Nani Acharya’s Iddari Madya 18 (2017) Movie Review

Nani Acharya’s Iddari Madya 18 (2017) Movie Review

Star cast: Ram Karthik, Bhanu Sri, Duvvasi Mohan, Raccha Ravi, Apparao, Geetha Singh, and Raghava.
Music Composed by Ghantadi Krishna
Cinematography by K M Krish
Edited by Marthand K Venkatesh
Directed by Nani Acharya

Being a student of computer science is supposedly something extraordinary in the world of Iddari Madya 18. That is why they spend a significant part of the film in telling us how the lead hero is unparalleled because coding interests him. But actually, what makes him irreplaceable is that he knows how to sweep a woman of her feet without emotions, slenderize muscled body to fight ‘n’ number of macho’s, and has a ‘hand of romance’ that’s enough to put the Akkineni’s of the day to shame, if you think I’m amplifying, blame the screenwriters of the film.

If so far, you haven’t thought of the shitty computer based films of late 90s, take this. This story is supposedly having comedy, drama, romance, action, crime, thriller, comedy, more drama, action, double action, patriotism and I’m sure I missed a genre or two in the middle. And yet not one bit is convincing. Each element looked like a part of a scene that was first visualized and then the script was written around it with no connections to the scene before or after. Be it love or fights or hacking or comedy ones.

The story of ‘Iddari Madya 18’ is about Mahi (Ram Karthik), a rockstar in collage, computer genius is roped in by a professor to create a programme that can disarm any missile with hack-able chip-set (that’s their thought!!). At this time like in Varna, a girl has a magical interlink with Mahi, as she is doing the same project and falls head over heels for his first touch. That’s when she exchanges the notes and shifts college to join him for the final year project. Then they get themselves into a very tight position around interval point. By then, you have warmed over with this nonsense and you really want to know what the hell they want to do and how are they planning to doing it.

Iddari Madhya 18, when I heard the title I thought this movie is about a couple who are facing problems being at the age of adolescence and understanding the real meaning of love and lust. Well, I was welcomed with a surprise of both of them falling into each other’s embrace in hi-motion fps (frames per second). Suddenly, I felt a sensation in my body saying watch this movie with caution. This could be next Arrival, this could be next Enemy or even a Signs. Thankfully, the next scene descended my dreams to realistic level. In a college trip, two computer science students go to Araku looking for nature beauty to get an idea for project. Isn’t it amazing? Well, being an engineering student I felt nostalgic. Yes, I was taken back to my college days in a jiffy. Then heroine ready for a song costume in red entered into the scene with a green bag and even hero accidentally put the same kind of green bag besides. Great! This is ultimate, my film going experience of watching many movies told me this is it, this is the kind of movie that you were missing as this is something that will bring your childhood memories back. Lal Salaam to originality, who needs you?

When it came to characters, their introductions and writing about them in detail, I believe director was thrilled for getting a girl who acted in Baahubali. Whatever may be the role, I need to show her in different angles, noway she should wear anything near her naval region or cleavage. They should be accessible to the eyes of perverted audience of Telugu Cinema who buy tickets just to see such skin show. Yes, from past 30 to 40 years only such cinema is surviving and I felt glad that traditions are being followed, maintained and revered. This girl acted in Baahubali as Tamannah‘s friend after being Tamannah’s dupe. Well, after watching her in Baahubali it was ‘thrilling’ to see her in a B-grade film. So, we have the lead actor Ram Karthik – an Satish Chandra of Edalo Cheragani Guruthulu look alike who cringes his nose and expresses everything with a blank face like Srinivasulu of Yuva Tejam. Giving credit where its due, he cant do it as annoyingly as Srinivasulu, though.

Dialogues, they need to be credited for being innovative and educative, do you know when you cry is 99% feelings and 1% water. Wow! Right, now get this, where there is no solution there won’t be a problem! I know I know, Crazy! Life is not an equation but it is an emotion, still only equation can balance an emotion! Don’t get confused there is a lot of meaning, just google it!

These sorts of gems come from left, right and center bombarding your senses with a loud background score that never stops and you feel, I miss such cinema, I miss my crazy 1990’s cinema that was fresh for 70’s youth and old for 2000’s generation. Still traditions need to be followed! These days, India is all about following good traditions and this is one such brilliant example.

Masquerading is a great gift and our writer-director very well disguised himself as one who understands cinema and we should give him credit for that. His style was consistent in trying to ape Rajamouli in fights, Raghavendra Rao in songs and serial directors in drama. Do you know, hero who looks 25 years old should fight a villain who looks double his size and age, acting as a college student. That is cinema for you! Make believe. Hear, director scores millions and zillions of points and if I am the host of any TV show, I would have been glad in announcing the top most prize money of five to ten rupees for his creativity on spot. See you shouldn’t look for money when you’re celebrating a talent and honoring it, if though it sounds huge we should give them that much respect. Yeah! During 60’s and 70’s ten rupees was a solid amount. Don’t you dare think like a millennial person, you should stay in 60’s and die there only. Once life is all about following traditions and director proves it without a doubt!

When it comes to analyzing this movie, I wanted to take references from old brilliant world that followed a pattern in screenplay and this film is a homage like 100’s today! The traditions are highly important and when it comes to national security secret project any tom dick and harry can challenge it as the defense officials are ready to live telecast their meetings. A heroine in a film needs to show her navel – check,; A hero even though looks like a caterpillar should be able to beat a bison like built villain to ground in one punch – check; Even if they do not have meaning every 10 minutes one punch dialogue with rhyming should be mouthed by hero – check; A song after first meeting – check; A song before pre-climax – check; A dubbing artist who speaks in sensuous tone for heroine making her a seductress – check; No thread or plot point should get a payoff – check; Well after these many checkmates, how can you not enjoy the movie? – Checkmate!

Survi Review : 1/5