Review : Gopala Gopala – A Legal Fight for the Discovery of ‘God’
Venkatesh and Pawan Kalyan have teamed up for the multi-starrer ‘Gopala Gopala’. This keenly awaited film is the only big budget Telugu movie for this Sankranthi and expectations are sky high. Can Pawan Kalyan make a good impression as God? Let us find out in this review.
Story :
Gopal Rao (Venkatesh) is the owner of a shop that sells devotional items. He himself is an atheist, but he cashes in on the weakness of devotees and makes a handsome profit selling idols and other such stuff. He despises Godmen and superstitions.
However, his life takes a turn for the worse when his shop is destroyed in an earthquake. When he seeks compensation from the insurance guys, his claim is rejected based on the ‘act of God’ clause. Fed up with this, he decides to drag God himself into the battle. He sends legal notices to all known Gods and Babas, seeking compensation.
A keenly watched legal battle ensues and Gopal Rao makes many powerful enemies in the process. However, Gopal Rao is a good man at heart and God (Pawan Kalyan) himself enters his life to support him in this crusade.
What follows is the fight for the discover of the true meaning of God.
Plus Points :
- Pawan Kalyan is the heart and soul of Gopala Gopala. He is at his magical best and he carries the entire second half on his shoulders. Pawan uses his charm and charisma to great effect in this modern take on God. This is a film that Pawan Kalyan fans can be proud of.
- Venkatesh has essayed the role of Gopal Rao well. He is very comfortable when it comes to emotional scenes and he uses this skill ably during the courtroom scenes. The scenes involving Pawan Kalyan and Venkatesh are very nice. Their fondness for each other is very apparent.
- The film has some very deep and philosophical dialogues. Most of these have been written for Pawan Kalyan and they sound very effective when uttered by him. The hospital scene and the scene where he explains the Dharma of the world, giving the draupadi vastrapaharanam example, stand out.
- Posani Krishna Murali brings some humour into the film with his trademark mannerisms. Courtroom scenes, especially in the final stages of the film, have been executed well.
Minus Points :
- The movie takes off slowly and things start looking up only after Pawan Kalyan enters the scene. The scenes that show the emotional trauma experienced by Gopal Rao when his shop is destroyed could have been better. They lack intensity.
- There is a lot of lag in the second half. If not for the charisma of Pawan Kalyan, the slow pace of the second half would have killed the film completely. The climax scenes have been dragged out needlessly.
- If you have seen ‘PK’ and ‘Oh My God’, the film and theme will seem very familiar to you. You many even feel slightly bored. Shriya has a very limited role in the film. Mithun Chakraborthy’s characterisation may not find many takers among Telugu movie lovers.
Technical Aspects :
The film has good production values. Cinematography is pretty decent. Anoop Rubens has done a good job with the background score and the ‘Bhaje Bhaje’ song has been shot well. Dialogues are a big asset for this movie. Editing is a bit of a let down. There is a lot of lag in the second half and the editor should have taken care of it.
Kishore Pardhasani (Dolly) has done a good job as a director. The scenes which have been added in the Telugu version, like the one where Venkatesh steps on Pawan Kalyan’s hands, have been penned well.
Verdict :
‘Gopala Gopala’ is a very suitable family entertainer for the Sankranthi season. It is pleasant, entertaining in parts and it also forces you to question certain practices that are followed blindly in day to day life. As a bonus, you get to see two charismatic actors – Pawan Kalyan and Venkatesh, together on screen. This is enough to overlook any issues the film has. Go and watch the movie with your family this Sankranthi, but make sure you do not go in expecting ‘masala entertainment’.
Critic’s Rating – 3.25 /5
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