First Day First Show review: A petty, indulgent fanboy tribute to Pawan Kalyan’s Kushi

1.5/5

Story:

Srinivas, an aimless college-going youngster based in Narayankhed, is a diehard fan of Pawan Kalyan. He is in love with one of his classmates Laya, who, coincidentally, is also a fan of the star. Ahead of the release of the star’s Kushi, the latter requests Srinivas for a ticket to watch the very first show of the film in the village. Srinivas’ joy knows no bounds with her plea and he takes it upon himself to get Kushi tickets for her, come what may.

Review:

The premise of First Day First Show can’t be brushed aside easily. It tries to pay homage to the ‘demi god’ status of actors in the Telugu land through the eyes of a star-struck fan. The prospect of watching the first show of his idol’s film with his lady love fascinates the protagonist and he’ll do anything to experience that high. How far can one go for a ticket though? Jathi Ratnalu director KV Anudeep, who pens the story, banks on the small-town comedy flavour to recreate the same magic.

The original intent behind the film is to tickle our funny bones through the comical escapades of the protagonist but it loses steam quickly. As a damage control measure, the film desperately woos the fans of Pawan Kalyan and tries to score brownie points by filling most of the sequences with references to his previous films. The basic idea behind FDFS is funny though the comedy-of-errors screenplay is too farcical and underwrought to work even for a loyal Pawan Kalyan fan.

FDFS doesn’t grab your attention beyond the premise because it lacks soul and tries to work its charm through trivial pleasures in the garb of humour. When the film introduces you to the father of Srinivas, who works at a school, one would’ve presumed the character as a tool for the protagonist to remind him of the larger purpose of life beyond Pawan Kalyan and cinema. However, the conflict between the father and the son is reduced to a few gags that never land.

The frenzy around a much-awaited film of a huge star makes for intriguing, colourful viewing, but screen-writers must be practical about the limitations of exploring it in a two-hour narrative. Beyond a point, it’s tiring that every second person in Narayankhed, from a tea-seller to a student to a barber, a pregnant and a grandfather, is a fan of Pawan Kalyan and fight among themselves to claim their supremacy. There’s an occasional reference to Balakrishna for some distraction.

A youngster sings ‘Made in Andhra’ at the funeral of a Pawan Kalyan fan, Srinivas even reaches out to the latter’s dead body for the tickets of Kushi and lands up in jail. He knows the star’s birthday and astrological details as per the Telugu calendar. The creators are confused about whether they're selling us the story of the protagonist or Pawan Kalyan and in the process do neither. The situations are poorly written and silly on most occasions and it’s hard to take the film seriously.

Srikanth Reddy fits the part of an aimless student well but he’s too raw to shoulder an entire film with a weak script. His on-screen counterpart Sanchita Bashu doesn’t have much to offer. While Vennela Kishore’s presence ensures a few laughs, the likes of CVL Narasimha Rao, Tanikella Bharani, Srinivas Reddy needed meatier roles to make an impact. Rangasthalam Mahesh is strictly okay in the final stretch and the co-director Vamshidhar Goud’s cameo hardly strikes a chord. Radhan’s score is disappointing.

Verdict:

It’s incredibly disappointing that (a subsidiary wing of) an iconic production house like Poornodaya Pictures had to choose a half-baked, pointless film like FDFS to return to film production. Even if you’re a hardcore fan of Pawan Kalyan or Kushi, there are better avenues to celebrate the star than watching this film.