Darshakudu Review

'Darsakudu', starring newcomer Ashok and Eesha Rebba, hits the screens.  Here is our review.

Story:

Mahesh (debutant Ashok) is an aspiring director, who has written a beautiful story.  But the script has a flaw.  The romantic track is not inspiring.  It's because he has never fallen in love.

He now goes on a vacation and accidentally meets Namrata (Eesha).  A song and a fight later (such things happen in real life too, so goes the wannabe director's refrain), love blossoms.

But it's not so easy.  She is not yet ready to confess it.  Neither does Mahesh sound serious, much less emotional.  He is dry and matter-of-factly where it means the most.

What was supposed to be a smooth progression to marriage becomes complicated when Namrata perceives that Mahesh is merely using her as a tool that can inspire his film's love track.

Many conversations (logical or otherwise, emotional or otherwise, playful or otherwise) follow before they patch up and live a happily-ever-after life.

Analysis:

There is a defining scene that comes somewhere in the second half.  When the heroine questions the hero's style of looking at their relationship through the director's lens, the latter doesn't lose his cool.  He tries to rationalize it by way of speaking about what a doctor would have done, what another professional would have done, etc.  Thus, everything is occupational Dharma for our 'darshakudu'.  Fittingly, lest we forget, his passion is a motif that is stressed too often through the course of the film.

In one of the first few scenes, a co-director, who failed to realize his direction dreams, narrates to the hero a cliched story that openly mocks the 'parody filmmakers' (an unofficial category, presented by yours truly), who draw inspiration from Sreenu Vaitla-style cinema and produce scores of duds filled with pointless comedy scenes in the first part of the second half just to keep it going.

If not for anything, 'Darshakudu' should be given its due credit for not falling into this trap.  To the extent that the emotions only become thicker in the second half, it's as if we are watching a Sukumar rom-com.  In a pathetically mediocre movie, the second half would have had a parody circus instead of conversations involving the lead pair.  And the excuse would have readily been made available: the hero is making a Telugu film, after all.

It's not exactly novel that a film director consciously becomes close to a girl with a purpose in mind.  Variations of this idea have been seen, with the director's character replaced by a writer here or another breed of creature else there.

Once again, like in most of Sukumar's movies, the hero is elevated through such lines as this: Any woman will love him.  No prizes for guessing that he is an orphan.

But there is only so much that you can have out of such a story.  The conflict point is too lame.  Just a proper conversation would have avoided a fall-out with Namrata.  But why does Mahesh behave as if he is too helpless when that's clearly not the case?

After a point, Ashok's 'okka-piece' expressions start boring you.  His dialogue delivery style is obviously borrowed from his Babai (Sukumar).  Eesha is one of the few heroines who gets to play a full-fledged role like a proper female lead.  She doesn't disappoint.  Her flair for natural dialogue delivery is a very important aspect of her talent.

Poojitha seems to have got a good comic timing.  Someone has to tap it.  Sudharshan is OK.

Sai Karthik's music blends well with the mood of the film.   His BGM, too, is promising.  Debutante cinematographer Praveen surely will succeed.

Verdict:

'Darshakudu' may not have a strong story line, but it surely doesn't submit to cliches.  A weak conflict point is a dampener.  Good dialogues and a healthy treatment are pluses.

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