‘Leader’ Review: It’s Honest And Good

Film: Leader
Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: AVM
Cast: Daggubati Rana, Richa Gangopadhyaya, Priya Anand, Subba Raju, Harshavardhan, Kota Sreenivasa Rao, Ahuti Prasad, Tanikella Bharani, Suhasini, Suman, Udaya Bhanu etc
Cinematography: Vijay C Kumar
Editing: Marthand K Venkatesh
Music: Mickey J Mayor
Producers: M Saravanan and MS Guhan
Direction: Sekhar Kammula
Released On: 19th Feb 2010

The much awaited film of Sekhar Kammula has released today. The tall actor with promising looks, Rana, debuted with this. The expectations are indeed high and let us see how far things got in tune with those expectations.

Story:
Chief Minister Sanjeevayya (Suman) gets killed in a landmine blast. His son Arjun Prasad (Rana) descends as next CM but after a series of political games with his opponents and power greedy Dhanunjay (Subba Raju). Arjun’s paternal uncle (Kota) also moves against Arjun.

Arjun is idealistic in nature and wishes to change the rules of political system in the state. How far is he successful? What is the method he has chosen to make that change? How people react to that? Who helped him in his cause? How enemies try to put an end for him? All that forms the story.

Performances:
Rana deserves right encomiums for his portrayal. He has underplayed the role as per the requirement. His voice and diction are good. If he concentrates better on working out expressions, he will be a promising actor.

Richa Gangopadhyaya is like a sheer poetry in some scenes. The credit goes to costumes department and also cinematographer.

Priya Anand looks good but her role is not fitting into the narration.

Subba Raju, the antagonist, played histrionics very well and up to the mark. Harshavardhan is perfectly in tune in his role as protagonist’s yes-man. Rao Ramesh made his presence felt even with his small role. Kota Sreenivasa Rao is serious. Director would have used him better with some satirical and humorous dialogues, as audience expect in general. Udaya Bhanu arrested the eyes of audience with her item number. Others are ok.

Cinematography is good. Music and RR are marvelous. It’s really the RR (Re-Recording) that brought emotional grip to narration.

Highlights:
Take off with landmine attack on CM
Udayabhanu’s glamour dose in item number
In first song, where Rana visits every slum and every corner to understand the society, is good. A scene where Rana leaves a cloth for a woman through water, reminds a bit from Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’.
Rana’s dialogue about his willingness to die after dealing with Rs 1 Lakh crore scheme brought claps in theaters.
Old man’s dialogue with Chief Minister about his daughter

Memorable Dialogues Those Attracted Claps And Whistles:
Tanikella: “Ivaala nijayiteega pani cheyyadamantene tyagam chesinattu anukuntunnaaru”
Rana with Gollapudi: “Meeku 70-80 yellu undochchu. Meeru gandhini taaki undochchu. Nehruni ee kallatho choosi undochchu. Mee anubhavam, chaduvu antaa avineetiki dhaaraposaaru. Postunaaru….meeru unte entha ..oodithey entha??”
Old Man with Rana: Aadapillaki nyaayam cheyyaleni CM unte entha oodithey entha?

Disappointments:
Priya Anand’s character seemed to be waste. The film would have run better without her character.
DI problems were seen here and there those marred the clarity of picture on screen
Suhasini’s death and funeral scenes are very weak

Analysis:
It’s a sincere effort by the director to sketch the present political scenario in independent India. He has chosen the theme of corruption by politicians as main curse to system. Many films have come on corruption. And it’s a different version.

The film also delivers some idealistic ideas of smoking out black money from public to avoid making the state indebted to World Bank et al.

Everything is fine. But in this drama where there are many political technicalities are involved, there are chances that the director may lose mass audience, although he impresses the audiences those think.

The director has taken many cinematic liberties; those make audience look at each other’s face for finding lack of conviction. And some clearly evident mistakes:

When Chief Minister dies, only men come to visit his dead body. When Chief Minister’s wife dies, only women come to visit her funeral!! Howzzat??!! What’s that gender discrimination?

The son of CM walks on roads and no one identifies him in today’s world where media is so rampant. Can anyone imagine YS Jagan or Lokesh walking on roads and none identifying them? That’s not convincing. Director would have shown that the son of CM is going into masses in disguise.

Leader minus heroines’ track would have been the best product. Director would have told better things those go with the main theme in the minutes wasted for so-called romance track.  With little care, the film would have become something in the standards of ‘Sarkar’!!

There are many moments in the film where the director touches the hearts of audiences and pulls tears from eyes.

First half of the film catches up pace since the beginning scene and gives a captivating feel by interval. Audiences found themselves meditatively pulled towards the screen. That’s the magic created by the director. And that magic leaves the audiences expecting something great in second half. The pace goes with ups and downs but something promising appears immediately after old man scene.

The scenes run faster from then and culminate into climax in idealistic tone. It’s a sincere effort by director with his understanding. Audiences connect to it connecting the movie to the present political conditions.

The film certainly pulls huge crowds due to the image procured by the director with his previous film ‘Happy Days’. The content in the movie appeals for B and C center audiences as well, if they connect that to present political conditions and watch. On a whole it’s a sincere and good product.

Bottom Line: Watch it for a different feel

(SiraSri can be reached at [email protected])