SR Kalyanamandapam Movie Review

Young actor Kiran Abbavaram’s SR Kalyanamandapam is only the third notable Telugu film to release in theaters after the Covid second wave. The teasers and trailer have built good buzz to the film. Let us see what the film has to offer.

Story: Dharma (Sai Kumar) ruins the riches of his family and consequently, he is looked down by his family and native villagers. His son (Kiran) is an energetic college-going youth. How does the father-son duo make a piece and find solidarity?

What about on-screen performances?

Kiran, who played a boy-next-door role in Raja Vaaru Rani Gaaru has tried to portray a mass character in SR Kalyanamandapam. Acting-wise, he does a good job but there is an overdose of mass elements which don’t quite gel with the narrative. Sai Kumar is a seasoned actor and he delivers a very good performance. The rest of the supporting cast deliver what is expected of them.

What about off-screen talents?

Debut director Sridhar Gade had to build on a story that was conceived by Kiran, who plays the protagonist. The transition process is not smooth. The screenplay and narrative are okayish at times, but the film loses steam every now and then. The tempo keeps dropping. The mass elements are overplayed. The music is good and so is the background score. The cinematography is adequate.

What’s Hot?

• Sai Kumar and Kiran’s performances
• Comedy in first half

What’s Not?

• Over usage of mass elements
• Uneven screenplay
• Drabby second half

Verdict: SR Kalyanamandapam has a partly engaging opening half but the drabby second half is a downer. Barring the father-son emotional thread, no aspect of the film is compelling enough. The film, as a whole, is underwhelming.

TeluguBulletin.com Rating:2/5