Hero Sharwanand is back with a rustic drama Sreekaram which delivers a good message to youngsters and farmers, as going by the promos. Kishor B is debuting as director with the project while Priyanka Arul Mohan played leading lady. Teaser, trailer and songs hiked prospects on the film. Will it reach the expectations?
Moved by few incidents around, a software employee Karthik (Sharwanand) decides to take up farming profession, much to the surprise of his father Keshavulu (Rao Ramesh). A greedy landlord Ekambaram (Sai Kumar) grabs all the farming lands by giving them loans on high interests. Karthik is accompanied by girlfriend Chaitra (Priyanka Arul Mohan) and friends in the mission. Will Karthik win in this mission of making agriculture a profitable profession and bring back farmers to the farm lands?
Kishor B's idea of inspiring youth to take up farming is undoubtedly a brilliant idea. Risk is high in touching such subjects because small errors in narration can deliver a documentary flavor. Whatever the commercial ingredients one adds must look viable without disturbing the flow. Sai Madhav Burra is given a big responsibility of adding more meaning to every scene with his thought-provoking dialogues. He questions every youth, why are they not keen to take up farming like older generations. Kishor B tried hard yet inexperience crept in fewer portions. Cinematographer Yuvraj showcased greenery appealingly while Mickey J Meyer complimented visuals with soothing background score. Bhalegundi Baala and Sreekaram title track looked good on screen as well. Editing by Marthand K Venkatesh is middling. Production values of 14 Reels Plus is good in standard.
Onto artists, after Shatamanam Bhavati, Sharwanand played a village guy who mingles easily with every person around him and refers everyone by relation rather than name. Sporting lungi, Sharwa looked apt in the role. Bhalegundi Baala song is not his meter. But, he proved he can do mass-appealing dances as well. He is remarkable in emotional sequences, particularly the interval and climax episodes. Priyanka Arul Mohan looked pretty in trendy outfits in first half and traditional wear in second half. Rao Ramesh is biggest asset. He represents every other farmer in the village who lost hopes on agriculture. Sai Kumar is good in the role of a greedy, ambitious landlord. Naresh is at his usual best as Sharwa’s uncle in the village. Murali Sharma didn’t get much scope. Satya gives some comic relief wherein Sapthagiri is okay.
Farming Plotline
Sharwanand
Music
Dialogues
Love Track
Sluggish Narration
Films like Maharshi and Bheeshma also discussed about farming. Difference here is the director with this film tried to motivate the younger generations to consider agriculture also as a profitable profession. “Only 30 to 40 percentage people are getting jobs, rest should take up farming. Agriculture is not for uneducated, if graduates do farming, it will bring big change,” says through pre-climax episode.
The film begins with villagers leaving to their hometowns to celebrate Sankranthi and the song brings back many memories of us sharing our time in holidays with friends and family. Then, the corporate lifestyle is shown as Sharwa comes back to city. One incident transforms Sharwanand to seriously consider on shifting completely to village and begin land cultivation. Like every father, Rao Ramesh expresses his aversion. The conversation between father and son shows the ground reality on mindsets of every father about future of their progenies. Villagers too don’t give consent to Sharwa’s decision and that’s a purposeful intermission.
Interesting and inspiring topics like collective farming, utilizing all the available technologies and resources to make farming lucrative are discoursed in second half. Sai Kumar’s tactics to create rifts between villagers looked forcible insertion. Sharwanand and Rao Ramesh’s argument over land selling is an emotional episode. Sharwa’s inspirational lecture in his college, followed by Rao Ramesh’s realization bought a perfect end to the film.
On the whole, Sreekaram is a good concept with moderate execution. Adding few more commercial ingredients would have worked wonders for the film. Moreover, enough time is taken before going to the actual story. CJ goes with 2.75 star rating and it is a film to be watched with family members.