Race Gurram

Synopsis: All in all it’s the ideal Tollywood masala package loaded with the right doses of entertainment, brotherly love, and Brahmanandam. You can’t ask for more can you?

Movie Review: In many ways Race Gurram is an extension of Julayi. A happier extension if you may call it one. The elements are all the same. Like in Julayi, Allu Arjun plays the errant black sheep of the family, we have Tanikella Bharani playing the father yet again, and there is catchy music, some eye popping dance moves, a wicked politician for a villain etc. It’s just that the bank heist bit is replaced by some mushy brother sentiment and the comedy track – read as Brahmanandam’s histrionics – worked out way better resulting in a much more paisa vasool watching experience…second half rather.

In fact Brahmandam got as rousing a welcome (if not bigger) from the audiences as did Allu Arjun’s introduction scene. While Bunny (as Allu Arjun is affectionately referred as) had to out run a pack of wild horses in what was a very elaborately conceived sequence. Brahmanadam just had to turn up as Kill Bill Pandey, a frustrated cop and he creamed it.

The crux of the movie is the brothers spat. While Ram is the pride of the family, Lucky is the nonconformist who always ends up courting trouble. Once he even goes and proposes to the girl Ram dotes on just moments before his brother confesses his love albeit unknowingly. The duo grows up hating each other much to the dismay of their mother.

Lucky falls in love with Spandana (Shruti) but is enraged to discover that Ram badmouthed about him to Spandana’s father. Angry, he responds by stealing Ram official car to embarrass him. In doing so he inadvertently ends up finding himself at logger heads with a rowdy called Siva Reddy who also happens to be his brother’s nemesis. In the process our man also discovers that all the fights they had growing up were in fact twisted expressions of love and affection. What happens from here on is anybody’s guess.

While entire first half is just about passable things perk up in the second half primarily due to Brahmanandam’s chutzpah. Allu Arjun does a good job of playing himself and his comic timing really stands out. His dancing in the down down dappa song is bothe biology and gravity defying. The album must easily be the best by Thaman in a long time and they have been pasteurized even better. Shruti Haasan has little to do besides look pretty and that she does brilliantly. Ravi Kishen and Mukesh Rishi do the needful.

All in all it’s the ideal Tollywood masala package loaded with the right doses of entertainment, brotherly love, and Brahmanandam. You can’t ask for more can you?