Hey Balwanth Review

If you have a soft corner for middle-of-the-road cinema - the kind of gentle, rooted storytelling we saw in the 70s and 80s in Bollywood with Amol Palekar - you will likely appreciate Suhas. He represents the archetypal Telugu everyman, without the weight of a star surname or larger-than-life baggage. In many ways, he feels like a detox after the usual bling-heavy Telugu spectacles. By bling, I mean films that often sacrifice story at the altar of stardom - projects designed primarily to elevate a hero rather than narrate a compelling tale. Against that backdrop, Suhas stands out as a quiet balancer, someone who leans on content over charisma.

Unfortunately, the audience hasn't been particularly kind to him since 2024. Several of his recent releases failed to perform well at the box office. However, Hey Balwanth seems capable of striking a chord with audiences. It's not a great film by any stretch, but it is a modest, small-scale and endearing comedy that knows its limits and plays within them. Interestingly, the film was initially promoted as Hey Bhagawan, but the title was changed to Hey Balwanth following objections from the censor board. So, those of you who saw the promo materials of Hey Bhagwan, please take note.

Krishna (Suhas) is a cheerful schoolboy from Guntur. His father, Balwanth (V K Naresh), lovingly fulfills all his wishes. Krishna isn't very interested in studies and instead wants to join his father's business - even though he has no idea what that business actually is. Balwanth, however, always discourages him. He asks Krishna to focus on his education and build a career of his own. To ensure this, he sends Krishna to a boarding school in Hyderabad for six years.

After completing his studies, Krishna returns with one clear goal: to join his father's business and help expand it. Soon after, Balwanth suffers a heart attack, giving Krishna the opportunity to take charge. That's when he discovers the shocking truth - his father's "business" is actually a shady lodge, where prostitution is the real source of income.

So, that's the non-spoiler plot for you. To this plot, writer-director Gopi Atchara weaves together love stories, politics, social hypocrisy and a dose of commentary, ultimately shaping the film into a father-son reconciliation drama.

Atchara makes a conscious effort not to drift away from comedy, and for the most part, the film delivers on that front. Of the 134-minute runtime, the first 90 minutes offer genuine situational comedy. After that, Atchara seems to switch gears in Anil Ravipudi mode - still comic, but far more slapstick and exaggerated. However, once the comedy tapers off and the narrative shifts into full-blown drama toward the end of the second half, it begins to lose its entertainment value.

Suhas once again disappears into his character, and is quite good. Unfortunately, many of his recent films have failed for reasons beyond his performance. Shivani Nagaram plays Mithra, Krishna's love interest. She is a capable actor, but her role feels somewhat superficial. She has little to do beyond repeatedly emphasizing that she comes from an "orthodox" family - mentioning it so often that it becomes repetitive. It reminds you of Mohan Babu uttering "respect" in Rowdy. A subtler approach would have made her character feel more natural.

The film features a huge ensemble cast, most of whom are seasoned comedians - including Vennela Kishore, Babu Mohan, Naresh (the senior), Sudharshan, Harsha Vardhan, Ajay Ghosh, and the lead, Suhas, who is equally effective in comedy and in emotional, serious scenes.

Babu Mohan turns out to be the surprise package, playing a top State politician. He appears both alive and dead. Initially, he is seen sitting in a chair, expressionless and slightly grumpy. For most of the film, however, he "plays dead" - again seated in a chair, but with a fixed smile, without uttering a single word. Yet, the circumstances surrounding his character's death and the absurdity of the situations around him make the scenes genuinely hilarious.

Vennela Kishore, as a regular visitor to the lodge for his beloved Champa, is adorable as always. Given his body of work, it almost feels as if he carefully writes his own lines - because whenever he opens his mouth, laughter is guaranteed.

Naresh has several comic moments, but he truly shines in the dramatic portions toward the end.

Harsha Vardhan and Ajay Ghosh play rival politicians with similar character traits. However, Ghosh gets more screen time and benefits from better writing.

Sudharshan is not a great comedian, but here as Krishna's loyal friend, displays excellent comic timing.

Technically, there isn't much to complain about. Everything is functional and fits the film's modest scale. The songs and background score blend seamlessly with the narrative, and while the visuals aren't flashy, they tell the story effectively.

Despite being built around a taboo subject, Hey Balwanth offers many moments of genuine laughter. Had it avoided excessive slapstick and heavy drama toward the end, it might have earned cult status. As it stands, it's a decent one-time watch - though not suitable for children.