Sekhar Suri's THREE Telugu Movie Review

Film: Three
Rating: 1.5/5
Banner: Raj (India) Entertainments
Cast: Rajeev Kanakala, Rishi, Urvasi Sharma, Harshavardhan, Santhi Chandra, Vijayachander, Ranganath, Banerjee, Ravali and others
Music: Vijay Kurakula
Fights: Ram Lakshman
Cinematography: Senthil Kumar
Director: Shekkhar Suri
Producers: Phani Raj and G S Babu
Release date: 17/10/2008

Story

Sri Ram (Rishi) is a program maker in National Geographic Channel and he happens to meet Nisha (Urvashi Sharma), a girl who stays in a row house next to him. Nisha suffers from schizophrenia-related syndrome and listens to some eerie voice in the name of Shankar who threatens her to kill. Sri Ram introduces her to a psychiatrist Harsha (Harshavardhan) who attempts to help her to understand her problem. In the process of quest for Shankar, they realize that some past birth link is associated with the eerie voice ringing in her ears. Who is Shankar? What is the past birth link and how destiny drives Sri Ram and Harsha in their mission becomes the rest of the story.

Performances

Rishi appeared with multiple tattoos on his hands. Rajeev Kanakala's image didn't help his role to bring fear factor. Harshavardhan is the best among all who spilled some laughs and entertained in first half. Urvashi Sharma is enough to fit in a role like this. Benerjee appeared in a guest role and played in routine fashion.

Coming to technical aspects, Vijay Kurakula gave good music but failed to assess the right time to give right score. His music has eaten away the clarity in dialogues many times. Cinematography by Senthil Kumar is at its best. The balloon light method is also worked well to match the horror factor. Editing is ok. Dialogues by Harshavardhan are apt and adequate. Director Sekkhar Suri wasted big time in narrating nothing and used very less time in second half to explain 'regression', which is necessary to make audience understand.

The interesting aspect in the movie is the rolling titles in the end that's thought provoking to some extent-showing the past life photographs of celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, George Bush and Shahrukh Khan picked up from the book 'Born Again'.

Analysis

The readers of the works like 'Many Lives Many Masters', 'Same Soul Many Bodies' and 'Messages From Masters' by Brian E Weiss, Many Mansions of Cereminara, Born Again and Edgar Cayce literature can get connected to this subject, especially the stuff in second half. Otherwise, the concept of 'regression therapy' sounds weird and unconvincing. And it is true that the people those are acquainted with this subject and books will not relish 'Three' as the conviction in second half proves feeble. The concept of 'regression therapy' boasts that the past life sinners get repentance in present life once they are regressed. But here, the hero turns villain and takes gets back his past life's cruelty and kills the people around him in present life. The subject would have dealt in other way with positive and peaceful ending. Director Sekkhar Suri has set his standards above with his film 'A Film By Aravind'. But now he failed to meet the same standards. The movie 'Three' leaves common audience in confusion.

First half is dragged with no run in the story line. Second half runs swift but in confused way. Make up part is weak. Projecting Rajeev Kanakala with lip stick glued under eyes, Vijay Kurakula's over dosed sound affects those have eaten away the audibility in dialogues are the limitations in this flick. Showing Rajeev Kanakala on the wall like a batman brought laughs in theaters in stead of pumping fear.

On a whole, it's a challenging attempt but ended up as a routine horror flick with mundane elements. The film would have been better if proper light was thrown on 'regression therapy' to make common audience understand. Sekkhar! If you are more convinced with 'regression subject', then better luck next time, with proper ground work and more convincing and edifying elements.

Raksha (2008) Movie Review

Movie: Raksha
Rating: 2.25/5
Banner: One More Thought Entertainment Pvt. Ltd & Zed3 Pictures Productions


Cast: Jagapathi Babu, Kalyani, Baby Neha, Master Atulith, Radhakumari, Subbaraju, Chandrasekhar, Rajeev Kanakala, Sathya Krishnan, Narsing Yadav, Jeeva, Melkote, Jayasudha, Pradeep Rawath, etc.

Cinematography: Surjodeep Ghosh
Background Score: Bapi -Tutul
Producer: Azam Khan
Director: Vamsikrishna Akella
Released Date: September 19, 2008

Story

Rajeev (Jagapathi Babu) is an Engineering Contractor who lives with his wife (Kalyani) and two kids. He happens to develop strife with two of his business partners and kicks them out of his house publicly when a party was going on. This pumps in a fire of vengeance in the woman (Satya Krishna) who gets kicked out by him. She takes revenge on Rajeev by spelling black magic on his school going daughter Raksha (Neha). Rajeev is an atheist and his wife is theist. Struggle and friction of opinions arise in his house as Raksha becomes the victim of black magic. Both medical science and occult science compete with each other to protect Raksha. Finally, who wins-the medical science or the occult science or both?? That becomes the climax.

