Tenali Ramakrishna BA BL – Movie Review

What’s it about

Tenali Ramakrishna (Sundeep Kishan), a lawyer working in the district sessions court in Kurnool, takes up petty cases to earn money. He makes the two parties get a compromise in an out of court settlement. His father, who works as a broker, wants him to earn respect by winning a big case. If a case gets compromised, you earn money but you earn a name when you win the case, his father teaches a lesson about his career. Tenali likes the daughter (Hansika) of the city’s famous criminal lawyer Chakravarthy (Murali Sharma). Chakravarthy is handling the case of businesswoman Varalaxmi (Varalaxmi Sharat Kumar) who is charged with the murder of a journalist. How Tenali Ramakrishna gets to take up Varalakshmi’s case and wins the name and the fame his father wanted is the rest of the story.

Analysis

‘Tenali Ramakrishna BA BL’ follows a pretty predictable storyline – a budding lawyer solving a huge murder case. From Rajendra Prasad’s ‘Chettu Kinda Pleader’, many Telugu comedies have followed the same template. Director Nageshwara Reddy has tried hard to give a contemporary feel and look but the unoriginality can be seen throughout. 

This time-tested theme of a comedy-looking guy turning into a righteous person of an incident still has some scope to generate laughs, engage us but the writers’ team has employed old tricks to provide comedy. They have relied more on one-liners.

At the same time, Sundeep Kishan is projected as a mass hero in other sequences. This mismatch has further spoiled the proceedings. It is like those recent Sunil movies. 

Despite routine narration, the film has genuinely provided some comedy moments. Satya Krishna talking like a rap song is the most hilarious episode in the film. And her name is KA Paul. Then there are certain satires on the live-in relationship (sahajeevanam cheyyadam settlement chesukovadam fashion ayinidi), Kodi Kathi, etc which are hilarious. Even the oft-repeated Chammak Chandra’s comedy episode generates laughs. Hero getting out of a problem by ordering food on Swiggy app is interesting.

But these sporadic comedy elements don’t make this an interesting watch. Much of the movie goes for a toss. 

Sundeep Kishan has put in sincere effort in a comic role. He has done a neat job. Though Sundeep says Hansika looks like a ‘hybrid tomato’, she has lost the glamour appeal she used to posses earlier. This is Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar’s first straight Telugu film. She has got appearance right but her character is poorly written. Murali Sharma as Hansika’s father and the criminal lawyer gets a lengthy role. Saptagiri and Posani have done their job well. Satya Krishna gets a small but hilarious role. 

Cinematography is the main highlight among the technicians’ work. Director G Nageshwara Reddy has narrated the film in his old-fashioned manner.

Bottom-line: This is Sundeep Kishan’s attempt to attract mass audiences. After appearing in concept-based thrillers, he has done a very routine and clichéd comedy.