'Skanda' is directed by Boyapati Sreenu, one of the few mass filmmakers who is not in the process of obsessing about the pan-India market. His sensibilities are predominantly Telugu cinema-ish. 'Skanda', undoubtedly, is one of the most action-centric movies in recent years. How is the film? Is it worth a watch? Let's find out in this section:
Plot:
The Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a personal rivalry over a terminated wedding. In comes our hero (Ram Pothineni), a political science student. He starts wooing the daughter (Sreeleela) of the Telangana CM at a college.
Somewhere, a damsel in distress (Saiee Manjrekar) is undergoing treatment in a hospital after having been mauled with weapons by a villain. Meanwhile, a kind-hearted industrialist (Srikanth) has been jailed in a false case.
The hero, who has been posing as a political science student, shocks the political system of the two Telugu States when he abducts the daughters of the two CMs. What is his agenda? How is he related to the hospitalized woman and the victimized industrialist? Why is he vengeful? How does he teach the antagonists a lesson? That's what the second half is about.
Performances:
Ram Pothineni was burdened with pulling off larger-than-life heroism while being a bundle of energy in songs. He goes berserk in the action scenes and dances with gusto in the songs 'Cult Mama' and 'Gandarabai. Sree Leela's scenes with him are fluffy but who expects substantial rom-com scenes from a director who made films like 'Simha', 'Legend' and 'Akhanda'? His scenes with his onscreen dad Daggubati Raja are better in comparison.
Sree Leela needs to catch up on the performance front. Srikanth, who has been a preferred artist for Boyapati, plays the second fiddle here. Sharath Lohithaswa, seen in the recent 'Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnu Katha', is sharp. 'Kalakeya' Prabhakar gets an unimaginative role, so also Prince Cecil. Others (such as Babloo Prithiveeraj) are okayish. Ajay Purkar plays Rayudu, the AP CM.
Technical Departments:
Santosh Detake and Stun Siva, the film's director of photography and stunt master, respectively, get to leave a lasting impression on some scenes. The stunts are extreme, excessive, ceaseless and forceful.
SS Thaman has been in for unabating criticism for dishing out sub-par music for 'Skanda'. It's not like 'Akhanda' had memorable songs either. There, the background score made all the difference. And that's because of the way Akhanda Rudra Sikandar Aghora was etched. In the case of 'Skanda', there is no such novelty. As a result, Thaman struggles to raise the bar.
Merits:
The interval action sequence.
The climax action sequence. Ram is top-notch in a new look.
Ram's energy.
A couple of college campus comedy scenes.
The sentiment built around the tamed billionaire.
The lead-up to the second part of 'Skanda'.
Demerits:
Illogical drama involving the CMs of two States.
Formulaic narration, including the revenge element.
Routine villains who talk like dumb morons despite being the most powerful individuals in the Telugu States.
Forced songs.
Vox Verdict:
Boyapati Sreenu scores with the climax and a rousing interval sequence. After toying with 'Akhanda 2', he promises 'Skanda 2'. Ram's performance and look help. Otherwise, the story is quite formulaic and the scenes are bereft of logic.
Rating: 2.5/5
