Introduction
Classmates, director Vijaybhaskar’s remake venture, has nothing to offer to the audience, but weak story, nagging screenplay and unimpressive direction. The story is a nostalgic trip down memory lane to college days. At the same time the film has given little importance to satisfy the younger generation.
Synopsis
Ravi (Sumanth), Satish (Ravi Varma), Rajeswari (Sada), Boddu (Sunil), Razia (Kamalini Mukherjee) and few other guys and gals are part of a group and they reunite 15 years after they left college. The reunion was planned years ago by one of their classmates Murali (Sarvanand), a singer who died during their college days. Now Murali’s parents a professor (Kota) and his wife, both working in the same college, have made the reunion happen. On the very night of the bonhomie, Ravi is found strangled by the string of Murali’s guitar. While he is fighting for life in a hospital bed, the others are left to surmise whether it is an attempt to commit suicide or an attempted murder. At this stage some of the classmates and their ex-Professor recall events of the past and many things hereto untold come out of the closet. At the end, Ravi claims that he has just attempted suicide. Is it really so?
Performance
Sumanth looks posh and did a neat performance as a students union leader. Sada, despite with thinned out chances in Tollywood, still looks ravishing and perfectly fits into the storyline. Kamalini Mukherjee appearing in the attire of a Muslim girl is good at parts and her climax performance is worth mentioning. Sunil has enlivened the mood in the theatres with his timely comedy. Ravi Varma played the role of hero’s opponent in college politics. Tannikella Bharani played the role of hostel warden with his typical comical sense. Kota Srinivasa Rao’s role who played the father bereft of his son is pathetic and evokes sympathy. All others have done well as per the demands of the story.
Technical Details
The film is a direct lift of Malayalam movie with the same name. The story running on the lines of "Autograph" tries to inject the element of suspense and there are no commercial elements at all, which comes as a major minus point.
Screenplay is very slow. Though the director succeeded in maintaining the tempo over the mysterious death of a classmate fifteen years ago and another confusing attempt on the life of another classmate, the narration has lost its grip thanks to the boredom factor that sweeps through all the scenes.
Direction by Vijayabhaskar is average, but he has done his best in doing justice while xerox copying the original version for Telugu audiences. A feel would definitely crop up in the mind of a talented audience that instead of remaking, better it would have been dubbed.
Comedy by Sunil alone comes as a relief in the first half. The second half turns pale and bald without proper comedy or even narration. But only the suspense which does not really create any spell on the audience.
Music by Koti is average. But for one song, there is no punch in the department.
And you can’t really expect any commercial elements worth to pull the crowds in this flick.
There is not much difference in the growth of the characters even after fifteen years they meet. Just they remain what they were fifteen years ago. Simply changing their hair and dress style.
Cinematography is a relief. Production values of Sravanti Movies are good.
Judgment
The movie is opened to a very weak talk and its future run is doubtful.
