Date of Release: October 27, 2023
Rating: 2/5
Sampoornesh Babu, Naresh, Venkatesh Maha, Sharanya Pradeep, Chakradhar, Raghavan, and others in important roles
Directors: Kolluru Puja
Producers: Chakravarthy Ramachandra and S. Sashikanth
Smaran Sai, director of music
Deepak Yaragera is the cinematographer.
Editor: Kolluru Puja
Today saw the official remake of the highly regarded Tamil film Mandela, starring Sampoornesh Babu as Martin Luther King. Let’s examine the film.
Story:
Two brothers, Jagjivan Ram (Naresh) and Lokmanya Tilak (Venkatesh Maha), aspire to be the village president in Padamarapadu. By classifying voters according to caste, their election contest takes an odd turn and ends in a tie. The lowly cobbler Smile (Sampoornesh Babu) has the deciding vote. As the narrative progresses, we see the brothers’ attempts to get Smile to cast his ballot, his development into Martin Luther King, Jr., and the thrilling disclosure of his decision.
Extra Credits:
Martin Luther King has a good premise and Sampoornesh Babu gives a commendable performance as the naive cobbler, which properly complements the plot. The actor may have given his best performance to date in this one.
Despite being a little part, Sharanya Pradeep’s portrayal of Vasantha has a big impact on the movie. In order to keep the movie watchable, Naresh and Venkatesh Maha also give it their all.
The performances of the other cast members are likewise passable. Additionally, the climax sequence is captivating to see, and the music perfectly enhances it.
The filmmaker should be commended for bringing attention to the abuse of people from lower castes and the continuation of casteism in rural areas, which still exists in many isolated Indian villages today.
Negative Points:
Although the plot is well-organized and slightly thought-provoking, the narration is lacking. Particularly in the first part, Venkatesh Maha could have written a screenplay that was more compelling.
While Naresh and Venkatesh Maha play significant parts, Puja Aparna Kolluru, the film’s first director, might have done a better job developing the characters’ backstories so that they had a greater impact on the narrative.
The occasional comedic moment in this political comedy-drama is fine, but it could have been enhanced with more comedic scenes.
Director Puja might have emphasized the significance of equality and the worth of voting with one or two compelling moments. Furthermore, Venkatesh Maha might have made this political comedy better by adding a few thought-provoking lines to make the audience laugh.
Technical Aspects:
Although Puja Aparna Kolluru, the show’s debut director, does a good job directing it, the first half of the writing could have been better.
Smaran Sai’s compositions and music are adequate. Although there is potential for development in the first half, director Puja Kolluru’s editing is passable and satisfies expectations in terms of cinematography. For a more concise runtime, cutting out pointless scenes would have been quite beneficial. The production values are sufficient.
Verdict:
Overall, Martin Luther King presents a compelling idea, but the film suffers from a slow narrative, making for an unsatisfactory cinematic experience. Sampoornesh Babu has a passable performance that works well for the movie’s needs, and Venkatesh Maha, Sharanya, and Naresh also give good performances. The second half of the movie has a lot of repetitions and unneeded pace problems. It’s a good idea to think about other movie possibilities if you’re looking for something to watch this weekend.
