Chitralahari Movie Review: Sai Dharam Tej's Movie Fails To Impress

Actor Sai Dharam Tej, a member for the illustrious Mega family, is going through a terrible phase on the professional front. Last year, he received a big setback when Inttelligent underperformed at the box office and failed to impress critics. Thereafter, he returned to the big screen with Tej I Love You which turned out to be a big let-down. With the setbacks in the past, the 'Supreme Hero' is back with his latest film Chitralahari which hit screens today (April 12, 2019).

The film, directed by Kishore Tirumala, is a crucial release for SDT as it has the potential to make or break his career.

So, did the movie live up to expectations?

Story

Chitralahari revolves around how Vijay, an average joe, faces numerous failures in professional and personal life which leave him heartbroken. The major chunk of the story revolves around how he manages to move on in life.

Direction And Screenplay

At first glance, the story of Chitralahari seems quite relatable and promising. However, it never reaches its full potential due to mediocre writing. Barring a few light-hearted sequences, nothing really works in the first half. Moreover, there are pacing issues which further dilute the experience. The second half too is not extraordinary although the Mumbai track and sequences involving SDT and Posani Krishna have come out well. The predictable climax, however, is the big villain here and wrecks the whole experience.

Performances

Sai Dharam Tej has done a failry good job in Chitralahari, carrying off the lighter sequences quite well. He brings out the struggles faced by his character quite well which a big achievement. Kalyani Priyadarshan delivers a robust performance and proves she has grown as a performer. Nivetha too is decent.

Posani and Vennela Kishore carry off their roles quite well and support SDT to the fullest.

Technical Departments

Devi Sri Prasad's background is a big positive as it adds a new dimension to the onscreen action. The cinematography is decent, however, the editing is a bit of a let-down. The Rockstar's songs are hummable with Prema Vennala being the pick of the lot. The other departments have been handled rather well.

Positives

Sai Dharam Tej's Performance

DSP's music

Negatives

Weak Screenplay

Editing

Predictable Climax

Verdict

Chitralahari had the potential to be a winner but fails to live up to expectations due to poor execution.