Andhra King Taluka review- Ram Pothineni gets back with a heart-felt drama that is full of nostalgia, devotion, sacrifice, and a solid attachment between a superstar and his faithful fan. Under the direction of Mahesh Babu P, the movie also boasts of the presence of Upendra and Bhagyashri Borse in major roles and it comes with a refreshing premise that is not common to average commercial formula.
The plot is based on the life of Surya (Upendra), a renowned actor who was idolized by his fans as the Andhra King. He desperately requires finances to get the shoot through when his 100th movie is suddenly suspended by financial constraints. To give this twist, three crore rupees just appear into his account which he later comes to know is sent by Sagar (Ram Pothineni), an ordinary fan living in a village in East Godavari. Appalled by this unconditional love, Surya embarks on a quest to find out who this fan is, and in the process, he gets to discover a lot of emotions, memories and facts that will change his life.
Andhra King Taluka is emotional in nature. The movie captures the cinema culture of the early 2000s, fan craze, movie festivals, and the naivety of the rural life in the real and nostalgic way. The emotional background is made up of the childhood memories of Sagar, his attachment to cinema and his undying love of Surya. The romance of Sagar and Mahalaxmi is also an added advantage, though it intersects occasionally with the main storyline of fan-superstar, which causes the narrative to be a little bit bulky.
Ram Pothineni gives one of his best performances in a long time. He gives it high energy, sincerity and high emotional depth particularly after the second half of the role. Although Upendra does not have much screen time, he makes a strong impression as a lost superstar who has found a new meaning and appreciation. Bhagyashri Borse is quite natural in her part, as it depicts a village girl charismatic and gracious. The presence of supporting actors such as Rao Ramesh and Murli Sharma also help to give the story a good support.
The movie is visually impressive, as Siddharth Nuni, on his part, takes pictures of the countryside, festivities, and retro-feel of the time. The soundtrack by VivekMervin gives the songs a poignant value, particularly in the main dramatic scenes. Director Mahesh Babu P is mature in writing, as well as being true to the subject and is less concerned with commercial aspects than emotion.
The first half is however slow paced with some scenes taking too long. There are several sub plots, such as fan enthusiasm, romance, village problems, and at times, it is not clear what plot the viewer can relate to the most. Nevertheless, despite these shortcomings, the level of sincerity, emotions, and performances in the film keeps the audience interested until the end.
In the business side, Andhra King Taluka started with relatively low numbers but it had good word-of-mouth and more screens on second day. It is reported that already OTT rights are bought by one of the biggest platforms, and streaming will become accessible shortly after the theatrical release.
To sum up, Andhra King Taluka is a sincere drama that has been done in good faith. It is not as fast-paced as a commercial entertainer but its emotional story telling, nostalgic nature, and good acting make it a good movie to watch, particularly those who admire movies about fans, stars, and the connection between them. This movie is a satisfying one to those who like sentimental movies with some element of reality.
Conclusion: It is a touching, poignant, and heartfelt movie that features a stellar acting cast. One of the watches that are recommended to those who love drama and Ram Pothineni.