Many Senior actors and crew members have come together to support vision of Srikanth Addala. Peda Kapu Part-1 released on 29th September, 2023 worldwide in theatres. Let's discuss how uprising of Peda Kapu is captured.
Srikanth Addala has chosen to concentrate on family bonds, human emotions in his earlier films. He has not been a raw and rustic, action director. He did show his political affluence in his Mukunda film. Peda Kapu is his attempt to keep going with Narappa type films, further. Seems like, after Asuran remake, Srikanth Addala wanted to tread in the waters that Vetrimaaran specializes in. There are flashes of Vada Chennai, Aadukalam films in this one. Peda Kapu tries to talk about how people needed political change and Sr. NTR with TDP, came as a breath of fresh air. While his intention is good, the film seems to be politically affiliating towards that party.
The writing needed to stay even more focused on the kind of attrocities and oppression rural areas have been facing in 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. He could have tried to showcase how political growth can change that situation. Rather Peda Kapu Part-1 tries to even mix Rangasthalam kind of story-telling into this. So, the screenplay lost focus on the main theme and main characters. The bigger picture, that is, political revolution in a rural village, which has been theme of many films in 70’s and 80’s gets too diluted in the gore. Films like Vande Maatram, Mana Oori Pandavulu, Devalayam and many others have talked about soft and persistent oppression. Peda Kapu tries to make it more gore like Vetrimaaran and scenes just lose flow.
In trying to make the movie more action-friendly and philosophical, Srikanth Addala lost focus on character development. Every character looks monolithic and almost like caricatures moving according to writer’s demands. Peda Kapu falters in really setting up the conflict and drama behind the uprising. While, times have been bleak in past decades, trying to make a more action revelant movie, he made a kind of faction drama. This factor doesn’t help the movie. Also, leading actor Virat Karrna as Peda Kapu, could not really carry the weight of the character. Rao Ramesh, Aadukalam Naren and Anasuya did give their best but their characters did not have enough writing backing. Hence, the characters don’t really make an impact on us.
Also, every scene and screenplay try to achieve plot points and run towards it aimlessly. We don’t feel like clash is building organically between characters. While Vetrimaaran made his sensiblities and stories, commercial, in his own way, Srikanth couldn’t. Peda Kapu suffers from predictability after a good start and establishment as well. It almost feels like Srikanth Addala did not have much material at his disposal in bringing out the conflict more effectively. Mickey J. Mayer and Chota K. Naidu did give their best in BGM and camera work, respectively. Still, Peda Kapu Part-1 ends up being an underwhelming tale.
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