Srinivasa Mangapuram Review: Launchpad That Crashes With Formulaic Storytelling

Srinivasa Mangapuram introduces star kids Jai Krishna and Rasha Thadani in a formulaic romantic actioner that struggles to find its footing, decries Sreeju Sudhakaran.IMAGE: Jai Krishna Ghattamaneni and Rasha Thadani in Srinivasa Mangapuram.=Key PointsSrinivasa Mangapuram marks the debut of Jai Krishna Ghattamaneni (Mahesh Babus nephew) and Rasha Thadani (Raveena Tandons daughter) in Telugu cinema.The films plot, involving a stalker-like hero and a predictable twist, offers little novelty and suffers from a lack of emotional depth.Both lead actors, Jai Krishna and Rasha Thadani, deliver raw and inconsistent performances, failing to bring dynamism or chemistry to the screen. With Srinivasa Mangapuram, Telugu cinema gets yet another nepo kid joining the ranks. Jai Krishna Ghattamaneni, superstar Mahesh Babus nephew, is making his debut as a lead actor here.Cast opposite him is Rasha Thadani making her Telugu debut. She, of course, is Raveena Tandons daughter and had made her acting debut last year in the Hindi film Azaad.So you have two next-generation raw talents in one movie. Unfortunately, when you walk out of Srinivasa Mangapuram, you can still feel that rawness in their performances.Whats The Story About?Sreenu (Jai Krishna Ghattamaneni) comes to Tirupati and, the moment he sees Manga (Rasha Thadani), he is besotted with her. He keeps following her and eventually manages to befriend her.However, she is the daughter of powerful gangster Pedi Reddy (Shaam) and is engaged to marry someone else. Sreenu, however, isnt deterred and continues to pursue her, even when she clearly shows she has no romantic interest in him.As the Stalker Alert sign grows larger around our hero, the film pauses with a twist to explain that there is a reason why Sreenu is so relentlessly pursuing Manga, and why he came to Tirupati in the first place.Playing It Safe And BoringSrinivasa Mangapuram is directed by Ajay Bhupathi, who earlier made the radical and controversial RX 100 (remade in Hindi by Milan Luthria as Tadap). Love it or hate it, there was a certain transgressive subversiveness that defined RX 100s identity.With Srinivasa Mangapuram, perhaps in an attempt to make the debutant star kids appeal more palatable to mainstream audiences, Bhupathi takes the conventional route, crafting an action-oriented romantic entertainer packed with all the ingredients you expect from the genre.So you have the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-follows-girl romance. A decent musical score from G V Prakash Kumar. Plenty of action scenes filled with blood, decapitations and gore. A pre-interval twist leading into a mandatory flashback. And a happy ending that follows a climactic fight sequence.In between, every opportunity is taken to showcase the leading mans screen presence through action, romance and drama.In the hands of a capable filmmaker, even a template-driven film can be entertaining if executed well. But Ajay Bhupathi misses the mark here. What he delivers is a film that offers very little to savour, led by two newcomers who bring little dynamism to the screen, either together or individually.Tiresome Narrative, Predictable TwistsThe first half of Srinivasa Mangapuram is tiresome because all we get are the usual romantic (read: Stalking) scenes that feels too over-drawn with a couple of songs thrown in. The depiction of the hero as the carefree youngster and the heroine as the beautiful, spoilt daughter of a powerful family offers little novelty. The comedy scenes involving Brahmaji and V K Naresh only add to the tedium.Then comes a fight sequence where we discover Sreenu can become brutally violent when pushed, hinting that there is more to him than just the ordinary lad who refuses to take a hint.The arrival of Mangas aunt Varalaxmi (Vasuki) signals the twist, when she recognises Sreenu from one of the photographs Manga had previously shown her.The twist is clearly meant to be a shocker, but even the slightest hint makes it easy to figure out what actually happened to Sreenu and why he is after Manga.The second half begins with a flashback that shifts the action to Ballari, where we are introduced to Sreenus grandfather Venkatappayya Naidu (Mohan Babu), a powerful man regarded as the undisputed kingmaker of the region.The flashback further develops the love story, but there is very little that feels emotionally affecting. A major reason is the noticeable lack of chemistry between the leads, coupled with the awkward way the romance is written. The performances dont help either. The editing and even the action choreography are below par, particularly in these portions.It is especially awkward to watch Mohan Babu clumsily taking on villains while the film tries to present him as a larger-than-life mass hero.So when tragedy strikes, its emotional impact barely travels beyond the screen. Once again, the plot revelation brings nothing new to the table. We have seen plenty of films before, especially love stories, where the very same conflict drives a wedge between the lovers.Once the film shifts back to Tirupati after the flashback, Srinivasa Mangapuram settles into an entirely predictable conclusion, which isnt surprising given how lacklustre the screenplay has been.Raw PerformancesConsidering the film serves as a launchpad for its young hero, Jai Krishna Ghattamaneni is presented in a thoroughly star-driven manner designed to appeal to mainstream audiences. Some of his styling and body language are clearly intended to remind fans of his famous uncle.The problem is that he is still very dicey as an actor. His performance lacks consistency, and there are several moments, particularly during emotional scenes, where his expressions simply go blank.Rasha Thadani hardly shows much improvement from her debut film, further let down by the writing surrounding her character and the way she is presented. In the flashback portions, she is made to speak in an an overly cutesy manner, ending almost every sentence by repeating the heros name. Looking at the plot twist, there is a certain irony in her doing so, so I suppose that is what they would call the directors brilliance.To cut the chatter short, if you are expecting another radical film from the director of RX 100, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a clean, emotional romantic entertainer, you will be disappointed. And if you are hoping to witness the arrival of a star kid who immediately proves his mettle, you will be disappointed there as well.PS: Whats with some Telugu movies needless obsession with inserting religious iconography while presenting their heroes? It feels like blatant pandering to majoritarian sentiments, something that, more often than not, ends up backfiring on them.Srinivasa Mangapuram Review Rediff Rating:MOVIE REVIEWS