Panchatantram Review: Middling Anthology Drama

Panchatantram, one of Tollywood’s first theatrical anthologies has released in theaters today. The film has Colors Swati, Bramhanandam, Samuthirakani, and others in the lead roles. Here’s our review of it.

Story: Vedavyas(Bramhanandam) aspires to become a stand-up comedian against the wishes of his daughter(Colors Swati). At a stand-up comedy event, he pitches the stories of as many different sets of characters. What are these stories? How do they unfold on screen.

What about on-screen performances?

Bramhanandam plays a pivotal role and he shines brightly in it. His portrayal of a stand-up comic is of elite quality. Colors Swati plays another important role and she looks sharp as well. Rahul Vijay, Sivatmika Rajasekhar, Agastya, Samuthirakani, Divya Sreepada, and others play supporting roles. The film is powered by fine performances from the cast.

What about off-screen talents?

The film has more of a poetic touch and it is ably propelled by a soothing and often heart-stirring soundtrack by Prashanth R Vihari. Raj K Nalli’s cinematography is of the desired standard and his color grading is in tune with the core essence of the film. The editing and production values are adequate.

The director Harsha Pulipaka takes a novel story, well five to be precise, and he narrates it at his own pace. The film has more of a poetic touch to it. But the issue with such stories and narratives is that they don’t cater to all sections of the audience. Not all audiences will get accommodated to the pace at which the film unfolds.

But in cinematic sense, the film ticks enough boxes to make for a compelling watch for those who love novel and true-to-the-theme narratives. The amalgamation of five stories is of decent quality. The opening one of the five stories is insipid at times but the rest look good. There are lapses in emotional connect as well, here and there.

What’s Good?

• Novel touch
• Performances
• Technical Finesse

What’s Bad?

• Not for all sections of the audience
• Lapses in emotional drive
• Slow-paced
• OTT-kind feel
• The writing and presentation of the first story

Verdict: Panchatantram is a middling anthology that can be termed a good attempt. Not all of the five stories are of desired quality, but as a whole, the film has more of a feel-good vibe for those don’t mind the pace of the narrative. It caters only to a section of the audience. If you don’t mind the slow-paced screenplay, this might make for a decent watch.

TeluguBulletin.com Rating: 2.75/5