John Appa Rao 40+ Review

Kuchipudi Venkat entered into films through Modati Cinema but miserably failed in his attempt. After taking considerable gap, he prepared a subject keeping in view Krishna Bhagawan. With several comedians testing their hands as heroes, the director-cum-producer chose him as hero. Moreover, there is a precedent that almost all the debut films of comedians, who played heroes are hits. This sentiment might have provoked him to select Krishna Bhagawan as hero. At the same time, Simran, who made a re-entry after marriage failed to get heroine chance and this factor also helped him to rope in her as female lead. Though not very novel, the concept is good as it has both entertainment values and action in its backdrop.

Appa Rao (Krishna Bhagawan) is a fashion designer (an upgraded version of tailor) in Vizag. He has three sisters and in a bid to get them married, Appa Rao ignores himself and by the time he gets ready for marriage, he turns 40 plus. All the efforts to select a bride prove futile. At this juncture, one Chakri (Prabhakar) meets him and tells him that a girl is going to meet him and she will change his life. True to his saying, Pravallika (Simran) meets him and attracts him with her behaviour. Appa Rao becomes very close to her and Pravallika promises him that she would take him to the UK to start a fashion designing institute. Both of them go to Hyderabad and stay there to apply for passport to Appa Rao.

On the other side of the coin, there is a dreaded terrorist called John (Krishna Bhagawan) who is responsible for several blasts in Hyderabad. He seriously tries to get out of India and settle in Dubai as it is a safe zone. Pravallika, who is a journalist from BBC, traces him and catches him for an interview. First he rejects to give his interview but keeps a condition that he will give her an interview if she helps him to escape from India. Pravallika notices the photograph of Appa Rao and hatches a plan to get him killed by police and make them believe that John is dead and send John out of country with Appa Rao's passport. Unknowingly, Appa Rao follows Pravallika. But the latter realises that she is doing wrong as Appa Rao is innocent. But it is too late. In the climax, she turns the tables and get the terrorist and his rival (Sayaji Shinde) who is also a terrorist killed in encounters. Though Appa Rao could not realise is dream of getting married, he gets a best friend in the name of Pravallika.

PLUS: Krishna Bhagawan has performed well as hero within his limits. However, the audiences can not find any heroism in his character. He has shown good difference in the second role as John and excelled in villainy too. Simran appears gorgeous in some scenes and at the same time, she appears a little older in some sequences. Sayaji Shinde is in his usual best in a negative role, while Satyam Rajesh, Jeeva, Melkote, Ali, Raghubabu have done justice to their roles as comedy. Production values in the film are good and the producer has spent a little more, though the film has a hero who is just a comedian in his career.

MINUS: While talking about minus points, it is the director cum producer, who has to be found fault. He has no clarity on what he is going to show on the screen. Right from the beginning, his direction is too slippery and he has failed to maintain the tempo in the film. He should have maintained the suspense instead of revealing it before the interval bang. He has also failed to establish the heroine's character properly. Music by Kiran Varanasi is also not very impressive as almost all the songs are remixes.

REMARKS: Though Ali, Sunil and some other comedians have played heroes, the directors of those films used to highlight the hero to boost their image. But, Venkat has not laid any focus on the hero and instead highlighted the heroine. The director should learn certain things that the audiences will never watch whatever that is shown to them and outrightly reject them. Krishna Bhagawan too should avoid trying to play solo hero and better join some other, in case he really wants to play hero roles.

Cast: Krishna Bhagawan, Simran, Sayaji Shinde, Benarjee, Jeeva, Melkote, Ali, Raghubabu, Kondavalasa Lakshmana Rao, Maruthi, Gauthamraju, Prabhakar, Ruthika, Apoorva, Pavala Shyamala and others.

Credits: Cinematography – V Gopinath, Editing – Naveen, Music – Kiran Varanasi, Action – Ram-Lakshman, Choreography – Shankar, Babu Yadav, Story, screenplay, direction and Producer – Kuchipudi Venkat.