Vijay Deverakonda's career received a blow last year upon 'Liger' flopping miserably. Fast forward a year, and he returns to the silver screen, this time capitalizing on his strengths. In the pre-release promotional content for 'Kushi' released by Mythri Movie Makers, the actor seemed to exude the kind of vibes we saw in 'Geetha Govindam' (2018). The movie has now made its long-awaited debut in theaters today. How does it fare? Is it deserving of your time? Could it potentially become another major hit of the year?
Plot:
Viplav (Vijay Deverakonda), a BSNL employee, moves to Kashmir thinking it will be a breeze to work there. He comes across a young Muslim beauty he calls Begum (Samantha Ruth Prabhu). Begum claims to be a Pakistani but she is actually a Telugu Brahmin girl. Within a week, she is convinced that Viplav loves her genuinely and reciprocates his love.
Back in the Telugu land, their fathers are ideological opponents. Viplav's father Lenin Sathyam is a militant atheist, while Aradhya's father is a staunch believer in Hinduism. When Viplav and Aradhya decide to walk out on their obstinate elders, they face unexpected issues. What are they? Will the elders care to support them? How does it all end?
Performances:
In the Kashmir portions, Vijay is charming. As Viplav the husband, he comes into his own, delivering a sincere performance. 'Liger' and 'World Famous Lover', his two previous releases, tried to turn him into a cardboard-ish actor. He could never rise above the limitations of those ill-conceived characters. In contrast, 'Kushi' lets him be a breathing and living character; and he becomes the viewer's delight.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who was thoroughly failed by 'Shaakuntalam', returns to steal the show. She is a bit artificial in the Kashmir portions, but she makes for a riveting watch as Aradhya the wife.
Between Vennela Kishore and Rahul Ramakrishna, full marks go to the former for evoking laughs (albeit only to a limited extent). Saranya Pradeep is seen as Sam's friend. Murali Sharma outshines Sachin Khedekar as a religious preacher whose name Chadarangam Srinivasa Rao is a spin on Chaganti Koteswara Rao.
Technical Departments:
Mollywood composer Hesham Abdul Wahab makes a sparkling debut in Telugu. His songs and score keep some plastic moments from crumbling. The title track and the song 'Aradhya' are among the best songs in recent years. A relationship drama couldn't have asked for more.
G Murali's cinematography pulsates with vivacious frames. His work is terrific in some segments. The stunts have been done by Peter Hein and V Venkat. To be sure, the fights seem forced. The bike chase sequence in Kashmir is reasonably well-staged but its place in the story is meh. The metro rail fight in the second half is driven by harassment by Romeos. Prawin Pudi's editing is average. At about 165 minutes, the film is overlong.
Merits:
The storyline.
Using an unexpected tragedy in the life of Aradhya to drive the story in the second half.
The songs.
The key performances.
The theme that making a sacrifice is an essential aspect of a thriving relationship.
The characters played by Rohini and Jayaram. They are a married couple who have a profound message to share.
Demerits:
The lack of focus. We don't understand who to root for.
The ideological clash between Lenin Sathyam and Chadarangam is shown in a very basic manner.
Predictability. The nature of the climax is not novel at all.
Vox Verdict:
'Kushi' is a relationship drama and a family drama rolled into one. There are quite a few hiccups, but the film manages to be emotionally satisfying.
Rating: 3/5
