Geethanjali Malli Vachindhi serves as a follow-up to the successful horror comedy film Geetanjali, which was released in 2014. Directed by Shiva Turlapati and with the story and screenplay by Kona Venkat, this sequel was also co-produced by Kona Venkat and MVV Satyanarayana. Praveen Lakkaraju was in charge of the music department. The lead role was portrayed by Anjali, supported by Sreenivas Reddy, Satyam Rajesh, Shakalaka Shankar, Sunil, Ali, and Rahul Madhav in key roles.
Plot:
Sreenu (Sreenivas Reddy), Athreya (Satyam Rajesh), and Arudra (Shakalaka Shankar) find themselves unemployed after three consecutive movie flops. Just as they are considering leaving the film industry to embark on a new journey, they receive a call from a businessman (Rahul Madhav) from Ooty. The businessman offers them a story and the opportunity to direct it, but with the condition that the movie must be filmed in a haunted mansion and Anjali (Anjali), who runs a small coffee shop in Ooty, must be cast as the lead actress. Who is Anjali? Why did the businessman set this condition? Is there a connection to the first part? Will Sreenu and his team be able to complete the movie in the haunted house? These questions drive the rest of the story.
On-screen performances :
Anjali shines in the title role, delivering an adequate performance throughout the film, although her expressions may have seemed exaggerated in the climax.
Sreenivas Reddy’s portrayal of the film director is commendable, but lacks novelty.
Satya and Sunil succeed in bringing out a few laughs in the second half, while Rahul Madhav’s performance as the businessman is satisfactory.
Srikanth Ayyangar, Ali, and Jabardasth Avinash deliver adequate performances in their somewhat underdeveloped roles.
Off-Screen talents:
The movie opens with a scene where Geetanjali takes revenge on a man who mistreats a woman. While this scene initially sets the tone for the film, it surprisingly does not tie into the rest of the movie, which revolves around the theme of revenge.
The first half of the film mainly focuses on introducing the characters and progresses at a slow pace, lacking any novelty.
The second half of the film is where the actual story unfolds. However, the narration lacks depth and fails to engage the audience. The saving grace comes in the form of comedy by Sunil and Satya in the second half.
While the haunted mahal setup and comedy with ghosts are classic elements, the storytelling could have been more captivating.
The revenge plot involving Sreenu and his team using ghosts sounds intriguing on paper, but the screenplay falls short of expectations.
Praveen Lakkaraju’s background score and songs also do not meet the mark.
What’s good?
- Some comedy sequences with Sunil and Satya.
What’s Not?
- A coherent story and engaging narration.
- Background score.
Verdict: Although the concept of seeking revenge using ghosts is promising, “Geethanjali Malli Vachindhi” falls short due to weak writing and storytelling. The movie lacks any significant elements to keep the audience interested. A disappointing effort from Kona and his team.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2/5