SR Kalyana Mandapam Movie Review: An antiquated tale stuck in time

Story: A young student Kalyan (Kiran Abbavaram) returns back to his hometown to take over the family’s kalyana mandapam. Will he ever be able to repair the fractured relationship he shares with his father Dharma (Sai Kumar)? Review: Sridhar Gadhe is credited with directing and editing SR Kalyana Mandapam, but actor Kiran Abbavaram takes over the story, screenplay and dialogues. While pop culture references are great, the way he pens the tale makes it seem like he’s stuck in the past. Gang Leader and Vaana Vaana Velluvaye play at opportune moments in homage to Chiranjeevi. Pawan Kalyan gets his moment when Kushi is played at a local theatre and receives great response like it’s day one. It’s only when he decides to have his own Abbanee Tiyyani moments with a generous dose of stalking when he takes things so far. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First and foremost, SR Kalyana Mandapam tells the tale of an alcoholic father who refuses to grow up – Dharma (Sai Kumar), the kalyana mandapam he inherits and his angry son Kalyan (Kiran Abbavaram) who refuses to communicate his issues. The child who once wouldn’t leave his father’s side grew into an adult who refuses to speak a word to him. It leaves the father so baffled; it’s all he can talk about when he guzzles down his daily bottle of alcohol. When sober, Dharma is too busy feeling hassled by his wife Shanti who just wants him to get a grip. It's not just his family, he's the one everyone gossips about. What Kalyan has no problem communicating however is how much he likes Sindhu’s (Priyanka Jawalkar) nadumu since first year of college. It doesn’t matter to him that she calls him a shameless dog, literally, it’s more important for him to have his Pawan Kalyan in Kushi moment with her waist. So much so that after a while the nadumu seems like a character of its own because it’s all anyone can talk about. A teacher is also objectified and weaved into this 'gag'. He also has an Arjun Reddy moment when he slaps her twice for no reason, with his explanation being – naa Sindhu ani chanuvu to kotta. Even if he gets slapped in return, it’s no spoiler to reveal that he ends up with the girl. But till she won't date him, he won't let anyone else date her. Banality of it all aside, the most interesting part of SR Kalyana Mandapam is Kalyan and Dharma, especially when one doesn’t know what it is that truly drove this father and son apart. Sadly, the answer is not interesting enough to sit through a two-and-a-half-hours long runtime. When every conflict in the film is solved in the simplest manner, there’s nothing much to root for here. You want to root for Kalyan, just because he's the hero of this tale, but he never gives you the chance to. Chaitan Bharadwaj’s songs don’t seem out of place in the screenplay but only Choosale Kallara manages to leave a mark. Kiran Abbavaram delivers a good performance, even if he pens in random elevation and fight scenes for himself. He’s a delight to watch on-screen, even delivering an emotional monologue in a single shot. Sai Kumar is dependable in his role, even if he relies on over-the-top mannerisms at times. Priyanka Jawalkar is good enough in her role, giving her best with what she’s offered. SR Kalyana Mandapam attempts to be a breezy tale backed by a novel story but falls into the trappings of every other 90s family or romantic drama. Is that enough to drive people to the theatres? Time will tell.