Lakshmi Narasimha Review

Like all sane-minded people (that includes Prabhu Deva), you must be appreciating the fact that technology has made life so much pleasant. If it were not for technology man would still be lying naked in caves, piling dust that could last a lifetime. Come to think of it, that sounds just like Pamela Anderson. However, technology has changed all that and we are able to build high-rise buildings, where man can lie naked, piling dust that can last for a lifetime...

Why the ranting about technology? Wigs and make-up are the most used technology in movies today. Without them, Lakshmi Narasimha would not have been possible. After watching it, you would have to pay homage to this wonderful invention of technology.

Lakshmi Narasimha Swami (Balayya, with brand new make-up man who's intensely anxious to make his presence felt) is a unique cop. His methodology is completely unorthodox and unheard of. Except of course in Tamil Nadu by a certain gentleman called Saami, who acted in a movie by that very name.

So anyway, this cop takes bribes, let's the criminals roam scot-free, and turns a blind eye (but hey, a nicely-powdered eye) to second grade dealings in the city. But concurrently, he also busts up extremely hazardous businesses. Which ones he does, which ones he doesn't, depends purely on, hmm... maybe logic, maybe script, maybe flashback, but more likely, maybe make-up man.

Actually, when Lakshmi was a cop in some other town, Prakash Raj (with his annoying man-on-the-electric-fence mannerisms) orders chaos in the city. Many innocent lives are lost grossly. Now, by greasing his palms from Prakash Raj in this town, Lakshmi rebuilds that burnt town from the loot of the guy who destroyed it in the first place. Justice Swami style.

But the symbiosis between Prakash and Lakshmi ends abruptly, when Lakshmi's dad (Vishwanath) gets mixed up in the dangerous game. That's the time when Balayya gets back to thigh-slapping and eyeball-shaking. But this time around, the Parachoori brothers go a little easy on us. No dialogues that would make us laugh like a hyena on drugs.

Somewhere in between, Asin stumbles in, and remains glued throughout. It's the first time she's played a "glamorous" role as such. In other words, the first time you have actually noticed her.

Prakash Raj, as the tramp-turned-kingpin, goes overboard with his mannerisms. It's like he's very excited that he cooked Maggi noodles in less than 1 minute. Sunil, after a while now, has a role that leaves a mark. The satire brought out in the shape of his meanderings into the mindset of people and their holding on poverty, is both funny and cynical.

Balayya, after an unending string of Seema schticks, has returned to the normal schticks in some style. Actually, in his own style. He struts majestically through all the scenes.

The music and the direction are a mixed bag. The characterisation of the actors has managed to engross the audience to a certain degree. Apart from that, this is a typical masala Tollywood flick, completely ordinary. But hey, well-powdered ordinary.