Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu, What’s Behind: Bengal Tiger producer Radha Mohan’s new film in E Satti Babu direction has hit the screens today with catchy title MEK. Presence of Variation Star Veera Babu aka Prudhvi and Saloni along with Naveen Chandra, Shruti Sodhi in main leads no way helped the film to strike big on headlines. Let us see, what’s the film is actually all about?
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Story: College going student Priya (Shruti Sodhi) falls in love with sincere, university topper Prashanth (Naveen Chandra). However, economical disparities between two families create the rift because Priya’s father ABR (Murali Sharma) is a millionaire businessman while Prashanth’s father (Chalapathi Rao) is a farmer. However, Prashanth feels pity for ABR challenging him to learn failure lessons in life to enjoy the real happiness.
ABR then decides to taste the first failure by producing a flop film with Variation Star Veera Babu aka Mahesh Babu (Prudhvi) as hero, Samantha (Saloni) with director (Raghu Babu) and benami producer Thatha Rao (Posani) titled as ‘Thamala Paku.’ What happened from here on? Was ‘Thamala Paku’ a hit or flop? What lessons ABR learnt in this process is rest.
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Artists and Technicians: Gone are the days wherein entertainment films made completely relying on spoofs are appreciated by audience and industry. How come producer KK Radha Mohan with a good, professional taste went forward bankrolling this lackluster script and silly story element is unknown. Except 20 to 30 minutes during pre interval, rest of the 2+ hour narrative is bland and lifeless. Director E Satti Babu’s natural ease wasn’t visible. Screenplay is dull and unexciting. Nagendra Kumar, Vikram Raj and Kranthi Reddy Sakinala’s writing is farcical. Camera handling by Bal Reddy is one of the saving grace. Sree Vasanth’s music is an average score and so is the work from editing department. Production standards from KK Radha Mohan are in sync with story and casting capabilities.
Onto performances, Naveen Chandra never appeared like hero of the film, either excelling as an artist or shouldering his part of the story. Less we speak about him, more it would be better. Shruti Sodhi is fine to an extent in glamorous attires. Prudhvi was entertaining in first half with heroic entry and lengthy imitation dialogues mouthed energetically. Second half, he is a total let down. For Saloni, this is one more pathetic selection. Talented Murali Sharma is wasted in badly written character. Posani and Raghu Babu were wonderful, trying hard every time lifting the falling graph. Jaya Prakash Reddy, Chalapathi Rao, Dhanraj and other artists are for name sake.
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Advantages:
Prudhvi, Posani, Raghu Babu (In pre interval blocks)
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Drawbacks:
Everything
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Rating Analysis: Basic story is by itself had commercial flavor with needful space to inject humor. But, Satti Babu’s inconsistency with missing support from writing department made whole thing a foolish affair. His trick of playing parody with entire second half in the name of ‘Thamala Paku’ movie was full of unending woes. Murali Sharma’s enlightenment towards climax played further havoc. Apparently, Satti Babu was clueless, over dependent on a forgotten spoofing trend which made viewers go restless.
First 30 minutes in first half goes pale introducing Naveen Chadra, Shruti Sodhi’s tediously written love track. Murali Sharma’s character brings some life followed by Posani, Raghu Babu, Prabhas Srinu and then Prudhvi makes pre interval scenes a laughter riot. Satirical attack on film industry and media connects well with Film Nagar folks. Interval block promises to offer more in second half.
Unfortunately, second half explores the hollowness in Prudhvi as an artist and proceedings become boring scene by scene. Running complete second half on Prudhvi and Saloni is an adventurous feat backfired. Pre climax and climax are far more dejected treated on the shades of RGV ‘Appalraju’ concept.
All in all, MEK stands disappointing except pre interval 20 to 30 minutes. Commercially, how far this film pulls audience already suffering with cash ban to theaters is cent-percent doubtful. CJ goes for 2 stars rating on a forlorn note.
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Cinejosh Verdict: One More Sorrowful Spoof.
Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Cinejosh Rating: 2.0/5.0
Reviewed by Srivaas