Murali Krishna Mudidani’s Rojulu Marali (2016) Movie Review

Star Cast: Chetan Maddineni, Kruthika, Parvatheesam, Tejaswi, Ali, Raja Ravindra, Posani Krishna Murali, Jabardasth Appa Rao and Sandhta Janak
Director: Murali Krishna Mudidanni
Producer: G Srinivasa Rao
Music by JB
Dialogues by Ravi Namboori
Screenplay : Maruthi Dasari
Censor Certificate: UA & Runtime: 130 Minutes

“Rojulu Marayi” encircles around three couples. It’s a story about two contrasting female characters in love and playing around another two innocent folks for extra benefits. When the script is written by Maruthi, the dudes have to be in a soup due to some calculated or imagined girl and the girls must be calculated. The writer for a chance shuns the calculated and soft hearted second characters in favor of a kinky one. Who are cheaters. Both the girls come across renowned futurist in Srisailam, who tells them about the proportions of their ideal choice that could relieve them from the timeworn effects of their widowhood. Those attributes meet with Ashwant [Chetan Maddineni] and Peter [Parvatheesam]. To save their true love (Vicky & Srinu) from the fatal effect, both decide to marry Ashwant & Peter. As per fortune-teller, both will be destined to become widows within three days of their marriage. The rest of the story is about how the girls rectify their mistakes and find their true love…

Parvatheesam of “Kerintha” fame, steps out to play a skeptical bereft youth. He sings, romances, times Maruti’s typical boothu comedy and does pass out in flying colors.  Kruthika Jayakumar of “Drushyam” fame presents a pleasant picture and she performs her role with consummate ease. Comedians Ali,  , Jabardasth Appa Rao have no greater space, while Tejaswi Madivada fulfills the role of heroine, appearing in skimpy costumes now and then. Chetan Maddineni plays his part fine. The rest of characters are very limited in their short roles.

With a bunch of newbie’s, writer Maruti and director Murali Krishna seems to have tried their hand at reviving the story of “Mitrudu” (a movie which featured Balakrishna in lead role) and few sequences from Maruthi’s earlier movies. But it is the manner in which the debutante director Murali Krishna tackles the journey of two female protagonists from finding the true love and marrying the other, whom they hated the most in their life which makes it interesting, though unnecessarily perplexed at times.

“Rojulu Marayi” starts off well, but as soon as the flaws in the script begin to unfold, it quickly turns into an over stretched out borefest. First time director Murali Krishna, has potential, but is let down by a poor script and second half. Sample this – Female fiddles love Vicky & Srinu more than their lives for years and they don’t have any proper idea about their personal lives and career. Somehow it has come to a point when films about youngsters are all about three things – mass slang, some boothu lines and a whole lot of non happenings that get paraded as happenings. “Rojulu Marayi” isn’t an exception either. Its about all these and very little of Mitrudu.

For one, there is plasticity related to all the affairs in the film. “Rojulu Marayi” is perhaps one of the most artificial looking and sounding films that I have seen in recent times, so much so that even as it tries hard to retell the story that has been told quite a few times before, it feels synthetic to the core. And there is the length of the film that gets increasingly tedious to put up with, esp. when the film heads towards the latter half. Driving audience into whirling your fingers syndrome, “Rojulu Marayi” puts up fresh ordeals to test your patience.

The music composed by JB are alright, but BGM suits the mood of the film. Cinematography by Bal Reddy is neat, he tries to elevate songs with his framing. Second half could have been easily trimmed to half. The dialogues are masterly boothu-fied. The production values of the film are apt.

All in all, “Rojulu Marayi” is a unavailing exercise in film making from Maruti & team that is a bit of stretch, since its neither romantic or emotional nor completely funny. It’s a bland version of a theme that we have already seen before, and delivered with less charm and even appeal.

Survi Review: 1.5/5

Theatrical Trailer: