Film: Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India
Director: Vakkantham Vamsi
Cast: Allu Arjun, Anu Emmanuel, Arjun, Sarathkumar
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
A quick-tempered Surya (Allu Arjun), who serves the Indian Army, defies the code of conduct in his military camp as he believes in awarding speedy, yet decisive punishment to the perpetrators. His explosive behaviour lands him in trouble and to keep his dream to fight at the border alive, he has to come to terms with his rage disorder and get an authorised letter from a psychology professor.
For a soldier, who thinks country above all, has to set a goal for himself, lead a life like a lot of other people and realise that it’s not that his dream is physically impossible. Rather, what he lacks is the self-control and the discipline to accomplish it. So, he has to either practice or perish! The psychology professor in question, Rama Krishnam Raju happens to be the estranged father of Surya.
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Before he was summoned for psychiatric support, there’s an impactful scene where Surya explains why he wants to take on enemies at the border shows that he was full of determination and it was that commitment, goal and fighting spirit, which enabled him to qualify for the Army. Surya likens him to be the knight in shining armour and also tries to reinforce his ideologies on the people for his love for the nation. He is unapologetic and doesn’t spare a cop when he demands a bribe for him and asserts that “Aakalesinappudu tinta, nidravachinappudu padukunta...kopam vasthe kodatha.” That’s Surya, who justifies his anger and has an explanation on why loses his cool every time.
Surya realises the need to clean up things within the country before fighting the enemies at the border. He emphasises that the lives of soldiers are as sacred as ours and ready to give up his love when his girlfriend feels marrying an Army man is a concern to her family. There’s drama, emotion, action, pathos and romance and you never know what to expect. Naa Peru Surya is the fight of a soldier with himself, a war he wages on himself for self-discovery. The theme that debutant director Vakkantham Vamsi has chosen can make for an interesting watch but too much melodrama and a lot of talking ruined its excitement. Too many issues attached to the story and as a result, the narrative is seldom interesting. Even though some of the action sequences are impressive, the length of the second hour is problematic causing boredom.
The potentially intriguingly story line meanders with some banal narrative involving the supporting characters who were given ample screen-time (more than its female lead) than they deserve. Several unnecessary characters that serve no purpose whatsoever (Yes, its the family of Surya).Despite all the flaws, Allu Arjun shines as a soldier, who is prone to bursts of extreme anger and violent aggression. Although Vamsi tries hard to fit the star into an action avatar, he partially succeeds. The narrative is sporadic and follows a standard fight-song-fight template. Anu Emmanuel as Varsha is sheer eye-candy. Actors like Rao Ramesh, Boman Irani, Vennela Kishore, Nadhiya and Sarath Kumar have the smallest throwaway moments and their characters couldn’t construct well with the script.
Nothing remarkable from cinematographer Rajeev Ravi and the music and background score of Vishal-Shekar passes muster. The film benefits enormously from Arjun Sarja’s performance and his skirmishes with Surya are a delight to watch. It’s one of his coolest, most relaxed performances. The film has the honesty to make important observations about not losing your character and ethics to make your dream come true and also about making a real connection with some issues like youngsters being lured by anti-social elements. Such moral points will no doubt resonate with the discerning viewer. It’s a mixed bag of emotions driven by Allu Arjun’s intense action and solid performance. Give it a shot, but keep expectations low!
muralikrishna.db@newindianexpress @onlymurali