Synccinema Quickie - Ala Vaikunta Puram Lo

Ala Vaikunta Puram Lo (AVPL) - Trivikram works on his mastered genre, a Family Drama. But, with a compromise.

AVPL has its heart filled with positivity and happiness. It gets evident right from its rolling titles and Allu Arjun interesting first shot that the movie is going to take a ride - lighter and merrier, making a perfect festival release. After all, it’s for the bonding and family that we meet and greet on a festival day, which is exactly what AVPL firmly has in its pockets for the audience.

Talk of subtle yet generic, everyday Heroism (with a hint of humour) – Trivikram nailed these parts with his writing. Talk of dysfunctionalities and expressiveness of truths in middle-class person -Trivikram again nailed it with his writing. Trivikram’s juggernaut and USP are in his writing powered by his cheeky yet catchy direction. 

 “Trivikram, since his earlier days of Nuvvu Naaku Nachav, has been making Family Dramas apart from his few movies like Khaleja, Aravinda Sametha and to some extent Agnyathavaasi.”

 His, recent movies always start well with equal force from his penned lines and screened visuals, but very quickly gets lost in the milieu of Trivikram trademarks - punch dialogues, unwanted comedians and comedy set pieces, the dumb witted heroine(s), add to that richly shot, composed, flow-breaking musical numbers. Gladly, he started rectifying his problems along with his frequent genres trying to make a corporate based Agnyathavaasi, and faction heated Aravinda.

With, AVPL, Trivikram, comes back and works on his mastered genre, a Family Drama. But, with a compromise. What importantly sets this movie apart is it's folk tale story dealt with fast world humans. The story picked up is strikingly focussed though entertaining with a free-flowing narration and clean screenplay What he gets right is the entire first half. 

 The characters he draws out and spills over feels like a new age Nuvvu Naaku Nachav. The strongest points generically get knit here. A core emotional undercurrents, light humour, tuneful music, cute romance and background score by Thaman add to the audience attention. PS Vinod’s free-flowing cinematography also deserves mention.

The favourite of the show is Allu Arjun, as a secluded and stoic Bantu. AA, in this movie, never feels soggy with his Style statements, adding grace to his character just by his quirk. His simple brushed hair, battered Casio analogue he wears and his dressing custom. AA’s lilting quality of portraying Bantu easily shapes a Boy next door persona. This is the languid and least massy AA has been in a while.

The compromise is the entire 2nd half. As the main twists land by interval, there is no gravitas shift and nothing much to continue forward. Again Trivikram gets lost in his milieu as said before. 

There is an entire paradigm shift in its latter half, as a result, what feels drama feels oozed melodramatically, what feels comic feels cringed or slightly stupid, what feels loved falls flat to feel just amused. The biggest letdown is the character arcs and the light way they have been dealt throughout. It’s because the movie is seen only through Bantu’s(AA) POV that other characters never get their share of expressing their cause.

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Take the characters of Sushanth or Murali Sharma instead. They almost stay the same as to how they started. If Bantu gets a ticket for a significant change (good or bad), then why can’t these 2? All these 3 characters are living the life of a consequence which made them perplexed to their situation.

 It would have been a satisfying and a complete piece if Trivikram gave some space or even his great lines to converse these characters with each other, at least bring a clarified Identity of their own rather than just defining each with a single line.

AVPL is more an entertaining movie than a riveting piece of dramatic celluloid. It’s a better worked out product from Trivikram, but hardly his best. It’s a festive release and let’s keep it that way.