Thulasi – Review by Rishi

Introduction

After giving family-oriented films like Lakshmi and Aadavari Mataluku Ardhale Verule, Venkatesh has plunged into the genre of sentimentally emotional film with additional dose of action with his hit heroine Nayantara.This much awaited film from the combination of Venkatesh and Boyapati Seenu is out and out a mass film in the second half, while you have good dose of entertainment in the first half.

Plot

Tulasi Ram alias Tulasi (Venkatesh) loves and marries Vasundhara (Nayantara). Hailing from faction-ridden Palnad area, Venkatesh family is horn-locked with the villainous headman (Jayaprakash Reddy). In the civic elections, Tulasi enters into tug of war with the villain’s side and takes up hectic campaign to see the win of his father (Vijay Kumar) and the hero wins it thumbs down. Raging with grudge, the villain sends his henchmen to kill Tulasi while living in a city. In the clash, Vasundhara’s brother (Sivaji) is killed. From then onwards, Vasundhara starts fearing the faction politics. She gets separated from her hubby, taking away her little son Harsha (Athulith). Now, it is the turn of the hero to constantly rescue his wife and son from his rivals. His special attention towards his child, who suffers from a cerebral problem, which his wife doesn’t know. She starts loathing him, while he desperately wants to perform the surgery for the child. In the end, Tulasi successfully knocks down his enemies and his son is also saved with successful operation.

Performance

Victory Venkatesh steals the limelight from start to finish. He looked handsome and touching in several scenes, especially in the emotional scenes involving the child sentiment. Compared to his previous films, his change to mass genre of factionism is a feast to his fans with the hero doing energetic action. There is also a great change in his mannerisms.  

Nayantara is at her best in the role as an agonized wife. However, the director took all care to show her in a glamorous way, yet with a traditional touch. She is beautiful in the dance numbers. She once again proved that she can very well make a hit pair with Venky.

Sivaji performed his role as Nayantara’s brother well, arousing pathos among the audiences.

Villainy by Jayaprakash Reddy, Asish Vidyarthi and Subbaraju is adequate. Ramyakrishna’s guest role is a nice watch.

All other characters did well in their limitations.

Technical Values

The story slightly resembles that of Chiranjeevi’s films – Mrugaraju and Daddy. The child sentiment is an outdated subject and it has very little to entertain the audiences. Director Boyapati Seenu struggled a lot to club the elements of action and romance in this emotionally sentimental film. Though he succeeded in giving an entertaining first half, the second half turns dramatic all of a sudden. It is very hard to digest the instant change, thus making it a formulaic film. In the heavy ambush of sentiment and action, the logic is clearly missing. Of course, the mass sections might not question it. But, the general audience might find it embarrassing.

Screenplay is good in parts. Boyapati reserved silence in the first half and unleashed violence in the second half. Some scenes give way to boredom, but the same covered up in the ensuing scenes. Climax is made heavy with child sentiment. But, to what extent this child sentiment can sneak through the audience has to be wait and seen.

The factionism is dealt with in a dramatic manner. You do not have a single policeman to stop the carnage in the heart of the city. Stunts by Ram Lakshman are a bit overdose. First fight is not convincing.

Music by Devi Sri Prasad is another asset to the film. The Song – tula tula tulasi – is not that much impressive. Background score by DSP deserves kudos. Choreography by Raju Sundaram, Brinda and DKS Babu is good.

Cinematography is good. Graphical presentation of some scenes is convincing. Production values of Suresh Productions are naturally befitting of their venture

Judgement

Tulasi is opened to terrific collections all over the state. Performance by Victory Venkatesh can help the movie sustain the heat in the coming days. His previous movies could register excellent support from the family audiences. Can Tulasi repeat the mantra? Coming weeks alone can tell. Anyway, the Dasara vacation might fetch the film considerable revenue.

– Rishi