Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu Review

After delivering a blockbuster with ‘Waltair Veerayya’ and a disaster with ‘Bhola Shankar’ within a gap of seven months in 2023, Megastar Chiranjeevi did a socio fantasy film, Vishwambhara, and a family entertainer, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu. Since the visual effects work is taking more time than expected for ‘Vishwambhara’, Chiranjeevi and team decided to release ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, first and selected Anil Ravipudi’s favourite season, Sankranthi, to release the film.

After scoring a huge blockbuster, Sankranthiki Vasthunam, last January, the expectations on Anil Ravipudi, increased further and when he announced, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, with Chiranjeevi, the expectations skyrocketed. After creating enough buzz with three chartbusters songs, the film was finally released in theatres today. Did Megastar Chiranjeevi, bring back his impeccable comedy timing on screen yet again? Did Anil Ravipudi, continue his success streak? How did the music director, Bheems Ceciroleo, score music for a Chiranjeevi film for the first time? How did Nayanthara & Chiranjeevi’s pair look on screen in a family entertainer film? Does the film have enough content in it to become a Sankranthi blockbuster? Let’s figure it out with a detailed analysis.

What is it about?

Sasirekha(Nayanthara), the daughter of India’s richest man, fall in love with Shankara Vara Prasad(Chiranjeevi), a middle-class man and a national security agent, and ends up marrying him, against the wishes of her father(Sachin Khedekar). The angry father creates issues between the couple and makes them get separated. Why did Sasirekha decide to get separated from Shankara Vara Prasad? Why did an unknown gang of criminals attempt to kill the father of Sasirekha? What did Shankara Vara Prasad, do to reunite with his family? Who is Venky Gowda? Do Shankara Vara Prasad and Venky Gowda, share any relation? Forms the rest of the story.

Performances:

It is no exaggeration to say, Chiranjeevi, delivered his best performance in ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, after making a comeback into films in 2017. It is his one-man show to say the list. His dialogue delivery, subtle expressions, comedy timing and ability to perform in a balanced way during emotional sequences without going overboard, are a treat to watch on screen. It looked like he really enjoyed playing the ‘Vara Prasad’ character and that joy, fully translated onto the screen.

Venkatesh in an extended cameo in the role of ‘Venky Gowda’, made his presence felt. He generated a few laughs along with Chiranjeevi and lit the screen by dancing along with Chiranjeevi for a song. However, the writing for his track, would have been better. Nayanthara is the apt choice to play the role of Sasirekha. She delivered a good performance. Her pairing with Chiranjeevi, looked good on screen. Zarina Wahab in the role of a mother to ‘Vara Prasad’, is an apt choice. Her confrontation sequence with Nayanthara, is one of the highlights of the film and she delivered a very mature performance, in that particular sequence.

Catherine Tresa, Harsha Vardhan and Abhinav Gomatam in the roles of Vara Prasad’s team members, generated a few laughs here and there. Sachin Khedekar, and Sharat Saxena, made their presence felt and experience counts, with their comedy timing. OG fame, Sudev Nair, in the role of the antagonist, delivered a very good performance. The kids who played the roles of son and daughter to Vara Prasad and Sasirekha, delivered a neat performance. And, Master Revanth, as expected, made the audience erupt with laughter, in a couple of sequences.

Technicalities:

Talking about the songs in the film, Chiranjeevi, at the pre-release event of the film said that after a long time, he heard the songs where the music did not dominate the lyrics. And, yes. He was true. The songs in the film by Bheems Ceciroleo, were so pleasant and soothing to hear. The way both ‘Sasirekha’ and ‘Meesala Pilla’ songs were used in the film to narrate the story, deserves special appreciation. However, the background music at places, would have been a bit better. Especially, during the action episodes.

Cinematography by Sameer Reddy was pleasant and is eye-catching. He delivered a standard output that is more than adequate for a family entertainer film. The visuals in the ‘Sasirekha’ song were so beautiful and so are the visuals at the boarding school. The editing by, Tammiraju, was neat in most places. A bit more effort in editing, would have made the film even better though. Production values by Shine Screens & Gold Box Entertainments, were good. The producers spent enough money that is required for the film. Let’s talk about the director and writer, Anil Raviludi’s, work in the analysis section.

