Vengamamba Review

When it comes to devotion in Hinduism, some of the most ardent devotees have been found in the history of our Telugu culture. Notable among them was Tarigonda Vengamamba and here is a look at her life and how she has contributed not just to the lord Venkateshwara but also to the Telugu people can be seen in this one.

Story

Set on the backdrop of Tarigonda, a pious Brahmin family of Krishnaiah (sarath Babu) and Mangamamba (sudha) pray for children and their wish is granted in the form of a baby girl. They name her Vengamamba (meena) and right from her childhood, she is a devotee of Lord Venkateshwara. Unlike the regular activities of girls her age, Vengamamba is immersed into her own world of Balaji and his worries her parents. They get her married to Venkata Chalapathi but then she does not carry off her duties as a wife. Even the husband is supportive as he sees a goddess in her. The story takes a turn when Chalapathi dies and Vengamamba decides to take up writing poems and songs on lord Venkateshwara. She is supported by her in-laws and soon her journey takes her to Tirumala. How she handles hiccups that come her way and spread the word of love and devotion forms the essence.

Performances

Meena has come up with a stable and neat performance and she looked very good in the attire of the goddesses. Saikiran was a perfect choice and he showed good resilience in his act, Sana was stunningly perfect as the goddess. Sarath Babu was elegant, Subbaraya Sarma was matured, Sudha had her own share of tears, Ananth and Ashok Rao showed their talent in the negative shades. The others also performed neatly and contributed to the movie.

Technical aspects

The graphics were professional and were impressive. The dialogues were alright and the script was written smoothly, the screenplay was adept and did not have any confusions. Music was a major asset and songs were really nice and melodious. Cinematography was on standard and editing was crisp and smooth. Costumes and art department could have been better given the backdrop but overall, the technical elements were neat.

Director's portrayal

The director has not come up with anything extra and though there were moments where the feel missed he has covered it with smooth handling of the script. The narrative was effective as there was no confusion in the scenes and everything went without any random sequences. It must be said that he has handled the screenplay in a good way and had a convicted approach towards the presentation.

Critic's view

The film is a good insight into the life of Vengamamba and it has been given well to the audience without any complication. There were no extra attempts to make it look theatrical or overdramatic so that worked well for the movie. While the first half took off with a bit of hiccups it then stabilized and the journey went smoothly. The performances from artistes along with good technical values gave a good feel and though this is for a select share of audience, word of mouth is required and it has the material to become a moderate success.

Verdict

Pleasant and divine, can be watched once

Released on: 17.07.09