35. Kushi movie review

KUSHI

Cert 12A

166 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

It's dated and is certainly not as thrilling as the other new year re-release Okkadu but there was fun to be found in the Telugu classic, Kushi.

S. J. Suryah's picture is a remake of a Tamil movie and was a major box office hit.

And I can see why - there is an allure to the stop-start relationship between two students, played by Pawan Kalyan and Bhumika Chawla.

Its early stages introduce the concept of fate and how two people find each other despite the odds being set against them.

It then moves on 20 years or so and follows the circuitous path to romance for Siddhu (Kalyan) and Madhu (Chawla).

Eventually, the pair are thrown together because of match-making for their respective best friends but the audience is left constantly wondering whether they will actually become an item.

Kushi looks good - it is vibrant and colourful and its songs play merrily on the ear.

And Kalyan's Siddhu is an alluring hero - he can beat up a gang of goons while being a bit of a buffoon when it comes to romance.

Meanwhile, Chawla is a delight as the inexperienced and beautiful Madhu who has a tendency to jump to the wrong conclusions.

However, the storyline does jerk around a heck of a lot and there is not nearly enough substance to last nearly three hours.

Indeed, its power is diluted because it goes in so many circles.

I would have liked it a heck of a lot more with 45 minutes edited out.

Reasons to watch: Big box office hit

Reasons to avoid: Jumps around too quickly

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know?  Pawan Kalyan founded a political party named Jana Sena Party in March 2014.

The final word. Producer AM Ratnam: "Few movies are evergreen, few are trendsetting, few are cult classics. KUSHI is everything! Proud to have produced it on our banner!"India Glitz 

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