22. Agnyaathavasi; movie review

AGNYATHAVASI

Cert 12A

158 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, injury detail

As always, the annual everyfilm challenge starts with huge ambition so, on a Friday night, Mrs W and I found ourselves in the independent cinema in Leicester for a Telegu masala movie.

Agnyathavasi was outside of the usual schedule of the Piccadilly Cinema and so we gave our money to the two very polite and surprised gentlemen who were running the screening.

Let's face it, white Brits aren't their expected audience so, not for the first time, we were a welcome novelty and we rather enjoy the attention and questions.

I digress. But before I get on to the review, I have to emphasise that it may have been negatively affected by the cold. Yep, Screen 6 of the Piccadilly Cinema was freezing (Mrs W even went into the foyer for a warm during the intermission).

Trivikram Srinivas' film stars Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan as the secret son of a rich businessman who is bumped off by ruthless rivals on the same day as his other son is killed in a car crash.

As various allies and enemies circle to fill the power vacuum, our hero returns anonymously to find out who is behind the murders and plot revenge.

Kalyan is another star of regional Indian cinema who seems a tad incongruous to us in the west - largely because he doesn't have the stature to complement the image as someone who could fight all-comers.

Nevertheless, his first appearance on screen was greeted with a very loud whistle from the excited crowd at Leicester Piccadilly.

His character in Agnyathavasi is quite a strange mix - a ruthless killer who portrays himself as something of a Robin Hood.

In order to inveigle himself into the right arenas he romances two different women, played by Keerthi Suresh and Anu Emmanuel and, despite his tough exterior, he transforms into a soppy romantic in the presence of both.

But when faced with the villain-in-chief (Aadhi) and his acolytes he returns to what appears to be a man who takes pleasure in killing.

His apparent split personality sums up Agnyathavasi for us. 

I understand it is a masala movie and expected the song and dance routines and comedy to accompany deadly action but here it jars more than usual (at one point he little chases two protagonists and chides them as if he were a Chuckle brother (a British children's entertainer). 

In addition, everyone in the cinema must have expected the denouement - it was just a question of how Srinivas reached it.

Sadly, plot holes and the unconvincing nature of the main character meant that Mrs W and I were past caring long before the end.

Reasons to watch: if you are a fan of Telugu movie icon Pawan Kalyan

Reasons to avoid: his apparent split personality left us bewildered

Laughs: a couple of chuckles for us but plenty for others in the audience

Jumps: none

Vomit: none

Nudity: none

Overall rating: 5.5/10

The big question: How can movie heroes shrug off so many killings?

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