Sundarakanda is Nara Rohith’s solo release after a very long time. Directed by Venkatesh Nimmalapudi, the film also has Sridevi Vijaykumar, Naresh, Vrithi Vaghani, and Satya in key roles. The film has been released on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi, and let’s see how it is.
Story:
Siddhu (Nara Rohith), a man in his thirties, has long buried himself in the memories of a childhood love. When Ira (Vrithi Vaghani) enters his life, he feels a spark again and wins her affection. But destiny throws a shocking twist, she is the daughter of his first love, Vaishnavi (Sridevi Vijaykumar). How will Siddhu escape this tangled web of love and emotion?
What about on-screen performances?
Nara Rohith is very good in his role and does not mind taking jokes about his age in this romantic drama. He looks fresh and does well in the film.
Comedian Satya is one of the biggest highlights of the film and evokes superb laughs. He, along with Sunaina, is very good in the film.
Vriti, the young heroine, is quite impressive and suits her character perfectly. She also does well in all the emotional scenes in the film.
Senior actor Naresh is also good in his role and brings decent laughs in the second half. Abhinav Gomatam is also good in his role.
Sridevi Vijaykumar makes a superb comeback and is the star of the film. Not only does she look gorgeous, but she also acts so well in the film.
Scenes between Sridevi and Nara Rohith have been designed well. Ajay is okay in a small role. The rest of the cast did their jobs.
Vasuki gets a good role as the hero’s sister and is nice. It is good to see seasoned actors get the best out of their roles in Sundarakanda.
What about off-screen performances?
Music by Leon James is very good, as all the songs are placed so well in the narrative. His BGM was also neat and clean.
The production design of the film needs a special mention as Sundarakanda looks posh and is rich in its visuals.
The camerawork is quite good and showcases Vizag and its surroundings in a superb light. The college visuals are also good.
The editing is neat, and so are the dialogues. The best part of the film is the climax, which has been handled on a good note.
Director Venkatesh makes a solid debut and chooses a tough subject, which is not easy to execute. But he maturely handles things and is the one to look out for.
The family drama towards the end of the film is very good. There are no over-the-top moments in the film as things are kept practical.
The manner in which comedy is evoked in equal doses in both halves is the best part of the film. There are so many laugh-out moments featuring Satya.
The mature emotions and the way they are handled by the director make the film sound different from the others, and this is the best part.
The film has too many songs in the first half which was no need at all. If one song would have been removed things would have been even better.
The family’s involvement from the boy’s side and their scenes are not serius and are narrated in a comedy tone which is not that great
There are so many good moments in the film, and scenes related to the age gap are showcased with a lot of maturity, which is rare these days.
What’s Hot:
Story
Comedy
Family Drama
Climax
What’s Not:
Predictable scenes in the second half
Too many songs in the first half
Slow pace
Verdict:
Overall, Sundarakanda is a well-made family drama that has neat comedy and good family drama. The clean entertainment and the manner in which a unique story is narrated in a light-hearted manner make this film worth watching in theaters on this festival eve.
TeluguBulletin.com Rating 3/5