Cast: Tarun, Ileana, Jagapati Babu, Charmme, Pradeep Rawat, Brahmanandam, Venumadhav, Dharmavarapu, Sana, Chandramohan, Sudha, Annapurna, Suneel, M.S.Narayana, Mallikarjuna Rao and Others
Director:K.Vijaya Bhaskar
Producer:Shakamuri Panduranga Rao
Music:K.M.Radhakrishnan
Story and Screenplay: K.Vijaya Bhaskar
Presenter: Bellamkonda Suresh
Dialogues: Abburi Ravi
Editing: Marthand K.Venkatesh
Lyrics: Sahithi, Vanamali, Veturi, Chandrabose, K.M.Radhakrishnan, Ramajogaiah Sastry
Banner: Sri Lakshmi Devi Productions
Release Date:11th April, 2008
'Bunty Aur Babli' (which itself was a copy of the Hollywood hit Bonnie and Clyde) had great music, the Abhishek-Rani pairing where they play naughty crooks without conscience, subtle humor and small town dynamics, the Big B rocking away and the super hit Abhi-Ash-Big B number Kajra Re. This is all precisely what the remake doesn't possess. Although viewed alone and on it's own, 'Bhale Dongalu' starring Tarun and Ileana makes a time-pass summertime watch, but it remains just okay and forgettable. The famous 'punches' in the humorous dialogues penned by Trivikram in Trivikram-Vijaya Bhaskar combis is not present, which is a major minus.
Plot:
Ramu escapes from home because he wants to set up a business rather than do a job as his father suggests, and Jyothi wants to become a model but her domineering grandmother has settled her marriage. Both of them meet in the train, and one thing leads to another where they get disillusioned by the outside world and decide to cheat others and live rather than get cheated. One thieving after another with an alias 'Romeo and Juliet', they are soon in the public eye and wanted by the police. The temperamental DCP Yugandhar wants to catch them, while they rob a drug dealer Veerraju and he wants to kill them. While they run from their chasers, they save the life of a sick child they just meet.
Story, Screenplay and Direction:
Some obvious and important changes have been made to the original script, and undoubtedly ones that were necessary for suiting the Telugu temperament. Bad is not yet the new good here (perhaps one has to be thankful in a way) so the Bhale Dongalu have a good heart and actually the Robinhood sorts (once more this week) who take money from the rich and corrupt to save an innocent life while neglecting their first aim of establishing their business or getting Jyothi into a modeling company. They have a conscience and steal only from the 'evil rich'.
The movie was not pacy even in 'Bunty Aur Babli', and hence the medium pace of this movie is not a surprise. Although it has its moments, the second half drags many places. Jagapati Babu's character and entry elevates the movie, but it could have been much, much better. Comparisons with the original where Big B makes his presence penetrate the entire movie not withstanding, the guest appearance of Jag B (sorry, couldn't resist) in 'Antahpuram' wowed one and all. This doesn't do so, but had the potential.
Many of the little robberies that the duo do in the Hindi version have been ignored, but then half the fun is lost. This however seems essential when you realize Romeo and Juliet are not like Bunty Aur Babli, for their conscience only pricks in the end that too for their baby. Lot of things are sudden and don't take their own sweet time in developing here, like Ramu and Jyothi's friendship or love.
There is also a confusion where Ramu tells Yugandhar that she is his wife, but later tells a doctor they meet that they are not married. The cinematography in the original was very good; that and Kajra Re could not be recreated in the Telugu version. There is a whole new plot and the introduction of a villain, Veerraju, that holds the plot together.
Suneel and Venumadhav get some laughs, but very little. Brahmanandam-Dharmavarapu's track is a tad funnier with one Amitabh-Rajesh Khanna dialogue edited to give that one 'punch' that makes up for the lack of it in the rest of the movie (the 'Mera paas gadi hai, bunglow hai..tumhare paas kya hai?' one) The lines written for both Tarun and Ileana lack charm.
Jagapati Babu couldn't repeat the raw magic of his 'Antahpuram' cameo, though that was a crook as opposed to a police that he plays in this, but he shines in some of the scenes in his brief appearance. He also dominates the climax which relegate Tarun-Ileana to the background. Pradeep Rawat, as always, is imposing and impressive as Veerraju, a high class and ruthless drug dealer. Brahmanandam and Dharmavarapu are funny as ever and Mallikarjun does a good job in a small but vital role.
Music and Dance:
The music by K.M.Radhakrishnan is okay, but not his best. No offense Charmme, but you didn't pull off an Aishwarya. It was a good number nonetheless. Two other numbers are nice, but overall the music is pretty bland.
Bottom Line:
The original was better, but even that was not a great movie albeit watchable. This is okay fare from Vijaya Bhaskar but he has given better movies in the past. He's getting back into form, but not quite there yet. For now, 'Bhale Dongalu' is okay viewing, and nothing more than that. But compared to the fare that is being dished out in the past weeks, only one or two other movies are really better than this so this might get audiences' attention just for the timing. |  |
|
