suresh kavirayani
Comedian Vennela Kishore has acted as the lead in a few films earlier and now another one, Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes, has been released on Christmas Day. Writer Mohan makes his debut as a director, while Ananya Nagalla plays one of the main leads. Distributor Vamsi Nandipati has taken over this small film, making it an interesting venture. The promotional videos are also interesting, and the film is a crime comedy. Here is the story and how it fares.
Story:
On May 21, 1991, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi left Visakhapatnam and landed at Sriperumbudur for a political campaign, where he was assassinated in a bomb blast. The same night, a girl named Pulidandi Mary was killed at Visakhapatnam beach. CI Bhaskar (Aneesh Kuruvilla) told journalists that he would catch the killer within a week, or else he would resign from his job. Since he had to work on the Rajiv Gandhi murder case simultaneously, he asked a private detective, Sherlock Holmes (Vennela Kishore), to solve the Mary case within a week.
Balu (Ravi Teja Dasyam) loves Bramarambha (Ananya Nagalla) and on her birthday, Balu arranged a cake-cutting ceremony at the beach, along with two of his friends. Balu, Brama, a suspended cop, three fishermen and others tell different stories about Mary’s murder. Who killed Mary, and how did Sherlockhomes find the real killer? What was the motive behind Mary’s murder? Did he complete the investigation within a week? This is the crux of the story.
Analysis:
Writer Mohan has worked as a writer for several movies and is an experienced writer. He has made his debut as a director with Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes and one expects a normal story from him due to his experience. However, to everyone’s surprise, he comes out with a complete dud.
Generally, when one expects a detective story, one looks forward to at least some puzzle-like scenes and an interesting story. Moreover, with Vennela Kishore playing the title role of the detective, one expects some humor as well. However, the director fails to provide any of these elements in the film.
The story begins with the news of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in Sriperumbudur and the local police are on the streets to check for any unwanted incidents. At the same time, a murder takes place at the beach and then Sherlock Holmes enters the scene. One expects that it is not a complete suspense thriller but a routine film with a few entertainment scenes, considering Vennela Kishore’s involvement. However, the director fails to provide even a single comedy scene or an interesting scene.
Watching the first half is tedious and one feels uneasy. Furthermore, Vennela Kishore’s attempt at the Uttarandhra accent is completely absurd, and he fails to pronounce it properly, as he seems to have just read the dialogues given by the writer. To portray any accent convincingly, one needs to feel it and pronounce it naturally; otherwise, it will not come out nicely.
The director spoils the beautiful Uttarandhra accent by forcefully incorporating it into some characters. Sometimes they speak with a normal accent, and sometimes with a local accent. Since the title is Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes, the director intended to use the local accent. One wonders why the director chose Vennela Kishore for the role, as any actor could have done better.
It is boring to see Vennela Kishore playing the same kind of roles in many films. Only in the second half are there a few minutes of interest when the detective reveals the killer and the motive. Most scenes are repetitive, making the film boring to watch. Some dialogues are not up to the mark and a few are too vulgar.
Performances:
When it comes to the artists’ performances, Ananya Nagalla stands out, playing an interesting role, especially in the second half. She plays a different role and this film helps her showcase her performance from another angle. She is the only highlight of the film.
Vennela Kishore plays the title role, but he is a complete waste and his role is uninteresting. His accent, performance and character are all disappointing. He fails to contribute to the film with his presence.
Ravi Teja Daasyam plays a regular role and Siya Gautam is seen after a long time, but her role offers nothing. Prabhakar and Aneesh Kuruvilla justify their roles. There are many others in the film, but none of them are impressive.
Verdict:
Finally, Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes is a complete dud, lacking even a single impressive scene. There is no comedy, emotion, or suspense in this film, which is supposed to be a crime comedy. Writer Mohan has made a disappointing debut with this film and despite being an experienced writer, he failed to showcase his strong writing skills. Vamsi Nandipati, who surprisingly liked this film, made exaggerated claims, such as Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes being the highest grosser after Pushpa 2. This time, his judgment is completely wrong regarding this film.
Cast: Vennela Kishore, Ananya Nagalla, Ravi Teja Dasyam, Aneesh Kuruvilla, Baahubali Prabhakar, Bhadram, Nag Mahesh and others
Music director: Sunil Kashyap
Cinematographer: N Mallikarjun
Producer:
Vennapusa Ramana Reddy
Writer and director: Writer Mohan
Rating: 1/5
