Direction: Trivikram Srinivas
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Jalsa Jalsa everywhere.. on the radio, posters all over the town, trailers, and more than all these combined, Tv9. Morning News, 30 minutes, and all those other shows dedicated only to the release of the flick, interviewing hordes of fans, all gone crazy over the stills of the actor. The hype would have blown your brains out. Tickets sold out for two weeks, and entire theatres booked by fan clubs. Even Chushma, said, " I can't get you tickets ra", before i even opened my mouth. (:D) Hmmm. What's the big deal? Anyways, within a week of release, with my friends jumping up and down with glee, and tickets in hand, i finally set foot in the theatre, wondering what the whole noise (which had died down substantially after the release) was about.
The story: Sanjay Sahu is a happy-go-lucky kid (i think), who drinks like he was born for it, and who acquires degrees, also like he was born for that purpose. His girlfriend, Kamalinee, gets married off to another. Bhagyamati (Ileana) and Parvati Melton ( i can't recollect what she was called) are freshers, who Sanju previously rescues from a bad guy. He rejects Parvati's proposal of love, but is ok towards Bhagi, who tries her best to get his attention (and is pretty successful). You might have thought it would be a sweet little love story. Then, in comes Mukesh Rishi, a brutal regional don, who operates from jail. He throws a fit when he sees Sahu ( Why? - the element of suspense) and so send out some cronies to finish him off. In one of the brawls, Sahu's best friend gets injured, and in a fit of emotion, he tumbles out his flash back, how he had taken to factionism, and how he changed after that. The rest of the story is why they became rivals, how they get even, etc. Oh, and Kamalinee turns out to be Ileana's sister. So, then, how the love birds get together, will they get together, also adds up.
The performances really give the movie a boost- Pawan really toned down in his jumpings-around, carries the element of youth, a college student, wild, and perfect in his comic timing. I never thought i'd say this, but Ileana actually looked gorgeous, a wide-eyed beauty, slipping into her role of a wool-brain, head over heels in love. Her clothes, expressions, lines were perfect, like it was tailor made. One of her best performances. Parvati Melton was ok, not looking as elephantine and drugged as she usually does, and of course, Prakash Raj, no comments about him. The saving grace of the movie is Comedy-king Brahmanandam, who gives u every penny-worth of entertainment, makes your sides split, laughing. If you decide to watch it a 2nd time, it would only be solely for his moments with Pawan. It would even make you forgive Trivikram for this ordeal. Sunil and Dharmavarapu did a good job too.
Jalsa is a perfect example of how some things can go really wrong. Either the director could have modified the story a little more the other way and cast Balakrishna as the hero( no offence, please) or he could have scalped out the factionism part of it, and made it into a love-story entertainer. Why be so confused about it? What did he have in mind? The songs, playing over and over again in radio stations, addictive and foot tapping, were totally wasted, with D-grade picturisation. And with evident grains of 'Athadu' sprinkled all over the movie, people are bound to compare. The over-expectations too, add in to the disappointment. Unnecessary elements like chandeliers and hoardings crashing, etc, could have really made the movie much more economical, if given attention to. Why 'Jalsa'? The movie cold have really made a mark, and lived upto everyone's enthusiasm, if the director had meditated over the plot for a little while more, and got his ideas straight.
Overall, the movie is a good watch, if u can close your eyes to the innumerable flaws it holds. All-in-all, it entertains, and if thats what you have in mind, go for it.
Rating: ***
