Mukunda Review

Behind the Movie Mukunda: Mega debutant Varun Tej is entering into industry with this film from the hands of director Srikant Addala while gorgeous Pooja Hegde is the heroine. Let us get into the review.

In the Movie Mukunda: There is nothing like a story here. Mukunda (Varun Tej) takes on local, selfish and greedy Muncipal Chairman (Rao Ramesh). While Mukunda falls for Chairman’s daughter (Pooja Hegde), Mukunda’s friend is in love with Chairman’s brother’s daughter. Meanwhile, there is an intelligent and intellectual mad man (Prakash Raj) giving crazy lectures on roads about India. Mukunda makes this mad man stand as opponent to Chairman in the election and makes him win the contest. Later, Mukunda and his friend win their love.

Values & Out of the Movie Mukunda: Starting the analysis from director Srikant Addala, this man has to take the entire blame in misusing Mega charisma. As said earlier, there isn’t a big story and screenplay has to be the main nerve for narration. Regrettably, Srikant’s scripting and scene conceiving technique haven’t got a soul. More than audience, there is definitely a lack of clarity with in Srikant on what he wished to show and what he really wanted to preach us with this lacklustre theme. None of the characters have got an identity or recognition to connect with viewers. This is biggest of drawback to pull emotion graph downwards. As we found, family and emotions are basic strengths in Srikant’s earlier films, we do not find any such class touch here in ‘Mukunda.’ 

If Srikant wanted to deliver sermons, this is not a right place and role of Prakash Raj was alone enough to do so. Then, what is the necessity of adding commercial masala with insensate and imperceptible romantic track or repeatedly pointless and aimless action episodes. Agreed that Srikant is a keen observer of society in which we live and his characters are randomly picked from here. When you don’t post-mortem these characters for a definite purpose or message to convey, entire exercise becomes unproductive. The same has happened with ‘Mukunda’ providing a disappointment for Varun Tej.

Technically, Srikant is a good writer and there are big bundle of lines to carry a message. Instead of beating round the bush many times, he could do it with a single shot and single line. So, Srikant’s lines in ‘Mukunda’ were more of a decoration material for a hollow narrative. One point I would wish to appreciate him is, ‘Mukunda’ is devoid of any vulgarity and it passes as a clean and neatly made flick just like 'KBL’ or ‘SVSC.’

Manikandan’s camera work is consolatory like the tranquilizing tunes from Mickey J Meyer. Of course, songs were also canned beautifully. Editing of Marthand K Venkatesh is a slipup. Entire second half or the interval block, none of them delivered a killing punch. Production values of Leo Productions of Nallamalupu Bujji are grand. 

Varun Tej is inevitably a good looking and promising actor. Sadly, ‘Mukunda’ is not a right footing to gauge his skills. Much of his character is underplayed killing the heroism for no good reason. Action scenes are re-casted poorly. There was no scope for Varun to show the dancing talent too. Varun wasn’t really fluid in uttering dialogues. He may have to correct the basics in voice modulation and adopt flexible body language before second film. Pooja Hegde is a refinement of beauty. Gentlemen, you are easily to fall in love with her. Literally, there is zero chemistry between Varun and Pooja, which is the weakest link of ‘Mukunda.’

Rao Ramesh was although regular, he makes a strong impression in first half. By the time of second half, he too went boring. Prakash Raj is a replica of responsible and worried Indians. However, his thread breaks up in middle. Praveen, Ali, Raghu Babu did not evoke any laughter. Paruchuri Venkateshwara Rao did well. Among the rest, no one needs a big mention.

Mega family has a particularly well built mass image to set the expectations high on debut of Varun Tej. Tragically, ‘Mukunda’ went perpendicular to our aspirations. There was precisely no scope left by Addala for Varun to extol himself as an actor. Srikant Addala’s confusion in closing the scenes or letting the characterizations halted the flow. When he has two awesome looking main leads Varun and Pooja, he could have lightened a flashy romantic filament. Instead, he took to a trivial track finally failing to satisfy none. Better Srikant remain to his strength areas without experimenting on heroism. 

Commercially, ‘Mukunda’ would be a dampener in lower class centres. Their wait to see Varun Tej gave an unpleasant result. In metros and ‘A’ class areas, we need to wait and see.

Cinejosh Verdict of Mukunda: Down and Out Debut of Varun Tej.

                                                            Cinejosh Rating: 2.25/5

                                                                                    Reviewed by Srivaas