Bodyguard
The fourth and hopefully the final version of the Malayalam blockbuster Bodyguard hit the screens on the eve of Sankranthi. Read on to find how mana Telugu Bodyguard starring Venkatesh and Trisha fared.
The plot
The movie starts how any other Venkatesh‘s movie does. One action scene and the hero immediately slips into the introductory song with loads of colors and drumbeats.
Venkatadri aka Venky (Venkatesh) is a safari suit wearing tough man who can blow numerous baddies at one go, who can fight in the air, who races on SUVs, dances when happy and possesses a tender heart. Venky has high respect for Varadarajulu (Prakash Raj) who saved his and his family’s life during a mishap. Varadarajulu’s daughter Keerthi (Trisha) is targeted by a revenge seeking Siva Reddy (Kota). Enter: Venky, the Bodyguard.
On the insistence of Varadarajulu, Venky accompanies the far-away studying Keerthi and her friend (Saloni), so as to ensure their safety 24/7. After a spate of events, Keerthi decides to divert the ever guarding Venky so she might get her freedom back. Keerthi keeps calling Venky from a private number without revealing her identity and says that she is in love with him. He gradually reciprocates to the phone calls and falls for her. Rest is about how the love story develops amidst a few setbacks.
Actors
Sentimental movies are not new for Venkatesh and he carried off this role with ease and maturity. Even in the action part, he did well. But when it comes to comedy his performance got a bit awkward. His costumes were good and helped him look young.
Trisha as a performer was okay and there’s nothing much to complain. Even her costumes were appealing. But when it comes to looks, she is not as pleasing. Anushka would have been a better option.
Saloni got a good role and she did her job well. She looked very believable and in few instances she even steals the show from Trisha.
Prakash Raj got some action and emotional sequences to do and he did his bit aptly. Subbaraju does a regular job in his tiny role. Kota, though got a glimpse and miss role, proved his versatility again. Ali and Venu Madhav were okay. Tanikella Bharani, Dharmavarapu and Pragathi were there just for the sake of it.
Analysis
The first half significantly focuses on comedy and a bit of melodrama. And the second half is high on love and emotions. If you are not aware of the story through any of the previous versions, don’t go by the title Bodyguard and expect an action treat. In this movie, elements like love, innocence, loyalty and selfishness lead the way.
The director preferred to retain most of the original version except for certain comedy scenes. Though steadily engaging, the movie goes in a bit slow pace and you keep waiting for things to shape up soon. Commercially speaking, this is not an out and out box office focused entertainer you get to watch usually. To please fans and the whistle blowing crowd, Venky’s heroism has been portrayed in a couple of instances using punchlines and action sequences. But the action part is a huge disappointment and was pretty laughable with the way goons fly after receiving their share of punches.
The director could have etched Venky’s character in a better way. Venky as a college going guy? Oh please! And if compared, Salman as Lovely Singh was cute but Venky wasn’t. The emotional turbulence that the couple go through couldn’t be felt. And there were many yawn moments in the second half. The lead pair’s chemistry is just okay.
Music, though pleasing, seemed repetitive with two to three songs almost sounding the same. Technically, the movie scores on cinematography. A couple of songs were pictured very well and especially the color co0rdination was beautiful.
You will be disappointed if you seek commercial elements like glamor and fast paced action. This could be a treat for you, if you love high on quotient emotions and can bear with unexpected endings to a love story, generously ignoring some bad comedy.
Final word
Watch it if you haven’t watched any of the previous versions and don’t mind an overdose of melodrama. I’ll go with a 2.75 out of 5.
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