Synccinema Quickie - Prati Roju Pandage

Prati Roju Pandaage(PRP) – Maruthi ups his game, but falls short of his best work Bhale Bhale Magadivoy.

                              

Raghu Ramayya, a man well in his Dotage, has his days numbered with his lung-cancer reaching its Final stage. Bidding farewell becomes a task as his family and the extended find spending his last days a Herculean task, drawing out time from their busy ticking clocks. But, his grandson Sai has different plans in getting all together.

Firstly, the movie isn’t a Sai Dharam Tej starrer. It was a hard fact to accept and it’ll be even for you as he gets lost in the drivel as a caring grandson staling out as a spur for humane emotion, to the natural and aced performances by Sathyaraj, Rao Ramesh and others. Mainly, to the former, as his character as a withdrawn senior, throbbing and yearning for his family, gets placed right at the crux or is the crux of the movie. Sathyaraj nails his part as the dotage and devoid of family.

Maruthi did up his game by not merely sticking to his “Defected-Protagonist and his comic tales” to a more generic family drama. Maruthi, as always, gets the movie succumbed to his strength of comedy at the heart of, operating within its purview of palpable human emotions. The things that work are the chinwags with his trademark tongue in cheek comedy multiplying the entertainment values. The world of characters in PRP is created in abundance for the zing of creating comedy. Best of them all is Angel Aarna (played by Raashi Khanna), the tic tok celeb for the zilla.

The things that don’t work are its tectonic shift in genres, which barely cope with its nevermore ignorable gravitas plot. The obscure yet idiosyncratic characterizations create an imbalance in the way the story gets dealt, misleading towards a less concentrated and touching drama.

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 PRP, in the segments stepping out of its muscle of comedy, gets a bad footing in writing. There is either no or big leaks of melodrama, topped by some lecturing, romance, songs, fights etc(list out all the masala tropes). The treatment, all-in-all, might fall below par with its elements, other than comedy, not so well versed and placed.

Thaman’s music, art and production design, all as a whole serve well and wouldn’t be much problematic. The winner at the end, is Maruthi’s pen, with the excellent timing and intent of slab-stick punches. The comedy in most of his movies and this as well deserves a special mention as there is always a new way that he finds for the giggles. But, this time it feels extrapolated in its not so cheeky plot like his earlier “Defected-Protagonist and his comic tales”. Maruthi will be remembered for his best work till date, which I feel is - Bhale Bhale Magadivoy. 

PRP is meant to be the festive release flick, enjoyed for what it is rather than complaining much about its shortcomings. Which, again, might not work for all(as of my case). Buy the ticket, bring in a tub of popcorn and give Maruthi 3 hrs. You will come out having fun.

Watch PRP Trailer:-