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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Jalsa’ only for die-hard fans Film review

Lacking fizz: Pawan Kalyan and Ileana in ‘Jalsa’

Film: Jalsa

Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Ileana

Direction: Trivikram Srinivas

The summer movie season has begun with deafening hype. ‘Jalsa’ would not have generated so much interest, but for Chiranjeevi’s much-publicised political entry and Trivikram Srinivas’ over-rated credentials. Sadly, by the end of the show it’s still the two tunes that remain etched in the memory with nothing left to celebrate upon. ‘Jalsa’ is a culmination of messy structure of sub-plots and screenplay.

An uninspiring script, a confused director and overaction by the protagonist makes it a disjointed affair without a heart.

Sporadically amusing

Though the opening one hour is sporadically amusing like the hero getting involved with both the heroines (siblings), it is ultimately replaced by tedium. The hero falls in love with Kamalini, but gives up tamely just because her father (Prakash Raj) thinks he is not rich enough and the hero thinks he is not a salesman to convince him or guarantee that his daughter would be happy with him. Post interval, it is a jumble of poorly executed ideas.

Before Trivikram Srinivas embarks on his next project, he should revisit his previous filmmaking excursion and Pawan Kalyan, despite retaining his dignity in a handful of scenes, should rethink on the subject he wants to work on.

This is not the career trajectory that he should want to have. Mahesh Babu’s intermittent commentary is like a bunch of fresh flowers in stale water. Brahmanandam provides the movie with all-too-brief instances of entertainment.

Ileana plays a dumb babe, Prakash Raj looks jaded and one wonders what Parvati Melton, Sunil and Sivaji were trying to prove.

The choreographer seemed to have gone on a holiday and the fight master fills in his job.

A big letdown in the film is the fight scene where Ali is injured and rushed to the hospital after Kalyan’s ‘strong’ retort. The revelation that Kalyan was a naxalite and what prompted him to become one fails to evoke sympathy. On the other hand, he is shown as a compulsive alcoholic.

In this melee, you are neither amused with his antics nor upset with his history and the character development goes haywire.

With a confusing premise and an unfathomable, abrupt conclusion…the lengthy ‘Jalsa’ has nothing to offer curious movie lovers, this one is purely for the starved and enthusiastic fans.

Y. Sunita Chowdhary

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