Cast : Sundeep Kishan, Raashi Khanna, Brahmanandam
Direction : Kumar Nagendra
Genre : Comedy
Last year, Kumar Nagendra made his directorial debut with Gundello Godari. It wasn’t a path-breaking film but showed glimpses of smart writing and the director’s conviction to steer clear of formula. There was no room for force-fit comedy. In his second outing, Kumar Nagendra has gone all out and made a comedy, a mindless one at that.
Joru was promoted as a slapstick comedy and that’s what it turns out to be. The film begins on a shaky note, almost a bit amateurish in the scenes that establish its key characters — Sundeep (Sundeep Kishan), his friend Sapthagiri Namalu (Sapthagiri) and Archana (Sushma Raj). The tempo picks up when Anu (Raashi Khanna) arrives from the US, takes the road route from Hyderabad to Vizag to meet her father and MLA Sadasivam (Shayaji Shinde). Duped by a cab driver and left in the middle of nowhere, she finds help from Sundeep. Their journey turns out to be eventful, with Anu learning the truth about her parents and the danger that awaits her.
The key plot is revealed after the audience is treated to some inane comedy. Picture this: Stranded in the woods with a broken down BMW, Sapthagiri teaches a grisly bear the basics of classical music — the famous notes of Swati Mutyam! Throughout the film, Sapthagiri getting phone calls for septic tank cleaning is a riot. But teaching music to a bear is banal.
The drama perks up when Sundeep, Sushma and their family members conjure a plot to help Anu. The large set of supporting actors assumes different identities and tries to outwit Sadasivam at his own game. Some of this is genuinely funny but the screenplay never draws you in. There’s an unwritten rule about comedy where people interchange identities to befuddle an opponent. The writer has to ensure that the audience always has a clear picture of what’s happening on screen and hence, cracks up in laughter at the confusion caused between the characters. The latter portions of Singeetam Srinivasa Rao’s Michael Madana Kamarajan with smart writing by Crazy Mohan and Kamal Haasan could be cited as one of the best examples. It would be unfair to compare a budding director/writer with them, but when the merry go round of hoodwinking goes on pointlessly, one can’t help but think of a chance wasted.
Sundeep, Raashi, Sapthagiri and Brahmanandam provide some solace. Brahmi gets to show his mean streak, albeit occasionally. Raashi looks pretty but the role doesn’t expect much from her than doling out a few expressions. One misses the effervescent, charming Raashi from Oohalu Gusagusalade. Sushma Raj, who debuted with Maaya, again finds herself in a character that requires her to be over the top. Priya Banerjee has little scope to make her presence felt. Sundeep pulls off the fun portions with ease.
Mindless fun can be entertaining when handled well. Joru is let down by incoherent writing and amateurish execution.
Bottom line : The laughs are few and far between.