Presentation

Jagapathi Babu excelled in the role of a practical man as well as caring father. Kalyani's role is minimal and there is lesser scope for her to show off histrionics. Satya Krishna has over acted and appeared to be funny instead of scary. Pradeep Rawat has perfectly gelled with the role he played.

Baby Neha must be appreciated for her performance. No wonder of she can be nominated for best child artiste award.

And coming to technical departments, the sound effects are weak which need to be spine chilling for the genre of horror. And the art work that has to be ghastly is also not designed well. On a whole, the director missed the tempo to create fear in the movie. Hence the fear factor didn't glue on to celluloid.

Conclusion

It has already released in Hindi with the title 'Phoonk' but it has been publicized by Ram Gopal Varma specially that it has more fear factor than the original. But the fact is that the fear graph has fallen down from 'Phoonk' to 'Raksha'. The main reason is the lack of proper grip in narration.

Telugu audiences generally consider horror films as B-grade stuff as many have already seen light in this genre. The quality of making and technical standards should be beyond a certain level to make it reach people in right way. Here except Jagapathi Babu Factor, there is nothing that goes in tune with the interest levels of audiences.

It is only the hype that was created by media, pulled audiences to theaters. And the crowd pulling names like RGV behind this flick, Jagapathi Babu and horror-genre would bring in a good set of audiences to theatres. But finally it cannot be called the great flick. One wise thing, that's observed here, is that it is made with very low budget and hence commercially it may go safe.

Black And White Movie review

Cast:
Rajiv Kanakala
Sindhu Tolani
Jackie Shroff
Uttej
Ali
Raghu
Raj Bharat
Jeeva
Sandesh
Melkote
CVL Narasimha Rao
Jenny
Arthi
Soumya
Surekhavani
Ayesha Jaleel and others


Music – Vijay Kurakula
Lyrics – Vanamali
Camera – Joshi
Editing – Marthand K Venkatesh
Presents– Maithri Films Pvt Ltd
Producer – P Udaykiran
Story, screenplay, dialogues and direction – Srikanth Vemulapalli,
Banner: UK Avenues

Released on: August 22, 2008


Several films have come with treason by extremists as the backdrop. In most of the cases, the extremists made use of religion, politics as the source to show extremism. Director Srikanth, went a step ahead, and tried family system too as a source in this regard. Once again the Telugu film industry tries to highlight how the innocent are getting caught in the cobweb, despite the high-level patriotism they have in mind. He was able to maintain a good amount of suspicion to certain extent, but he lost grip on the subject frequently which has caused a bumpy movement of the film.


Plot

Bharat (Rajiv Kanakala) is an orphan and brought up in a orphanage. Sreenu (Uttej) is his close friend. Bharat studies hard and becomes a software professional. Being an orphan, he loves children very much. Once some extremists plan to attack the police and gain entry into his car and forcibly take him with them to the outskirts of the city. By the time, they were about to blast the police jeep and van, Bharat drives his car to block the movement of the police and saves them. As a result, the government announces Best Citizen Award and he is expected to take the award from the President of India on Republic Day.


At this juncture, he comes across Sameera (Sindhu Tulani), who is doing fashion designing. Their friendship grows and turns into love. With the acceptance of Sameera's parents (CVL Narasimha Rao and Ayesha Jaleel), they get married. However, Sameera keeps a condition that their first night should be only after completion of her studies. Meanwhile, there is an attack on Bharat and somehow he survives from it. Again there is another attack in the form of electric shock and accidentally Sreenu gets it, and he too survives from it. Just before the Republic Day, i.e., on January 15, Bharat tries to surprise Sameera and wish her happy birthday at midnight and she hits him with a flower vase causing grievous injury. So, left with no option, Bharat tells Sameera to go to Delhi and receive the award. At this juncture, a bomb blast occurs in Hyderabad in which two persons get killed. The case is handed over to CBI. The CBI officer Khan (Jackie Shroff), who is very shrewd, notices a car in a video footage and finds that it belongs to Bharat. He questions Bharat, but could not find any conclusive evidence.


On investigation, the CBI sleuths notice that Sameera's parents were Muslims. Then they arrest Sameera's father, who reveals the entire story. Sameera is a Muslim girl and her fiancee, who masterminds blasts in Mumbai gets killed just before their engagement. So, she had decided to avenge the killing. As per a plan, she cornered Bharat and married him. On learning this, Khan and Bharat go to the function, but could not stop her from going to the dais due to some security reasons. However, Bharat to prevent a disaster, snatches Khan's revolver and kills Sameera.


