Director : Trivikram Srinivas
Writer : Trivikram Srinivas
Cast : Allu Arjun, Pooja Hegde, Tabu, Jayaram, Sushanth, Murali Sharma, Sachin Khedekar, Samuthirakani, Govind Padmasoorya, Nivetha Pethuraj, Rahul Ramakrishna,Vennela Kishore, Sunil, Rajendra Prasad
Cinematographer : P.S. Vinod
Editor : Navin Nooli
Art Director : A.S. Prakash
Music : S. Thaman
Sound Designer : K. Raghunadh
Language : Telugu
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is a classy entertainer. It is available on Netflix. I watched it in Telugu with subtitles. I must say I am thoroughly entertained. The film is simple yet massy. It is a fun watch. It is a film that has its heart in the right place. It has Allu Arjun written all over it. What a style, what a swag, what a dance, what a performance! He has nailed it to perfection. He plays it cool. The action, the comedy, the dancing, the emotions he is flawless in everything. He is next level when it comes to his performance. This is the first Allu Arjun film that I have watched. I have watched his films in bits and pieces on TV though. This is the first time I am watching the full film start to end.
Kartik Aaryan has huge shoes to fill in Shehzada. Shehzada is the Hindi remake. From the trailer I felt that it’s going to be an out and out Kartik Aaryan show. I had written about the Shehzada trailer on Twitter, you can check it out there and remember remember to follow our handle @TheFilmverse so that you don’t miss any of this. Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is actually an out and out Allu Arjun show. A perfect film for Kartik Aaryan to showcase his talent. He has been choosing scripts smartly. But now after watching the original I feel that Kartik Aaryan is doing overacting in the trailer. The kind of loud acting that he is doing is actually not required. It’s more about the style and presence of the star. From the trailer it seems that they have gone overboard with Shehzada. Let’s see what the film says. I hope the original is not ruined by too much Bollywoodization. Although Shehzada is looking nice and colourful. Allu Arjun has set the bar very high. Wishing Kartik Aaryan the best for Shehzada. After watching Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, now I am really eager to watch Shehzada.
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is well written. A simple story with an engaging screenplay, peppered with some foot tapping songs and nice dialogues. Loved the choreography of the songs and Allu Arjun bringing it alive with his dance. The songs are well shot. In general, I love the songs.
It is brilliantly directed. Keeping it massy yet subtle. Nothing has been stretched, everything holds on to your attention. It is very engaging. I like the treatment of the film. It has that easy going, fun vibe throughout. At the same time, where it’s time for emotions, drama; it is treated so well. It superbly conveys the emotions. It exceptionally balances everything and delivers a highly entertaining package. It strikes a balance between being realistic and being escapist visually. The storytelling is interesting. Allu Arjun’s energy is too good. Building up on such a simple story and keeping the audience glued to the screen is commendable on the director’s part.
The editing is also very good. It has a flawless rhythm. Each and every character has been given the space to perform. It is not that superstar Allu Arjun is the hero so he is only hogging all the limelight. Editing is done keeping the film and the story in mind; not any superstar which is fabulous.
The cinematography is fantastic. It perfectly complements Allu Arjun’s style. I loved how the action is shot. The action is the highlight of the film. It is stylistically choreographed. It is not very loud whereas in the trailer of Shehzada the action seems to be getting loud. The sound design and background music is superb. I love the background music. The production design is too good. It conveys the visual contrast in the set-up really well. Even the costume design and styling is well done.
The casting and the performances are brilliant. The performances are restrained yet impactful. Pooja Hegde is impressive. Murali Sharma shines. He is doing some interesting roles down South. He was very good in Major as well. Tabu is fabulous. Samuthirakani is interesting as the antagonist. Jayaram puts up a fine performance. He has performed the emotional scenes exceptionally well. Sachin Khedekar is good as always. Vennela Kishore, Rajendra Prasad, Rahul Ramakrishna, Sunil add a nice comic touch with their performances. Sushanth Anumolu and Govind Padmasoorya have done a good job.
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is a different take on family dramas. I would highly recommend it. It is a film that you would love to watch it again and again. I have myself watched it twice. Do watch it and immerse yourself in the joyride. Let the Allu Arjun fever take over you.
About The Author
Aaditya Bagwe
Aaditya Bagwe is a filmmaker, writer, director, producer and actor. The founder of Infinite Eight Filmverse. He has been writing about films since 2015. A film school graduate in BSC in Film and Television Production with specialization in Direction. A diploma holder in Acting. He has done a short course in Film Appreciation conducted by FTII. Formerly having worked with Pop Diaries as a film review writer. He brings to you his multiverse of writings about films, web series and the entire cinematic universe.
