Jaya Janaki Nayaka – Movie Review

Story
Sweety (Rakul) gets attracted to Gagan (Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas) when she sees his daring attitude in her college and soon she comes to know about his lovable father and brother. Sweety’s father marries her off to son of a businessman Aswat Varma (Jagapathi Babu) as he doesn’t like Gagan’s family’s reputation. Though Gagan’s father is rich businessman, they have reputation of drinking alcohol. Heartbroken Gagan leaves for Vizag to forget Sweety. Sweety’s husband gets killed on her wedding day by a liquor don who has rivalry with Varma. The don orders his men to kill each member of Varma’s family and bring the widow Sweety. When Gagan is travelling with his friend (Pragya), the men attack on Varma and Gagan saves him. Then he meets Sweety again and now he has to save her.
 
Analysis
Director Boyapati Srinu has distinct style in packaging mass-entertainers. He writes strong characters for his heroes and they can do anything for their loved ones. In this movie, Boyapati makes his hero look like Rama who fights with Ravana as heroine is trapped. He has also made his hero talks less. In the entire first half, hero Bellamkonda Srinivas hardly opens his lips. He is reserved for the most part except in situations that he has to flex his muscles. In the latter part of the movie, this silent guy turns violent and also loud.
 
Boyapati has used template storyline and his narration goes in familiar mode. The first half of the movie doesn’t hold much interest but the post-interval sequences have enough meat to make it a watchable mass-entertainer. There is a lengthy action episode shot in “Hamsala Deevi” in Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh that is quite beautiful and also intense. These kind of mass action sequences have worked in the post.
 
The story is thin and the screenplay doesn’t have surprises. It is typical Boyapati movie that runs with regular tropes.
 
Of the performances, lead hero Bellamkonda Srinivas is neat. He has transformed to look bulky and he has shown his mark in second half. Rakul is okay. Pragya has not much role. Catherine appears in an item number. Jagapathi Babu as Varma is good. Sharat Kumar as father and Nandu are effective. Sithara in a brief role impresses.
 
Technically, the movie is rich. Full marks should be given to Rishi Punjabi who has filmed the movie on a lavish scale. This is the first film that has captured the locations of Hamsala Deevi in its majestic view. The action stunts are top class. Songs by Devi Sri Prasad are okay. “Nee Valle Nee Valle” and “Item song” are catchy. Dialogues by Rathnam are typically massy.
 
Bottom-line: “Jaya Janaki Nayaka” is an action love drama that has rich visuals and one best-action episode (Hamsala Deevi sequence). It is a regular commercial movie in Boyapati’s style that will work with the mass audiences.