Bootcut Balaraju Movie Review- A Tale of Love and Village Politics
Movie Name: Bootcut Balaraju
Release Date: February 26, 2024
Cast: Syed Sohel, Meghalekha, Suman, Indraja, Sunil, Mukku Avinash
Director: Sree Koneti
Producer: Md. Pasha
Music: Bheems Ceciroleo
Banner: Katha Veruntadhi Productions
Syed Sohel, starring as Bootcut Balaraju, has been streaming since yesterday evening, impressing audiences with his performance, despite the film containing some loose scenes that could jeopardize the content’s integrity, indicating a need for further refinement.
Bootcut Balaraju, featuring Syed Sohel in the lead role, was released on February 2, 2024, but failed to garner a significant response from theaters. However, it began streaming on Aha from yesterday. Directed by Sree Koneti, it remains to be seen how this film will fare on the OTT platform.
Set in a village in the Telangana region, the film’s story revolves around Indravati (Indraja), the village head who is known for her commitment to helping those in need and standing by her word, a virtue inherited from her father. Her daughter, Mahalakshmi (Meghalekha), grows up learning the importance of perseverance from her mother.
Balaraju (Syed Sohel) is a middle-class youth from the same village, attending the same college as Mahalakshmi. They have been close since childhood, and Mahalakshmi’s admiration for Balaraju gradually turns into love.
Simultaneously, Siri (Siri), another college student, also falls for Balaraju. Upon learning this, Mahalakshmi confesses her love to Balaraju, and he reciprocates.
The subplot involves a sub-collector who, after visiting the village for official work, falls for Mahalakshmi and decides to marry her.
After discussing with his parents, Indravati agrees to the proposal with the intention that her daughter would not refuse her. Upon returning, Indravati finds Mahalakshmi and Balaraju in a close embrace, unable to contain her anger. Mahalakshmi declares her intention to marry Balaraju to her mother.
Indravati informs the sub-collector about her commitment. During this period, Balaraju opposes Indravati’s policies and decides to run for the village president against her. Indravati puts forth a condition: if Balaraju wins, she will allow him to marry her daughter; if he loses, he must leave the village. What Balaraju does to win the election and whether he can convince the respected Indravati forms the rest of the story.
The movie highlights the conflict between a mother who values her word above all and a daughter who places love above everything else. It depicts the struggle of a middle-class youth to win over the love of his life against the backdrop of village politics, crafted by director Sree Koneti. The director successfully incorporates the village and its inhabitants as integral parts of the story.
However, the director takes considerable time to engage the audience with the main plot, focusing on Balaraju’s antics with friends, his childhood episodes with Mahalakshmi, and the love triangle involving Siri. The narrative pacing is slow until the interval, which introduces an interesting twist that piques interest.
The entry of Sunil in the second half was expected to add more depth to the story, but his presence does not significantly enhance the comedic elements.
The episode involving Balaraju’s group attempting a theft at Vanajakshi’s house feels unnecessary and hampers the story’s momentum, although Rohini’s performance as a maid captures attention.
Some scenes related to Balaraju’s election campaign are entertaining, mixing comedy with emotions, driving the story forward. The climax is satisfactory, with Sohel’s performance as Balaraju, especially his comedic timing and improved dance skills, standing out. Indraja’s performance needs no special mention, and the rest of the cast does adequately.
The music by Bheems Ceciroleo is passable, and the background score is decent. Gokul Bharathi’s cinematography is adequate but could have enhanced the rural setting for a better connection with the story. Editing could have been tighter, especially in trimming the college scenes, bus comedy, Sunil’s track, and the episode at Vanajakshi’s house, to maintain the narrative flow. A more focused approach to the story might have yielded a better outcome.