PLUS: The director has maintained suspense all through the film and the storyline though not predictable appears to be somewhat interesting. Rajiv Kanakala gave an impressive performance. Sindhu Tulani is at her best. She not only filled the glamour slot, but also appeared romantic in some scenes and got good opportunity to prove her acting capabilities. Jackie Shroff, though appeared a little old, did justice to his role. Uttej is good as hero's buddy. However, Rajiv Kanakala's performance is the only highlight and plus point for the movie.

MINUS: Though the storyline is average, the director gave a good twist to it. Though it was he who penned the story, screenplay and dialogues, the director due to inexperience remained butter-fingered. He lost grip while running the subject many times. Music by Vijay Kurakula though not very impressive in songs, with no foot-tapping numbers, his background score is good and has elevated the mood of the film in some scenes.


Camera work by Joshi is not bad and Marthand K Venkatesh did a neat job. Production values of UK Avenues are okay. The film is good for serious viewing, and the entertainment values are very less. Placement of songs is also improper and spoiled the tempo of the film. Srikanth Vemulapalli, however, appeared a promising director, and hopes he could deliver a good film in his next project by learning from the drawbacks he faced in this film.

THREE - A SUSPENSE THRILLER WITHOUT MURDERS

This might sound a bit unbelievable but then it is happening and the credit for making this happen goes to the ace film maker Shekar Suri. Speaking about his upcoming film 'Three', Suri said that the film has not got any murders nor is there a search to nab the culprits. The whole subject revolves around the games of the mind and how imagination plays the trick in you. Slated to be a psychological thriller, the film has Rajeev Kanakala, Rishi, Shanti Chandra and Urvasi Sharma in the lead.

SEKHAR SURI'S THREE WALLPAPERS:

THREE - A HOLLYWOOD STYLE THRILLER

Sekhar Suri, who created sensation with his A film by Aravind, is gearing up for this July with his next venture titled Three. Three has Rishi, Rajeev Kanakala, Santhi Chandra and Urvasi Sharma in the lead roles. Sekhar Suri is very confident that he is going to deliver yet another spine chilling thriller. 'Technically, it will be brilliant. I am sure it will set a new trend in thrillers', said Sekhar Suri. In fact, the film is based on a true incident that happened for Suri's friend.

Raj Entertainments banner is producing the film. Phani Raj, one of the producers of the film, said that the film will on par with Hollywood standards technically. 'For the first time in Telugu films, balloon lighting is used to film in few vital scenes. It will be very clearly seen on screen that we spared no expense in getting the effect that we wanted. The highlights of the film are Sekhar Suri's takings and narration', said Phani Raj. G.S.Babu, other producer of the film, said that the film will release in July.

RAJEEV KANAKALA

Rajeev Kanakala was considered a lucky charm by NTR Jr, when both of his films (Student No. 1, Aadi) in which he chases and beats up Rajeev saw great response from the audience. But then the wave ebbed and the third movie (Naaga) never showed any signs of success. But again NTR Jr kept his faith in the act and has again taken Rajeev Kanakala as the villain in Alludu.

Rajeev was drawn to the arc lights at an early age. His father Devadas Kanakala runs a television institute where his skills were honed. After his schooling, he went on to do a BA in Theatrical Arts from Andhra University. He started his career in television with a serial called Anaganaga Oka Shobha, in which he portrayed a very bubbly and naughty college boy.

Rajeev has also worked as a co-director, assistant and associate director under a few big directors. But he says, " I have no intention of directing a film right now. Currently I am concentrating more on my acting and doing various roles."

He further adds, "I have been typecast as a comic villain, all the roles that are offered to me have the same sort of feel. But I am willing to don various kind of characters, to put it simply. I am a director's artiste. If the director is willing, I am ready to play any kind of role."

He feels that the secret of his strength is his wife Suma apart from his love for the profession.
TO SEE AN INTERVIEW WITH RAJEEV CLICK HERE

Filmography

Actor:

1. Ontari (2008) .... Raghava
2. Athidhi (2007) .... Heroine father
3. Yamadonga (2007)
4. Chinnodu (2006) .... Sanjay
5. Samanyudu (2006)
6. Ashok (2006) .... Raja
7. Vikramarkudu (2006)
8. Lakshmi (2006)
9. Veeri Veeri Gummadi Pandu (2005) .... Villain
10. Athadu (2005) .... Pardhu
11. Sye (2004)