Gundello Godari Movie Review

Movie : Gundello Godari

Rating: 2.75/5

Cast : Manchu Lakshmi, Sandeep Kishan, Tapsee, Aadi, Ravi babu and others

Directed by : Kumar Nagendra

Produced by : Lakshmi Manchu

Banner : Manchu Entertainments

Music : Ilayaraja

Release Date : 2013-03-0

Lakshmi Manchu's latest production, Gundello Godari, in which she has also played one of the leads, is out in theaters now. Set in a backdrop of 1986 floods of East Godavari, this film is a love story with nostalgic appeal.

What is it about?

Chitra (Lakshmi) gets married to Malli (Aadi), fisherman. On the very night of their marriage their village is flooded and they had to fight for survival. Malli narrates about his past to Chitra and tells about the girl Sarala (Taapsee) and his experiences with her. Chitra too has a past. She was madly in love with Suri (Sundeep Kishan), but loses him in an unfortunate situation.

Performances:

Aadi is very good in the role of a fisherman. His raw portrayal of the character is wonderful. He can do justice to such rustic roles. Sundeep Kishan is alright in his role which doesn't have much to boast of. Lakshmi Manchu walks away with laurels. She has given a brilliant performance as the damsel in distress. Her performance in the scene where she confronts Sundeep Kishan at a marriage is very impressive. Taapsee did fine in a bold role. Ravibabu's performance as evil man is ordinary. There is nothing much to tell about other supporting cast.

On the Technical Front:

Cinematography is good and music is just average. Ilayaraja's background score is up to the mark but his songs aren't inspiring enough. Editing is alright and the graphics work is fine. Director has spark in him, but he should have paid proper attention to the script. His writing in the second hour marred the chances of Gundello Godari to be a decent film.

Analysis:

Gundello Godari works in parts. There are some good scenes that would give a nice feel to the audiences. But there are too many ups and downs in the narration. The two stories aren't properly weaved around the floods backdrop. The narration gets flat and dull in the second half. Director has tried tad too much to work out sentiment with Lakshmi's character. But the characters are not developed properly and scenes aren't conceived properly. That didn't work in favor of the film.

First half is better compared to the second half. First thirty minutes of the film is impressive with smooth narration. Director lost grip over the narrative after sometime and couldn't pull up the strings later. Boring second half makes the audiences wait for the end credits. An interesting finale could have lifted up the spirits, but the director didn't bother too much about it.

Gundello Godari might appeal to certain section of audience who would love to watch senti-dramas. Others may wait for home edition as there is nothing exciting about this film to watch it in theaters.