Every time a Bollywood film releases with a glossy star cast, invariably we will start hearing about cosy moments and romance between the lead pair. It happed with Kismat Konnection, Tashan, and the list could go on. They say this helps in raising curiousity and brings audience to the theaters. Maybe true and may not be either, but it sure took me to watch Souryam. In spite of knowing that it was a routine Gopichand-action flick with no good songs, I still went because I was curious to see the chemistry between Gopichand and Anushka for they are the first Tollywood-LinkUp couple in recent times! Not sure if there was much chemistry between the two, but the film had enough material to keep the audience engaged.
The film is shot in typical VV Vinayak style— heavy music, camera angles, Powerfull punches and flashbacks as the film progresses. Looks like our Tollywood directors have mastered this technique–they take a routine time-tested formula and change the presentation style with powerful flashbacks etc just to keep the audience engaged. By doing this, the film comes out as different even though the material is nothing exciting. Pepper this with comedy, songs, dances, some adult comedy and bits and there you go! Souryam does just that by begining with a powerful car chase cutting across Coastal states from AP to Orissa to West Bengal. Yes, it is our Superhero Gopichand (more on this later) in the car who is hacking everything and every goonda and rowdy in his way to dust as the moves towards Kolkatta. On arrival, Vijay (Gopichand) takes admission in arts college and then begins some fun college scenes–ragging, a fat girl who thinks the hero is in love with her, a college hotty Swetha (Anushka), and of course Ali as Gymson the Gym Coach who buffs up his body with balloons! Slowly, Swetha begins to fall for the hot hunk Vijay, but Vijay is trying to stay close and comes to the rescue of Divya whenever she needs help. By interval time we are told that Vijay and Divya are siblings, but Divya does not know.
The sentiment packed flashback that follows really touches you. It is not the kind of sentiment scenes that would make you squeal. Kids of a goon, they are left orphaned when he is killed and taken away by the municipality. Nobody in the basti is willing to help, but when Christian missionaries offer to take orphans Vijay tells the Father that she is not his sister and that this orphan girl needs help. Since then for the past 15 years, Vijay is in search for his sister when he finally finds out that she is in Kolkatta. Meanwhile, some bad guys at work want give ACP Vijay a tough time for he gave them hell. Yes, ACP Vijay is one heck of a police officer who literally drags the bad guys and their boss, Sivaram Gawd, to the streets. Sivaram Gawd played by Malayali actor Manoj K Jayan is a really bad guy killing the cops or making them kill themselves including Vijay’s Godfather Sarath Kumar. In revenge, ACP Vijay vows to teach him a lesson and he does, but Gawd gets a second chance when he is tipped off by Vijay’s boss that Vijay’s Achiles Heel is his sister in Kolkata. So the two threads come together towards the end, but are running parallel throughout.
Gopichand is a Rising Star without a doubt. He can easily convince you of his power in action scenes.
We watched the film in black at Hitech theater in Madhapur in it’s second day and there was quite response at Gopichand’s entry. I refer him as a Superhero in this film because had it been a Hollywood film, only a Superhero can be so invincible! (haa!) Unfortunately for Gopichand, he is doing too many movies of the same kind; it is high time he diversified and invested his energy in better scripts. One can always be a favorite of the masses and still do good scripts. If only Gopichand could do comedy and dance well, there would be no stopping him. Anushka is good. Somehow, I don’t find her to be as sexy as our media finds her; maybe because she is too fit and athletic to look at. Yes, there are some naughty/hot scenes between the two: (i) one where she oils her body and enters Vijay’s room only to be trapped, have her top torn, and our hero nicely squeezes and pinches her oiled tummy! (ii) Anushka locks herself up in the bathroom and creates a commotion calling Vijay for help. Vijay is forced in the bathroom and he falls on top of her and is forced to ‘Crush On’ and walks out compeletly stumped! The comedy gang is super. The highlight is the episode where Gawd is dragged on to the streets—very entertaining episode including a full 70mm splash of POWERSTAR’s Jalsa poster in the backdrop for three seconds of pandemonium in the theater! Some more naughty and hotty scenes and better songs could only have helped the film.
Personally, I support Gopichand and his hard work. I wish he does some different films and please enough of films whose titles (souryam, lakshyam etc) can be used in the index of a self-help/self-development book. Anayalsis apart, the film has good material that can excite the masses–scenes, dialogues, punches, and twists.
Mr. Inkenti’s Movienomics Verdict: One Thumb Up. Watch the film if you like Gopichand or want some fast-paced movie material that will let you down. Nothing great or creative about it, but the violence may be found excessive by some.
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