Film: Tulasi
Cast: Venkatesh, Nayanatara, Master Atulith, Shivaji, Ramyakrishna (guest role), Shriya (item song), Rahul Dev, Jaya Prakash Reddy, Shravan, Subbaraju, Riyaz Khan, Allari Ravi, Ashish Vidyardhi, Eeshwar Reddy and others
Story: Akula Shiva and Boyapati Srinu
Dialogues: Parachuri Brothers
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Cinematography: Balamurugan
Editing: Marthand K Venkatesh
Fights: Ram - Lakshman
Banner: Suresh Productions (Pvt) Ltd
Producer: D Suresh Babu
Screenplay and directed by: Boyapati Srinu
Release Date: October 12, 2007
CBFC Rating: U/A
What's it about?
Tulasi Ram (Venkatesh) is an architect. He comes from Palnadu - the region of faction feuds. He leads life far from the factionism and he falls in love with Vasundhara (Nayanatara), a fashion designer. Both of them get married by the blessings of parents. After their marriage, an incident provokes Tulasi to take up violence that sets problems in his marital life. Vasundhara misunderstands him and they separate. The rest of the film is about how they reconcile.
Analysis
Like all Venkatesh's films, Tulasi too relies more on sentiment and romance. Apart from them, we have good action sequences in this movie. In Tulasi, the wife-husband romance and child sentiment drama is well mixed with the faction drama. Director Boyapati Srinivas has handled it perfectly. Despite familiar storyline and scenes, 3/4th of the film is neat and interesting. Action sequences and right balance of sentiment works. Akula Shiva who has written Venkatesh's blockbuster, Lakshmi, has given the basic script for this film. So we can easily spot the similar situations here too. Yet, the director puts all the commercial ingredients at regular intervals and makes the film interesting. Venkatesh makes you cry in some sentiment scenes like in all movies. That's enough for success for his movies.
On the flip side, it has weak second half. In the last twenty minutes, 'excess drama' kills the pace and makes you get sulking. There are also some glitches too.
What makes stand out in the film are action sequences..
1. Venkatesh taking up sword to teach a lesson to the baddies who insulted his father during the Z.P elections is awesome. It is best action episode we have seen in the recent times.
2. Hospital scene where Venkatesh tells the secret about the child. It is sentiment scene that makes you moist-eyed.
3. Pre-interval action episode is also good.
Performances
Venkatesh cakewalks through the role of Tulasi. He makes you cry in the child sentiment scenes. He portrays various moods in the movie - both violent side and romantic side effortlessly.
Nayanatara looks dignified and best suits for such roles. The child artiste
Atulith is so cute. His charm is infectious. And he kid has given good performance. Ramya and Shivaji in special roles have done neat job. Of rest of the cast, it is Jhansi as Kokapeta Aunty steals the show and brings laughter. Her Hyderabad accent and Venky giving repartee in the same way is hilarious.
There are many villains in the movie but only Ashish Vidyardhi, Subbaraju, Shravan make impact.
Technically, Ram-Lakshman work stands out. Devi Sri Prasad gives two lilting numbers -
"Vennelinta Vediga.." and "Nee Kallathoti..". The song picturisation of "Vennelinta Vediga.." is creative although the shades of Nuvvu Nenu Prema. Director Boyapati Srinivas shines in delivering action scenes. His direction is neat but he should have taken care in the second half. Cinematography by Balamurugan is cool.
Flip Side
1. Too Many villains. Viewers confuse as to who the main villain is.
2. Routine drama
3. Last twenty minutes dragged on.
Bottom-line!
Tulasi is good mix of family sentiment drama with high dose of sentiment. Critically speaking it is average movie but for common audiences it works. Second hal Tulasi is typical Venkatesh film despite that the right balance of action and family drama like in Jayam Manadera makes the film enjoyable fare. Especially in B and C centers, it will make good profits. Venkatesh makes you cry in some sentiment scenes and he also shines in action episodes. That works to the advantage of the film. On the whole the film is paisa vasool.
Sources or Shades of other films
1. The romantic scenes on Venky and Nayanatara in foriegn is similar to that of Jayam Manadera.
2. The child sentiment and the clash between Venky and Nayan has shades of Chiranjeevi's Daddy.
Related Links
Venkatesh Interview about Tulasi
Tulasi - Abroad Schedules
