Many films in horror comedy genre have succeeded to win Telugu box office. Where Is The Venkatalakshmi also falls under the same category and in addition the film has high dose of adult humor to lure masses. Let’s see whether the film has any entertaining elements?
Chanti (Praveen) and Pandu (Madhu) are happy go lucky guy, bothersome for their villagers. They even bring troubles to best friend Shekar (Ram Karthik) who is deeply in love with Gouri (Pujitha Ponnada), sister of a crook Veera Reddy. Meanwhile, they also flirt Venkatalakshmi (Raai Laxmi), a school teacher. Twist is that Venkatalakshmi is a ghost, demands them to bring a box from Veera Reddy’s house? Who is this Venkatalakshmi? What's in box? What happens to Shekar and Gouri’s love?
Success of Kanchana, Prema Katha Chitram, Geethanjali, Rajugari Gadhi etc. inspired many to come up with horror comedy films. Likewise, Kishore Kumar too thought the same and additionally supplied high dose of adult humor, skin show from female leads. However, Kishore missed basic logic that it’s the core content which wins but not the genre. Where Is The Venkatalakshmi lacks fun and horror. Hari Gowra’s music and Venkat Ramana’s cinematography added to the negatives. Production values are par substandard.
Onto performances, Praveen and Madhu Nandan are good in parts. They couldn’t ably pull of lengthy roles as they are main leads. Raai Lakshmi oozed oomph and she is not up to the mark on performance front. Pujitha Ponnada is a sizzler. She seduces with glamour quotient in a romantic song. She indeed steals the show from Raai Lakshmi with oomph factor. Other artists are okay.
Few Comedy Bits
Heroines’ Glamour
Story
Screenplay
Direction
Second Half
Lack Of Horror Elements
Many More
Showing heroines in glamorous look and adding comedy by roping in star comedians is not enough for a film to succeed at ticket window. Where Is The Venkatalakshmi is surely one of the badly made films in recent times. Even the twist revealed in climax is truly a waste.
Movie begins in regular pattern like most of the typical Telugu horror genre films, sowing seeds to main story. Then narrative shifts to another village where two rogues are introduced. Initially, their acts bring frustration to villagers and fun to audience. It's really boring after the entry of Venkatalakshmi, school teacher. Ram and Pujitha’s love track is routine. Nothing excites in first half including Laxmi’s ghostly acts. Pace never picked up even in second half set completely in villain’s house. Chanti, Pandu’s efforts to steal a box are gruesome. Pre-climax episode where twist about Raai Laxmi’s character unveiled is poorly handled.
All in all, Where Is The Venkatalakshmi is purely targeted at B, C center audience who love to watch films with adult humor. This will be another boring film this week. CJ goes with 1.5 star rating and the rating itself says the box office verdict.