Guntur Kaaram Movie Review: Trivikram Srinivas brings Mahesh Babu and Sreeleela together in a movie that looks perfect for Sankranthi, at least on paper.

Trivikram Srinivas’ third collaboration with Mahesh Babu, following Athadu and Khaleja, falls short of expectations. Guntur Kaaram, starring Sreeleela alongside Prakash Raj, Ramya Krishnan, Jayaram, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Murli Sharma, Vennela Kishore, and others, struggles to keep you engaged throughout its 2 hours and 39 minutes runtime. It’s disappointing because the movie had a strong story to support it.

Guntur Kaaram Story:

Ramana (Mahesh) has distanced himself from his mother Vyra Vasundhara (Ramya) for most of his life. Once a momma’s boy, he is now known as Guntur Kaaram or Rowdy Ramana, depending on who you ask. Despite receiving love from his father, Royal Satyam (Jayaram), uncle (Raghubabu), aunt (Eswari Rao), and cousin (Meenakshi), he craves the love of the one person he’s estranged from – his mother. His grandfather Venkataswamy (Prakash) is a prominent politician, and when Ramana is constantly provoked by his estranged family for political gains, things take a turn.

Guntur Kaaram Review:

A new trend is emerging in Indian cinema, with filmmakers exploring love stories between friends (RRR, Salaar) and now parents (Animal, Hi Nanna, Guntur Kaaram). While the treatment and outcomes vary, it feels like an overdose of family and friend issues. Guntur Kaaram kept its storyline under wraps until the audience walked into the theater. However, the film isn’t the mindless commercial entertainer one might expect. Trivikram doesn’t put in enough effort to make it a tear-jerker.

Guntur Kaaram Review
A still from Guntur Kaaram

Guntur Kaaram RevieWhat’s the secret ingredient keeping this movie on the big screen?

Mahesh effortlessly portrays Ramana with style and swagger. He smokes beedis, delivers sarcastic dialogues, and calls out his family for their flaws. Mahesh’s performance is the only saving grace in this film that lacks spice.

The actor really puts up a strong fight and gives it his all to make this movie work, but is that enough? There’s a funny scene with Ramana, where he’s drunk, trying hard to figure out what’s going on, who’s trying to kill him, and where the story is heading. That’s how you, as the audience, feel at a certain point in the film. The cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa also tries to add some life to the movie, but style without substance only goes so far.

What’s the missing element that could pull the plug on this movie in the theaters?

Guntur Kaaram can be best described as a movie filled with scenes that drag on for too long, others that don’t focus enough on emotions and get cut abruptly, or worse, just serve as fillers. Before you can really connect with Ramana’s situation or understand why his mother would abandon him, Trivikram throws in something nonsensical. There are very few moments in the film where Mahesh’s character gets to breathe, take it all in, and truly express his feelings.

The actresses of Guntur Kaaram:

Amukta Malyada aka Ammu (Sreeleela) is Ramana’s love interest. She’s often seen filming Reels or dancing with him, but doesn’t have much else to do. While Sreeleela dances beautifully, her character could have had more impact on the story. Meenakshi doesn’t have much to do except run around her cousin, but she does a decent job. It’s time to give these girls better roles.

Since the story revolves around her abandoning her son for 25 years, Ramya’s character Vyra should have been developed better. It’s frustrating that it isn’t. The film could have used more heart and emotion, especially because Ramya is a good performer. Easwari gets a scene or two where she can shine, but she’s shortchanged in the scenes that matter. Her character does get a fairly decent resolution, though.

A chance gone to waste:

In the end, Guntur Kaaram feels like a missed opportunity. The film could have been a tearjerker or a commercial masala film, but as it is now, it just hangs in an unsatisfactory limbo. That’s a shame because Mahesh gives it his all. If only Trivikram could break out of the box he seems to have created for himself.

Guntur Kaaram Theatrical Trailer, Mahesh Babu, Sreeleela

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