It is common for comedians to become heroes in the Telugu film industry and entertain the audience. Saptagiri is one of them. His latest film as the hero is ‘Pelli Kani Prasad’. Directed by Abhilash Reddy Gopidi, this family comedy entertainer starring Priyanka Sharma as the heroine was released in theaters on March 21, 2025. How much did this film, distributed by Dil Raju, meet the expectations of the audience? Let's find out in the review.
Story:
Prasad (Saptagiri) works as a manager in a star hotel in Malaysia. Even at the age of 38, he is single and unmarried. The reason for this is his father (Muralidhar Goud)'s strict condition that a dowry of Rs. 2 crores must come from the bride's side. Due to this condition, Prasad's marriage is getting delayed. On the other hand, Priya (Priyanka Sharma) and her family dream of settling in America. Seeing Prasad as an opportunity, Priya hatches a cunning plan to marry him without dowry. Her plan succeeds, but the story takes a twist when Prasad decides not to return to Malaysia. How did Priya face this challenge? How did Prasad manage his father’s hopes and Priya’s trick? The story of ‘Pelli Kani Prasad’ revolves around these questions.
Analysis:
‘Pelli Kani Prasad’ is a family comedy film with a simple plot. Director Abhilash Reddy has tried to take social issues like dowry and foreign citizenship and weave them with light humor. The scenes between Saptagiri and Priya’s family in the first half of the film provide some humor. Saptagiri’s trademark comedy and sarcastic dialogues make you laugh at some places. However, the humor feels over-the-top and exaggerated in many scenes. Priya's family's exaggerated behavior and her desire to go abroad forcefully change some scenes. The story follows the expected path in the second half, but the change in Priya's character in the climax seems a bit abrupt and illogical. Although attempts are made to add emotional scenes, they do not have much impact. The film would have been more impressive if there had been more depth and novelty in the story and screenplay.
Acting:
Saptagiri tries to drive the film with his natural comedy timing. His dance and comedy scenes are good at some places, but the lack of novelty in the character is a shortcoming. Although Priyanka Sharma tries to impress as the heroine, her character is not very memorable due to poor writing. Muralidhar Goud makes us laugh in some comic scenes as the father. Supporting actors like Annapurnamma, Pramodini, and Vadlamani Srinivas did justice to their roles, but some of the roles were exaggerated, making them a bit boring. Mahbub Basha and Lakshman Meesala seemed okay in their limited roles.
Technical aspects:
Music provided by Shekhar Chandra is a good strength of the film. The songs and background music are well suited to some scenes, but the sound effects of the memes seemed excessive at some places. Sujatha Siddharth's cinematography is colorful and impressive in the song scenes. If the editing was crisper, the pace of the film would have been better. The dialogues, especially the Saptagiri satires, worked well at some places.
Direction:
Abhilash Reddy Gopidi tried to drive a simple story with humor. He was somewhat successful in showing issues like dowry, fraud, and morality in a light manner. However, the lack of unexpected twists and deep emotions in the story kept the film at a mediocre level. Some scenes felt forced and unnecessary.
Plus points:
Saptagiri's comedy timing
Shekhar Chandra's music
Some funny scenes, sarcastic dialogues
Colorful cinematography
Minus points:
Predictable story, screenplay
Exaggerated humor, characters
Emotional scenes with no depth
Climax that seems rushed
Overall:
'Pelli Kani Prasad' is a light family comedy entertainer that shares some laughs, but fails to provide a great experience. This film is worth watching once for Saptagiri fans and those who like light comedy films. However, those who expect something new and deep may be disappointed. On the day of the film's release, CineJosh gave the film a rating of 2.5, which indicates the level of the film.
Conclusion: ‘Pelli Kani Prasad’ is a simple comedy entertainer, with a few humorous scenes and a few memorable moments, but the lack of novelty and depth in the story keeps the film at an average level.
Recommendation: Fans of Saptagiri and those who like light comedy films can give it a try. However, it is better not to have high expectations.
Rating: 2.5/5