Movie Name: Martin Luther King
Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 ☆ ☆ (2.25/5)
Starring: Sampoornesh Babu, Naresh, Venkatesh Maha, Sharanya Pradeep, Chakradhar, Raghavan and others
Directed by: Puja Kolluru
Cinematography: Deepak Yaragera
Music by: Smaran Sai
Editor: Puja Kolluru
Producers: S. Sashikanth, Chakravarthy Ramachandra
Release Date: 27th October, 2023
Related Links: Trailer
🎬🌟 Martin Luther King Movie Review 👍 or 👎 🎥🎨
Sampoornesh Babu shines in ‘Martin Luther King,’ the official remake of the highly acclaimed Tamil film ‘Mandela,’ now showing in theaters. Let’s dive into the movie experience!
Story Glimpse:
In the village of Padamarapadu, two brothers, Jagjivan Ram (Naresh) and Lokmanya Tilak (Venkatesh Maha), aspire to become the village President. Their election takes an unexpected turn as they divide voters by caste, resulting in a tie. The fate of the election lies with Smile (Sampoornesh Babu), a humble cobbler. The tale unfolds as we follow the brothers’ efforts to secure Smile’s vote, his remarkable transformation into Martin Luther King, and the suspenseful revelation of his decision.
Technical Aspects:
- Casting: In terms of the story, Martin Luther King features a promising premise and is elevated by a praiseworthy performance from Sampoornesh Babu, who embodies the character of an earnest cobbler with perfection. It’s arguably the actor’s most exceptional performance to date.
- Sharanya Pradeep’s portrayal of Vasantha, despite being a brief role, leaves a substantial mark on the film. Naresh and Venkatesh Maha also deliver their finest work, contributing to the film’s watchability.
- The rest of the cast members contribute decent performances, adding to the overall appeal.
- Direction: In her directorial debut, Puja Aparna Kolluru demonstrates commendable skill in orchestrating the film, although a more refined screenplay in the first half might have led to a distinct outcome. The director deserves accolades for highlighting the enduring issue of casteism in rural areas and the continued discrimination against lower-caste individuals, a problem that persists in many remote Indian villages even today.
- Music: Smaran Sai’s music compositions and score contribute satisfactorily to the film’s overall soundtrack.
- Cinematography: Deepak Yaragera’s cinematography lives up to expectations.
- Editing: Director Puja Kolluru’s editing is passable, although there is potential for enhancement in the first half. Streamlining superfluous scenes to achieve a more concise runtime could have made a significant difference.
Highlights:
- Sampoornesh Babu’s commendable performance as an innocent cobbler, arguably his best to date.
- An interesting and well-elevated climax, enhanced by the score.
- Director Puja Kolluru’s commendable effort in shedding light on persistent casteism and mistreatment issues in remote Indian villages.
Downsides:
- The film’s intriguing premise falls short due to a pale narration.
- Character arcs for Naresh and Venkatesh Maha could have been stronger for a more impactful narrative.
- Additional comedy scenes could have made the political comedy-drama more enjoyable.
- Lack of impactful scenes emphasizing the value of the vote and equality.
- Drawn-out scenes in the first half and a sense of repetitiveness in the second half.
- Room for improvement in the editing, especially in the first half, to achieve a crisper runtime.
Final Verdict: “Promising Concept, Missed Potential“
