'Solo Brathuke So Better' is the first major theatrical release since March. Does it live up to the expectations? Here we tell you in our review.
Story:
Virat (Sai Dharam Tej) is the founder of Solo Brathuke So Better Union, which abides by an anti-marriage ideology and has a large number of youths in its ranks. When a series of unexpected happenings take place in his life, Virat starts seeing marriage as a solution. This is when he bumps into Amrutha (Nabha Natesh) at a wedding. While he predictably falls for her, what he doesn't foresee is that Amrutha has got other plans.
Analysis:
The film, directed by debutant Subbu, begins with an earnest appeal to men to protect women - obviously from men. What follows this social message is a long-winding and bizarre exposition against the institution of marriage. It's not until the first leg of the second half that the female lead gets introduced (much less get a voice of her own). And the pathologically male-centric movie suffers even more after her entry.
The very idea of building the whole foundation of a film around the hero's so-called philosophy that staying single alone can ensure happiness, comes undone right from the word go. The film takes its imbecility way too seriously, which is worse than overstating a banal idea.
Sai Dharam Tej, after a thoroughly entertaining and emotional film like 'Prati Roju Pandage', sleepwalks through a role that makes him scratch the surface with conviction. When the character itself is pedestrian, there is only so much an actor can do to salvage it. Rao Ramesh, who plays his guiding light, is reduced to becoming a male version of a damsel in distress from an outdated TV serial. It's shocking that someone even thought of such a character arc. Rajendra Prasad is more like a boring grandpa with his jaded melodrama. Ajay, whose villainy is thankfully limited to just a couple of scenes, is a ruse for action scenes.
The film fails to tap into some of its potentially decent elements. The hero works for an event management company but the situational comedy spun around his job is oh-so-underwhelming. Vennela Kishore tickles the funny bone with his archetypal mix of Telugu and Kannada. However, such moments are few and far between. A fatty bride here, a parodic painter there - the film is riddled with low-brow ideas. Even Hyper Aadhi is comprehensively unfunny.
Nabha Natesh does a fairly good job and the way she reinterprets Titanic is one of the very few funny scenes. Satya, Sudarshan and others are wasted in caricaturish roles. It's not clear what the writers were thinking when they brought in R Narayana Murthy, whom the hero calls 'Murthy anna', and put him alongside Abdul Kalam and Vajpayee.
Thaman's songs and BGM pass muster. Venkat C Dileep's cinematography is so-so.
Verdict:
'Solo Brathuke So Better' stretches a weird idea way too much. It's immensely forgettable and lacks emotional heft.
