Story
Shankara Vara Prasad (Chiranjeevi) is estranged from his ultra-rich entrepreneur wife, Sasirekha (Nayanthara), due to ego clashes. A member of an elite national command team entrusted with protecting ministers and VIPs, Prasad is portrayed negatively by Sasirekha in front of their children. Yearning to reunite with his divorced wife and kids and lead a normal life, Prasad’s journey - along with Sasirekha’s - forms the crux of the story, tracing their path through love, separation, and eventual reunion.
Artists Performance
Chiranjeevi: Chiranjeevi is truly back in his element. Telugu audiences have long been craving a film that presents him in a zone where his core commercial strengths shine - entertainment, mass appeal, and family emotions. The Chiranjeevi we fondly enjoyed in Rowdy Alludu, Gharana Mogudu, and Shankar Dada MBBS makes a grand return with Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu.
Credit goes to Anil Ravipudi, who clearly understands the Megastar’s strengths and what audiences expect from him. Even at 70, Chiranjeevi looks young, stylish, and effortlessly convincing - especially in a full-fledged love story, thanks again to Anil Ravipudi’s smartly crafted, music-driven romantic track.
The drinking scene featuring the dialogue “మధుపానం మహాదానందం మనోధైర్యం ధనాధన్” and the associated ritual is laugh-out-loud funny. Chiranjeevi also shines in emotional moments, particularly in scenes with his mother and children. His self-trolling moment with “Induvadana Kundaradana… wow” is a delightful surprise.
The film is packed with musical variety: a romantic song, a family song, a mass introduction number with a hook step, a dual song with Venky, and a medley that cleverly reuses vintage hits of Chiru and Venky for pure entertainment. Across these songs, Chiranjeevi showcases an impressive range of dance styles.
Overall, watching Chiranjeevi here is a complete feast - for fans, the masses, and family audiences alike, in the truest sense.
Others: Venkatesh makes a delightful cameo, thoroughly entertaining with his trademark swag. Nayanthara looks youthful and elegant, delivering a convincing performance - and she has dubbed for herself in Telugu. Catherine Tresa shines in her supporting role as Jwala, evoking memories of the Jwala character from Chantabbai. Her comic expressions and body language within the team are full of fun. Harshavardhan’s natural comic flair works wonderfully, and his timing syncs perfectly with Chiranjeevi’s, resulting in effortless and organic humor. Abhinav Gomatam does well as a member of the team, while Sharat Saxena is effective as the minister, adding a touch of fun to his role. Master Revanth Bhimala, who stole hearts as Bulli Raju in Sankranthiki Vastunnam, surprises with a completely different yet equally entertaining character here. The contrast is striking - much like watching the Money–era Brahmanandam in a role like Kshanakshanam. Zarina Wahab is convincing as the educated mother of the hero, and the child actors playing the lead couple’s kids are impressive and endearing.
Story - screenplay - direction:
Anil Ravipudi has always relied on entertainment and emotion, and this film is no different. He fills it with enjoyable moments and a few genuinely heartfelt scenes. Story has never been his primary focus, and here too, the narrative mainly exists to support the entertainment. What stands out is how well he understands Chiranjeevi’s strengths - perhaps better than anyone else - and writes scenes that fully capitalize on his forte: humour, mass appeal, and family emotion.
I absolutely loved the way the love track is written, with the Sundari song serving as the central hook. The entire romance and marriage arc of Prasad and Sasirekha is beautifully conveyed within a single song. The decision to underplay Prasad’s character through lighthearted, fun moments works well; traditional heroism appears only in two or three episodes where it is truly required. Otherwise, the character is designed purely for entertainment.
That said, even within this entertainment-driven framework, Anil Ravipudi could have written stronger emotional scenes in the second half, especially during Prasad’s efforts to win Sasirekha back. The entry of Venkatesh close to the climax significantly changes the film’s mood and adds an extra layer of fun. Two scenes particularly stand out in the second half - the conversation between Zarina Wahab and Nayanthara, and the restaurant episode where Chiranjeevi speaks about the misuse of legal rights by some women against their husbands.
The villain track is deliberately kept minimal, serving mainly to create a situation for Prasad to enter Sasirekha’s house and to justify an action-packed climax. Overall, Anil Ravipudi does what he does best - entertaining families and the masses by presenting an entertaining version of Chiranjeevi that audiences haven’t truly enjoyed in decades.
Other departments: Music by Bheems stands out as one of the film’s biggest strengths. All four songs have turned into chartbusters, each with a distinct flavour. He also smartly incorporates background tracks from Chiranjeevi’s earlier films, effectively tapping into nostalgia and enhancing the overall impact.
The visuals by Sameer Reddy are neat and purposeful, especially considering the film was shot quickly within a limited schedule. Anil Ravipudi’s dialogues are highly entertaining, seamlessly blending humour with emotion wherever required. Thammiraju’s editing keeps the narrative crisp and engaging.
Production design by AS Prakash is effective, even though the number of locations is limited. The production values, backed by producers Sahu Garapati and Sushmita Konidela, are rich and grand, perfectly suiting a big-scale family entertainer.
Analysis: Anil Ravipudi smartly plays to his own strengths as well as Chiranjeevi’s, crafting a family entertainer where the fun flows seamlessly from scene to scene. The clear intent is to deliver a festive film meant purely for family entertainment - and there’s no bigger entertainer than Chiranjeevi for that purpose. Forget the story and logic, and simply enjoy the Megastar’s magic on the big screen. Go watch it!
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