Parasuram’s Srirastu Subhamastu (2016) Movie Review

Parasuram’s Srirastu Subhamastu (2016) Movie Review

Star cast: Allu Sirish, Lavanya Tripathi, Prakash Raj, Sumalatha, Subbaraju, Pragathi, Ali, Tanikella Bharani, Rao Ramesh, Ravi Prakash, Ranadheer, Hamsa Nandini
Music Composed by Thaman SS
Cinematography by Manikantan
Edited by Marthand K Venkatesh
Produced by Allu Aravind
Story, Script & Directed by Parasuram

Censor certificate: UA & Runtime: 138 Minutes

An extremely old story that falls apart even before it’s built up sounds the death bell for entertainment in Parushuram’s new film that has been titled “Srirastu Subhamastu”. Well here is a report for starters, the film shows no signs of making it to the promising films of the year list.

Once again a film deals with problem in a father and son relationship. It’s about a father who cares so much for his son that he ends up becoming unaware of the latter’s real interests. Sirish (Allu Sirish) has a great life. He lives in a small household of people always catering to him. His father (Once again Prakash Raj) a multi-billionaire gives him anything he wants. The family is very well off. What can he ask for right? Wrong!! Regardless of how perfect Siri’s life is, he wants to make his own decisions in love with carefree Ananya (Lavanya Tripathi). So when Siri falls in love with Anu, he now has the burdensome responsibility of getting out of the marriage proposal that his father has carefully chosen out for him, more importantly, he has to break Anu’s arranged marriage, and make his father like Anu. How all this happens forms the rest of the movie. For me to give out more details wouldn’t be doing more justice to the movie.

If this reminds you of an archeological site where you dig up shards of films from 20th century, then I wouldn’t really blame you. Things at hand are pretty worse and “Srirastu Subhamastu” shakes you all up with its inanity.

Revealing basic content of the film, it’s highly inspired from Bommarillu, Ramayya Vasthavaiyaa, Solo, Chirunavvutho, Manasantha Nuvve to the very recent Nenu Shailaja. Hence from that angle there is nothing new to see in this movie quite frankly. Its begins on a inspired note with an old time 90s feel and then keeps progressing just like typical Telugu love dramas you have seen many times before. In fact such is the impact of its inspirations that many a times you feel like watching same exact sequences as seen those successful family dramas, like the one where Sirish comes to home before climax and has a conversation with his father is just as Siddharth does in Bommarillu. Few scenes in the first half tend to go over the top (like Sirish ideas to come close to Anu, Explaining Rich & middle class outlook sequences, Sleeping in the same room as he’s afraid of ghosts..etc), childish (Like engineering topper falling for Siri flirting acts, even miraculously accepts him to stay in her home..etc) and lengthy too with some forced humour. But then it predictable and drags things to the core and end on a happy note as usually seen in these kinds of predictable love stories being made in Tollywood in recent times.

Having said that, there still remains something appealing, throughout in this film which strongly doesn’t allow you to simply call it a trash as it may seem. And probably trick lies in its fairly typical father characters played by Rao Ramesh & Prakash Raj, who never lets you, think about its outdated structure seriously in the second half. Writer Parushuram ensures the emotional as well as the fun factor (completely forced!!) to be there in the film, right from its first scene in second half, even at the cost of going too loud in the first half. As a result the viewers, who might not have seen the similar themed films, don’t get anything major to complain and remain seated.

Besides the film has a decent packaging of cinematography and some good tracks which are evidently a must have’s for a Tollywood romantic story to win some heart in the Telugu Market. “Anu Anu” is already a popular number and “Desi Girl”, “Srirastu Subhamastu” sound okay while watching the film. So overall music composer Thaman SS has done a decent job here for the otherwise wearied love saga. Even Production Values of the film are fine.

Sirish Allu does almost everything in the film, what a typical Tollywood lead actor needs to do, but manages to only impress only up to an extent, especially in the second half. Yet, goes over the top with his automaton expressions does well in flaunting his penchant at romantic drama. He doesn’t romance well and that’s fine. In times when silly, predictable, direful films are dominating films at the Tollywood box office, even Sirish can smoothly fit into Tollywood on the likes of recent successful star kids. Lavanya Tripathi is a storehouse of caliber and it’s a shame she is letting all that remain unused. In Srirastu Subhamastu the actress settles as mere an arm candy for the actor. After acting in every possible family drama, Prakash Raj & Rao Ramesh have created their own niche at typical father’s mentality. Indeed a master at the same, these actors again are letting their talent fritter away into nihility by compromising for roles like this. Suma Latha, Tanikella Bharini, and other supporting characters are poorly integrated into the script.

In all, Srirastu Subhamastu is a really vacuous version of a family rom-com that had lost its takers aeons back. It’s still stupefying that even as film seems to going through times of change, retrogressive attempts as these continued to be made.

Survi Review: 1.5/5

Theatrical Trailer: