Panjaa Movie Review

Rating: 2.75/5.0
Banner: Sanghamitra Arts/ARKA Media Works
Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Sarah Jane dias, Anjali Lavania, Jackie Shroff, Atul Kulkarni, Brahmanandam, Ali, Subba raju, Adivi Sesh, Tanikella Bharani, Paruchuri Vekateswara rao, Jhansi and others
Lyrics: Ramajogaiah Sastry, Chandrabose
Dialogues: Abburi ravi
Screenplay: Rahul Koda, Vishnu Vardhan
Action: Shyam Kaushal
Art: Sunil Babu
Editor: A.Srekar Prasad
Cinematography: P.S.Vinod
Music: Yuvan Shankar raja
Producers: Neelima Tirumalasetti, Nagesh Muntha, Shobu Yarlagadda ,Prasad Devineni
Story-Direction: Vishnu Vardhan
CBFC Rating: ‘A’
Release date: 09-12-11

Story: Jai (Pawan Kalyan) works for a mafia Don Bhagwan(Jackie shroff). Bhagwan loves his son Munna(Adivi Shesh) very much, he returns from abroad after 8 years. Bhagwan wants jai to protect his son and be loyal to him also. Jai falls in love with Sandhya( Sarah Jane Dias). What happens after that? To be watched on the screen only.

Performances: Pawan has done fantastic job, he underplayed the character well by giving subtle performance. Sarah is okay. She has done average job. Anjali suited to the role and she hardly has any scenes to perform other than dancing. Jackie Shroff is good. Atul Kulkarni and Sampath(Saroja fame) are adequate. Paruchuri Venkateswara rao, Ali, Subbaraju and Brahmanandam are good. The music by Yuvan is rocking, the background score is good. Cinematography is good. The art work and styling made the movie look stylish. The fights are well choreographed. The story line is very thin. The screenplay is okay even though it’s predictable at times. The Direction is good.

Analysis: The highly anticipated movie of Pawan Kalyan is released today. The Movie is an action film with a mafia backdrop. Pawan Kalyan’s new angle is a revelation. He played the role of the Mafia killer well. His histrionics and body language are good. His behaviour brings in some intensity to the character; instead he has played to his strengths.

Female leads are played by Sarah Jane Dias (Femina-Miss India-2007) and Anjali Lavania (Kingfisher Model). Sarah Jane made her debut with Tamil film Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai(in Tamil) with Vishal, and her second film was Hindi movie GAME(2011) starring Abhishek Bacchan, Kangana Ranaut. Sarah has done okay job. Her role in the first half lasts for only15 minutes. Anjali is okay and her oomph factor brings in some glamour quotient. Adivi Sesh(Karma fame) is good as the baddie, he has a bright future if he focuses more on such roles. Jackie Shroff is good. The remaining (each and every character has importance) artists have done dent job.

The much hyped brahmanadam track is not up to the mark,the comedy scenes involving Pawan and Brahmanandam are okay(could have been better). Ali Brahmanandam combo needs more entertaining scenes. The Cinematography is good. The Art work is fine. Editing is fine. Dialogues by Abburi Ravi crisp and are okay. Music
By Yuvan Shankar Raja is good. The Background score needs aspecial mention.

Sequence of Songs:

1) Veyyiraa (Singer: Saloni, lyrics: Ramajogayya sastry)

The lyrics have been changed (they are bit vulgar in the Audio released).
The song is picturised on Anjali as club song, there’s a parallel story that runs during the song.

2) Kshanam (Singer: Shwetha pandit, lyrics: Chandrabose)

This music bit was picturised on Sarah in a nursery along with Pawan and Ali.

3) Ela Ela (Singers: Hari Charan, Swetha Pandit, Lyrics: Chandrabose)

This song is picturised on Pawan and Sarah when Pawan starts liking her, the song came out well, the streets of Kolkata are well captured..

4) Anukoneleduga (Singers: Belly Raj, Priya Himesh, Lyrics: Chandrabose)

This song was cut short and only a stanza was picturised as a montage one on Pawan and Sarah in Pollachi.

5) Paparayudu ( Singers: Hemachandra, Sathyam, Pawan Kalyan, Brahmanandam, Lyrics: Rama Jogayya sastry)

This song is picturised on Pawan and Brahmanadam in the village backdrop and pawan looks energetic and even dances for a music bit.

6) Panja (singer:Yuvan, lyrics: Rama Jogayya Shastry)

Picturised on Pawan and dancers, Pawan tries some new step; the song comes in the end after the movie ends—before credits (titles) roll down. Similar to hindi movies—-These days all the title songs in Hindi (which are shot for promotion) are rolled in the end.

All the songs are shot well and appear in sync /tune with the mood and follow the film progress. ‘Papaarayudu’ song will be liked well by the masses and ‘Ela Ela’ was the best shot song.

Vishnu Vardhan who directed BILLA in Tamil directed this flick. He has done an honest attempt in projecting Pawan in a different angle. Vishnu’s presentation is stylish and sleek. His wife Anu Vardhan swings all the way designing good looking costumes for all roles. The film looks very stylish and rich with high technical values. It looks awesome in terms of production values and cinematography. Vishnu hasn’t come out of the hangover of BILLA, [his fascination for Black increased a bit]; he used the same tint and color grading to give it an earthy and dark look. The story reminds of Pawan’s BALU (with just a change in narration). It’s a simple revenge formula there are no padding scenes which could make it an Entertainer. The film lacks commercial elements and the slow and smooth narration may not be liked by all. The Action episodes (full of gun fires and Blasts) even though well canned may not be liked by all.

The movie can be liked by Youth and Elite Audience. The Multiplex Audience definitely gets a feel of watching a different Action film. Masses and family Audience may keep away from this. The duration of the film is nearly150 minutes. Unnecessary prolonging of footage in the comedy scenes (Brahmanandam episodes —they appeared bit dragged). The First half is good with well established characters and scenes the later part lacks the pace and freshness. This movie is not in the format of regular commercial potboiler with Six Songs and Six fights added with a couple of twists and turns in the story. An engaging and entertaining second half could have made this a different trend setting flick.

We have to wait and see how the masses/Fans react to this stylish flick. The movie already opened with a divided talk among the Audience.
——PANJAA is being dubbed in Tamil (titled KURI) and is slated for release next year.-

Plus: Pawan’s performance, Action Episodes, Music
Minus: lacks commercial elements/Entertainment, Drag in the second half