Somberi - Review

At a time when the entire Telugu Cinema was after films with commercial and love in its backdrop, producer Yarramilli Venkata Rao came forward to bring out a film with a very good message. Jonnavithula Ramalingeshwara Rao, who was a writer by profession, turned director with this movie. He chose a very good script on personality development. The story envisages how the circumstances make a lazy boy to become very efficient and useful man. Though the storyline is very impressive, the director, being a novice, lost grip on the screenplay and could not move the story in a proper way. But to certain extent, he succeeded in driving his point home and impressed the audiences.

Sombabu (Ali) is a very lazy boy. He is least bothered about himself and his parents as he is very lazy. He is so slothful that he does not want to bend down to pick up even if there is something valuable. However, Sombabu is intelligent but does not complete his graduation. Everybody in the village try to keep them away. He and his friends move like vagabonds. Once he comes across a girl called Rohini (Ruksha) and loses his heart. Rohini is the daughter of a realtor (Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam) and comes to Srikakulam in Krishna district and also the nearby Movva, a famous temple town and the origin of Kuchipudi dance, for some research. Some landlords (Jayaprakash Reddy and Jeeva) in the village, who are crooked in nature, grab the property of Sombabu. Still, he holds some more property, and the landlords eye that property as well. In order to grab his land, they join hands with a writer (Tanikella Bharani) and hatch a plan. As per the plan, the duo steals the idols in the temple and implicates Sombabu and his friends in the theft case. Police arrest Sombabu and start interrogation. When the SP (Benarjee) questions him, Sombabu tells him that he can draw the picture of a foreigner, who has moved under suspicious circumstances. Learning that, he is an artist and good at heart, the SP helps him to bail out of the case.

Meanwhile, Sombabu proposes to Rohini, but the latter refuses him saying that she knows that he is a lazy fellow and is fit for nothing. After court acquiting him he returns from jail and decides to work hard as his laziness costs him his love. He helps his friend (Sivareddy) in meeting the target to sell condoms. At that time, he saves the realtor and in return gets a job in his office. There he proves himself. Once he goes to Dubai along with Rohini and his father and finds his friends there who are facing troubles. He also learns that several youth from India are struggling for survival with no hope to return. At an opportune time, Sombabu makes the Indians realise the problems of those youth and helps them return to India. After his return, Sombabu and his friends prove their innocence by catching the writer and through him get the original caught by the culprits. The film ends on a happy note with the union of Sombabu and Rohini.

PLUS: The storyline chosen by the director is very good. The producer needed to be complimented as the subject had the qualities of a good message with a love story running as an undercurrent. Writer turned director Jonnavithula chose a right artist like Ali, who has not a very high image and at the same time has some familiarity with all classes of audiences. It is like a tailor-made story for Ali and he has performed with good ease and fitted into the mould exactly. Especially, the change of attires too evoke good comedy. Another character that touches the hearts of audiences is of Paruchuri Gopalakrishna. His satirical dialogues on present political leaders and political system not only evokes laughter but also makes the audiences think about it.

MINUS: Heroine Ruksha is a major draw back for the movie. Though her role is very important as the hero changes his attitude only to win her love, she has failed to perform in any ways. Though looks glamorous, she has failed to match the hero. The poor and not so gripping screenplay is another minus for the movie. The director has failed to run the story with a particular pace and lost grip on the subject several times. There is no need for an industrialist to take an attender to Dubai with him and he has failed to give a justified reason. Likewise, the acquittal of the hero from jail is also not properly established. How the friends of the hero left for Dubai is also not known.

REMARKS: Two songs in the film are scripted on social cause. One is on use of condoms and the other on the plight of youth in Dubai. Popular singer Mano turned music director with this film and the songs are tuned in routine style. The director tried to justify the point which he chose to highlight. But the slow pace of movement of the story and cinematic turn of events may not go well with all classes of audiences. The film is good to watch for all those who like comedy movies.

Cast: Ali, Ruksha, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam, Tanikella Bharani, Duvvasi Mohan, Srinivasa Reddy, Babloo, Sudarshan, Potti Rambabu, Sivareddy, Raja Ravindra, MS Narayana, Jayaprakash Reddy, Jeeva, Neha Pendse and others.

Credits: Music – Mano, Camera – MV Raghu, Editing – GG Krishna Rao, Producer – Yerramilli Venkat Rao, Story, screenplay, dialogues, lyrics and direction –Jonnavithula Ramalingeshwara Rao.

Banner: Raosen Films