Home > Telugu Movie Reviews > Gopalam
'No' For Reward, 'Yes' For Award
Cast: Khan, Anitha Patil, Srikar Babu, Swathi Priya, Chandramohan, Ranganath, Ali, Dharmavarapu, Rallapalli, Goutam Raju, Gundu, Abhinayasri and Others.
Camera: Srinivas Paidala.
Editing: K Ravindra Babu.
Music: Krishna Sai.
Story & Screenplay: Diwakar Babu.
Direction: Yannamreddy Venkatreddy.
Producer: Shafiullah Khan.
Banner: SK Cinema.
 This is a typical small film even less in length compared to the regular ones. The basic concept behind making this film appears to tell people in general and to the rich in particular, to be a bit charitable to help people in need and poor especially children, the citizens of tomorrow. The climax is so designed that this message to go well to the audience. But most of the film never gives this impression of a social message. It just hangs around an office atmosphere. The behavioral pattern of one of them, named Gopalam, played by Khan comes into focus. He looks like a typical character of a miser like what Kota Srinivasa Rao played earlier. Gopalam is a widower. But he talks to his wife as though she is alive and sitting before him. Kavitha is given this silent role. He narrates all the pleasures and problems to this woman. This is a psychological trait. He has two sons and a grand son who is again taking to the traits of his grandpa. But the two sons - one of them (Gowtham Raju) married - behave irresponsibly. The other son Srikar (Srikar Babu) is after his classmate (Anitha). He adopts a different style to present his heart to her, through a written application appealing to her to marry him. He even takes the signatures of her parents (Ranganath and a guest actress) as if they are recommending his case to her. She too responds positively and wants to get married.
Meanwhile Gopalam's office colleague Chandram (Chandramohan) proposes his daughter's marriage with Gopalam's son Srikar. But he withdraws when he learns that Srikar's choice is Anitha. Muhurtham is also fixed for their marriage. But a well known astrologist (Rallapalli) and friend of Gopalam looks into the astrological charts of the both bride and bridegroom and declares that they would never get wed on the particular muhurtham fixed. How this man's prediction would come true, but in a tragic way forms the rest of the story. Gopalam is hit with blood cancer. To spend his short life a bit cheerfully, he seeks the help of a young girl (Swathi Priya), who is mistaken by his sons as their father's mistress. They think she entered their family to take away what he saved. But Swati reveals herself as a different woman, who is running an orphange for street children, providing boarding and lodging. The old man Gopalam is inspired by that and then gives a long lecture preaching us to donate to the social causes from what they are earning. And he does the same. Now astrology proves true because the marriage is stopped due to his death.
The motive behind making this film is good. But it is not properly projected through a sensible plot. The narration is dull and at times routine, as if copying scenes of Jandhyala's films featuring a miser. Krishna Sai scored good music and the song rendered by SP Balasubrahmanyam and a new female voice is the best. Khan's acting skills are laudable. But he is not suitable for lighter vein roles. The two girls Anitha and Swathi Priya are adequate. Chandramohan and Ranganath give good performances. The film appears to have been made for an award not for box office.
|
