Hello Hyderabad Review

Someone told me that life imitates art and art imitates life and so the cycle goes on, but the Hello Hyderabad experience was an absolute fusion of the two. On one side was a film that was a sheer imitation of life as seen in the old city, and on the other was an audience that lived that lifestyle and was actually acknowledging it through its cat-calls in an uninhibited Charminari style.

The only technical problem here, though, is whether this film can be called a piece of art. The 'artist', Basith Khan, writes, directs and gets almost all the titles of this production. And they aren't ones anyone would be proud of.

Hello Hyderabad is a story that has all the makings of a masala film. It has songs in and by the swimming pool (trees are out, you know), it has violence, it has sex, it has emotions... what the heck, it also has the Discovery Channel angle when it shows Moharram being celebrated in Hyderabad. But the only thing that it lacks is professionals of any sort. The whole cast comprises amateurs who seem to have qualified primarily because they could speak the Dakhni of Hyderabad.

The film is about Azhar, a young old city guy, and his friends enjoying life Hyderabadi style - Irani Hotels, empty cups etc. All is fine in Paradise until Raju, Azhar's best pal, defends his sister's honor and incurs the wrath of Narasimha and Moonga, the underworld dons of Hyderabad.

The whole movie then is a chain of events portraying Hyderabadi gang culture and violence. And Basith Khan creates an utterly irresponsible climax where the two guys get acquitted for over a dozen murders for want of evidence.

Salma and Bharthi, the girlfriends, add the touch of romance. Apart from the fact that this movie has Hyderabadi mannerisms, there is nothing of any significant appeal. It was made for a very specific audience (mostly the old city crowd), and seems to interest them, going by the reactions in the theater. If you are thinking of anything in the Hyderabad Blues league, please!