Positives:

1.⁠ ⁠Chiranjeevi’s Performance
2.⁠ ⁠Comedy Episodes
3.⁠ ⁠Screenplay In Most Parts
4.⁠ ⁠Songs
5.⁠ ⁠Chiru & Kids Portions

Negatives:

1.⁠ ⁠Blip In Pace At Time
2.⁠ ⁠Writing For Venky’s Track

Analysis:

Megastar Chiranjeevi made a comeback into movies with ‘Khaidi No. 150’, in 2017. Since then, most of the directors who made movies with him presented him in an artificial manner in the name of ‘bringing back the vintage Megastar on screen’. Particularly, he looked so out of place in his last film, Bhola Shankar. But in ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, the director, Anil Ravipudi, did not make the same mistake. He understands the strengths of Chiranjeevi and designed a sweet and innocent character ‘Vara Prasad’ and he did not put unnecessary pressure on Chiranjeevi to live up to the ‘Megastar’ image. By taking away the unwarranted pressure, the director let the hero unleash his true potential on screen and it worked like magic. The comedy timing, the innocent expressions, the emotions and fierceness wherever required, Chiranjeevi was able to deliver almost everything with utmost effortlessness. And, at no point, did he look out of the place. It is not an exaggeration to say that Chiranjeevi carried the entire movie on his shoulders and entertained the audience thoroughly, like he used to do before leaving movies in 2007.

Since his comeback into the movies in 2017, a few people used to say that Chiranjeevi was unable to express himself on screen anymore, like he used to. Now read this – the first two sequences in the film between Chiranjeevi and Nayanthara, do not have any dialogues. In both sequences, Chiranjeevi and Nayanthara were asked by the director to communicate with each other only through facial expressions and hand gestures. And, guess what? Chiranjeevi nailed it with utmost perfection. It was a treat to watch him own a character and bring it on screen in a way only he can do. It is safe to say that Chiranjeevi’s performance in, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, is the most ‘free flowing’, we have seen from him in the last decade or so. There are at least six to seven episodes in the film where he unleashed his impeccable comedy timing.

Anil Ravipudi took a very simple story and blended it well with the regular doses of comedy & emotions. He made sure to come up with at least one hilarious comedy episode, every ten minutes. Anil Ravipudi knows the pulse and sensibilities of his target audience very well. The episode with the ‘ladies’ in the second half, the confrontation sequence between Zarina Wahab and Nayanthara, and the sequences between Chiranjeevi and the kids, are the trademark sequences of a director who understands the psyche of his audience very well. The director designed a character for Master Revanth, Bulliraju from Sankranthiki Vasthunam, in the film. Any other director would have used the same characterisation as Sankranthiki Vasthunam for Master Revanth to generate some instant comedy. But, Anil Ravipudi resisted the temptation of using the same characterisation. He just repeated the actor but came up with a different characterisation and it worked like a charm. Both the sequences of Master Revanth along with Chiranjeevi, generated non-stop laughs in the theatre. Kudos to Anil Ravipudi for designing the romantic track between the lead actors maturely. It looked so believable and feel-good on screen. The idea of using both songs for the lead actors to narrate the story, worked out very well in favour of the film.

On the flip, the take off of the film was a bit sluggish. The pace picked up only after the ‘Hookstep’ song and never dipped until the intermission. However, the pace of the film was a bit inconsistent in the second half. It is because, the Victory Venkatesh, track did not give the desired impact as everyone expected. The writing for this track would have been better. It looked good to see both Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh, together on screen and both of them indeed generated a few laughs together but a better writing for this portion would have taken the movie’s graph to the next level. Also, in an attempt to give the film a completely lighter vein, the director did not even give a strong justification for the reason for Sasirekha’s divorce from Vara Prasad. A better justification and some drama, would have made the audience connect with the characters even better.

Overall, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, has everything to become a big success at the box office this Sankranthi season. All you have to do is keep your thinking cap at home and step into the world of ‘Vara Prasad’, to get thoroughly entertained in a theatre with family for about two and a half hours. Chiranjeevi’s effortless performance & comedy timing, Anil Ravipudi’s trademark screenplay and Bheems Ceciroleo’s chartbuster songs, are sure to work out well with all sections of the audience this Sankranthi season. Anil Ravipudi’s success streak continues.

Final Verdict – The Boss Show

Rating – 3/5