Maharshi review: The Transformation Journey

In the third act of Maharshi an elderly farmer who, until then, did not stop looking at Gishi Rishi Kumar (Mahesh Babu) like many others in his village, looking at him from new. This Rishi is a changed man, who understands that his billionaire stature and his powerful position alone can not solve a crisis. What happens in the last 45 minutes is the essence of the film and may leave the audience moved.

If Mahesh's previous film Bharat Ane Nenu discussed local governance and other ideas, he examines the agrarian crisis and insists on the need to respect our farmers. Also, how about getting the millennials to do #weekendfarming? Rishi is the agent of change.

At the Heart of Maharshi is a story that could have been used to create a compelling social drama that also traces the transformative journey of an ambitious man.

It takes a long time to Maharshi to look beyond the starry aura of his main actor and go to the heart of the screenplay. story. Considerable time is spent on introducing Rishi's jet lifestyle. He has just been named managing director of a large New York company. He travels aboard chartered flights, helicopters are at his disposal and he walks in a fleet of cars. When he speaks, there are many disposable quotes on success. His story unfolds slowly to show what drives him to succeed and what is his idea of ​​success.

Rishi is described as a genius, but he may seem arrogant. In college, no problem is too difficult for him to solve. If he does not take credit, it's because he thinks he's done for bigger things! The monotony of looking at Rishi's allegedly flawless character is shattered when attention is focused on his university friends, Ravi (Allari Naresh) and Pooja (Pooja Hegde). In her brief role, Allari Naresh is a perfect player, aware of his humble moorings and the pressures that flow from them. The connection between the three friends is well established and advances the story. However, the role of Naresh is abbreviated as that of many other characters. The director of photography, K U Mohanan, and the composer, Devi Sri Prasad, do their best for storytelling.

Rarely, one gets away from the aura of Rishi, or rather of Mahesh Babu. It becomes indulgent. Mahesh shines in moments of emotion, as when he was reading his father's letter. but these segments are too few to keep us invested in the journey of his character. And except on one or two occasions, we never think that it is at a place.

Jayasudha and Jagapathi Babu impress with their small roles, but seasoned actors like Prakash Raj, Tanikella Bharani and Rao Ramesh are lost.

The story of a privileged man who plays his role at the base is a story often repeated. If a similar idea needs to be re-examined, it requires more emotional gravitas and less starry flourishes. At the moment we see the song "padara padara" where the Rishi crusade is growing stronger and stronger, it seems too little and too late.

Want to see a journey of transformation? Swades remains one of the best movies in this segment.