Review : Mirchi – Not So Spicy, but Tasty
 | Release date: 08 Feb 2013 | |
| Rating : 3.25/5 | ||
| Director : Koratala Siva | ||
| Producer : V. Vamsi Krishna Reddy, Pramod Uppalapati | ||
| Music Director : Devi Sri Prasad | ||
| Starring : Prabhas, Anushka, Richa Gangopadhyay |
Young Rebel Star Prabhas’s ‘Mirchi’ is releasing today amidst good expectations. The buzz around the film is pretty good due to Prabhas’s stylish looks and a hit musical album. Anushka and Richa Gangopadhyay are the heroines in this movie and Devi Sri Prasad has composed the music. Let us see how the movie is.
Story :
Jai (Prabhas) is an architect based in Milan. He comes across Manasa (Richa) and instantly falls in love with her. Our tall and handsome hero starts wooing Manasa and she reciprocates. Just as the track gets going, Jai comes to know about the violent family background of Manasa. He decides to reform this family ,based in Macherla district of Palnadu area, and heads to India.
Manasa’s family is headed by Nagineedu, Bannerjee, Sampath Raj and Subbaraju. With the help of bank manager Veera Pratap (Brahmanandam), Jai slowly starts reforming the family and he wins the appreciation of all, except Sampath Raj.
As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Jai has a deep connection with the Palnadu area and with Deva (Sathya Raj). Deva is the arch enemy of Manasa’s family. Manasa also realises that Jay is romantically involved with another woman, Vennela (Anushka).
What is Jai’s past and how is he related to Deva? Will he reform Manasa’s family and win her hand or will he go with Vennela? That forms the story of this movie.
Plus Points :
Prabhas is ultra handsome in the movie. His look in Mirchi is perhaps his best yet and women will go gaga over him. He looks terrific in formal wear. Prabhas is the single biggest asset of this movie and he carries the film completely on his shoulders. His lovable mannerisms and relaxed body language will click well with youngsters. Prabhas’s performance in action episodes and in emotional scenes is excellent as always.
Richa Gangopadhyay looks good in the film. Anushka delivers a neat performance in the second half of the movie. Brahmanandam manages to bring a few laughs as Veera Pratap and his scenes with Prabhas are good.
Sathyaraj has done a good job. Nadiya looks good as Prabhas’s mother. Adithya Menon, Bannerjee and Subba Raju are ok and they do their job. Sampath Raj is effective as the bad guy.
The film has some good moments that elevate Prabhas’s heroism – like the scene where he grabs Sampath Raj by the neck and drags him along in a jeep. There are two fight sequences where Prabhas appears in a dhoti and both of them are good.
Dialogues are a major asset for this movie. Koratala Shiva is a good dialogue writer and he has used his skill well for his maiden directorial venture. ‘Barbie Girl’ and ‘Idhedho Bagundhe’ songs have been shot well.
Minus Points :
The plot of this movie is basically a major kichidi of some Telugu films like ‘Brindavanam’ , ‘Dhammu’ and ‘Sankham’. As a result, the plot is predictable, lacks depth and does not offer any real support to the film.
There are a number of outdated and cliched scenes in the movie – especially in the Palnadu faction episodes. The film’s screenplay could have been a lot better. There is neither a linear nor a logical progression in the scenes and that spoils the experience a bit.
The director could not effectively capitalize on the key emotional moments in the film. I will not be able to elaborate more on this without revealing the plot, so I will stop here.
The climax of the movie could have been better. When picturizing a mass masala entertainer, one should go with the flow and concentrate on the entertainment. Why go for moral science classes?
Technical Aspects :
Cinematography is neat. Editing is not up to the mark and a number of needless scenes could have been chopped off. Devi Sri’s music and background score are major assets for the movie.
Koratala Shiva is a very good dialogue writer and he succeeds in that department yet again. In terms of direction, he only comes up with a very average effort.
Verdict :
Mirchi is not as spicy as its name suggests, primarily due to a weak climax and predictable plot. Prabhas’s ultra glamorous look, Brahmanandam’s comedy and some good dialogues are major assets for the movie and these factors make it a decent one time watch. At the Box Office, the film will turn in a good commercial performance
Rating – 3.25/5