virodhi.............. at last a relief in Telugu cinema this year

ఆశయాలు లేని పోరాటం విరోధులను సృష్టిస్తుంది.---Director Neelakanta of Virodhi

This sums up the mood and tenor of the new telugu movie virodhi.

A Journalist walks into an attack on a Mp by one Naxal group thats trying to prove its strength and the group kidnaps the scribe for a safe return to their hideout. This group is composed of highly literate and illiterate people who were made to take guns after their world seemed miserable and discourteous.Lead by a power hungry, self proclaimed leader this group has an idealist who represents the real essence of movement. It also has people who were exploited to the maximum and who got recruited into the group to get vengeance.And it has a senior leader whose role is like a guide.This group now should get back to their hideout in the jungle and the journalist is their shield.

A man hunt is launched by the police to free the Journalist .

NO. this is not usual cop naxal and preach there here like sinduram or baanam. 

The film never divulges into ideologies. In fact we see people from law and naxals to protect the journalist. 

THEN: 

The kidnapped journo observes the proceedings helplessly, pleads to let him free and shows resolution to stay back to show the truth to the group. The journo realizes the power hungry attitude, the way to lead people by hysteria rather than rationality and opportunism in the leader. The leader realizes that the journo is slowly leading his group to the truth. 

It is the game,  a psychological one between both.watch it on the big screen to see who wins and how.

Its not great movie. But it has a perfect premise. It presents picture perfect situation of the movement and the failure of govt to stop atrocities which still keeps the movement on. It tells you how sacrifices are made. It honestly takes on media . It shows the helplessness of senior leaders of movement. It showcases helplessness of youth leaders to leave the movement.  Watch it for the honest portrayal of circumstances. It never tries to preach or put up the reasons behind movement.  

I have seen all the movies of the director Neelakanta. If people appreciated missamma its because of the glamour quotient and family drama. I was fascinated by the ideas of "Nanadanvanam 12 km", "Mister Medhavi" and "sada mee sevalo". He builds up characters -creates emotions-writes perfect screen play. Then what he misses. In all his movies his protagonist was pitted against a powerful antagonist. Its sivaji the employee against Bhumika the employer in Missama, Venu the crusader against subbaraju the MLA in sada mee sevalo, Raja the intelligent against Genelia the analyst in Mister Medhavi and Nani the thief against Kota his boss in Nandanavanam and  Srikanth the journalist against Ajay the leader.The protagonists are weak and underplayed. The point is to show the underdog winner. Under dog doesn't mean weak.  It means the best in them is hidden and it emerges out during crisis. Just watch lagaan and see what Asutosh haddone to his protagonist.  Neelakanta's antagonists are very powerful and they leave a telling impact on the viewer. Ajay(gogi) in virodhi makes you feel love and hate.Where as srikanth in protagonists role seems forced at situations. 

Whatever the movie is worth a watch. Watch it for characters that define life in every possible manner.Watch it for hard hitting dialogue. Watch it for we feel we are shining and realize the dark below the shine. 

Virodhi is a breather this year. Of all the telugu movies released this year this one is  number one for me. What  a year. We saw heroes batting bullets with swords, heroines minimizing their dress to the maximum extent possible, heard some thing that's called music, saw gymnastics in name of dance, mockery of love and what not.For a while Virodhi seemed a dubbed movie for its values and straight narration. 

Respect virodhi. We  don't have viswanadh's any more.

And finally Dear Director, 

ఆశయాలతో చేసే పోరాటం కూడా  విరోధులను సృష్టిస్తుంది.