyanka Arul Mohan) is madly in love with Karthik although he repeatedly asks her not to place any hopes on him.
Upon learning that his villagers are working as daily laborers in big cities due to meager income from farming, he quits the corporate job, rejects a lucrative offer in the USA. His decision to take up farming doesn’t go well with his father (Rao Ramesh).
How Karthik transforms the economic activity in his village with his ideas about community farming is all about the movie.
Artistes’ Performances:
Sharwanand appears in two different looks – the software professional and the farmer. He is at home in those shades of the character. He does a neat job.
Rao Ramesh as his father and Naresh as his uncle leave an impact with their performances.
Priyanka Arul Mohan’s is a typical glam role. The characterization of Sai Kumar as the greedy money-lender is too weak. Satya does the usual friend’s role.
Technical Excellence:
The film has lavish production and technical values. The cinematography is pleasing. The beautiful Tirupathi rural landscape is captured well by Yuvaraj.
Of Mickey J Meyer’s songs, two stand out. The super hit song “Bhalegundi Bala” comes at the wrong place. Sai Madhav Burra’s dialogues are apt.
Highlights:
Community farming concept
Grand production values
Father-son sentiment
Drawback:
Unconvincing narration
Outdated romantic track
Predictable ending
Analysis
“Sreekaram” is one of those movies which has good intentions. The new director Kishore must have intended to drive the point of providing a solution to the current agrarian crisis. He has employed all the tropes of commercial filmmaking. But good intentions alone are enough to turn it into a good watch, it needs an involving narration. “Sreekaram” falters on that front.
Director Kishore has introduced the concept of “community farming” in this film. The concept is interesting. But there is no major conflict in the film barring small issues between a father and a son.
The villain is not strong enough either. Here, the villain is a local money-lender who wants to have the lands of all the villagers only to change the name of the village and come out of the shadow of his father-in-law. The villain is too soft and less powerful. Invariably, the drama lacks the impact.
Moreover, the narration is too flat for us to get involved till the end.
When the main point doesn’t have enough meat, directors rely on the romantic thread of the lead pair or the entertainment quotient.
In “Sreekaram”, the hero doesn’t have any interest in the girl, and the girl appears once in a while to sing a song. The poor writing of the romantic thread is another drawback. There is not much comedy either.
The best part of the film is the bond between Rao Ramesh and Sharwanand. They have evoked the right emotional chord. Also, this is the first mainstream film that has effectively merged the ‘lockdown’ angle into the narration. The final portion is handled well compared to the first half. The flight of farmers is also depicted well.
All in all, despite having a good concept, “Sreekaram” runs on expected lines, with few engaging moments.
Bottom Line: Agricultural Treat
