Ram Pothineni and Boyapati Sreenu are collaborating for Skanda. The film released in theaters today. It is promoted as a full-blown action thriller and let us see what it has to offer.
Boyapati Sreenu, known for his over-the-top mass flicks, directs Skanda. It is another addition to his list and a first with hero Ram. Although routine mass action fares, Boyapati Sreenu is known for his packaging them with neat setups. Skanda is also no different, with a larger-than-life setting involving the two Telugu states Chief Ministers. The director takes time to establish the world as it is huge and has many characters. As a result, the beginning generates curiosity about where it’s headed or what lies ahead. Therefore, the real ones driving the narrative arrive a bit later than usual. Once they come on the scene, it is business as usual for Boyapati Sreenu. Be it the initial love track involving the lead pair or the not-so-subtle mass elevations, Boyapati Sreenu’s mark is throughout. It is also why one feels an exaggerated feeling of routineness, but the execution doesn’t let one think of the issues until the arrival of the songs. They act like speedbreakers. The momentum gradually builds towards the interval, and then we have the big bang, literally. One imagines an over-the-top moment, and the director still manages to beat it with his visuals. The issue, however, is with the BGM, as there is a lingering feeling regarding the impact. Could it have been more with a fresh, bombastic score? Post-intermission, the narrative gets further into the template mode with the revelation behind the acts of the first hour via a flashback. It is routine, but the casting setting and real-life relatability make it passable nonetheless. There is no dearth of action, and it follows any significant event simultaneously in the narrative. They get progressively louder and exaggerated, but one is already tuned to it. The ending, again, is on a predictable note, but is okay. Skanda is a movie for the masses that treads a predictable path. There is no novelty, but the action, background and slick production values bring a fresh tinge.
Overall, Skanda is a routine mass entertainer in the typical Boyapati Sreenu style. If you love mass movies and know his style, the film offers everything one expects from him except with weaker songs and BGM.
