GodFather review: A mostly loud, partly entertaining fanboy tribute to Chiranjeevi

2.5/5

Story:

PKR, a political veteran and the CM of the State, passes away under mysterious circumstances. Even before he is laid to rest, home minister Narayana Varma pitches himself as the former’s successor. PKR’s daughter Satya Priya distances herself from the political turmoil but her husband Jaidev has other ideas. PKR’s stepson Brahma arrives in the nick of time to take charge of the situation.

Review:

Mohan Raja, the director of Godfather, is not alien to remakes - he’s made a successful career out of them and knows a thing or two about selling a popular film to a new audience. Godfather, adapted from Mohanlal’s Malayalam blockbuster Lucifer, is his eighth remake in a ten-film-old career and easily the most challenging of them all. Does he succeed this time? It’s a yes and a no.

Despite both films being fanboy tributes to their lead stars, the worlds of Godfather and Lucifer are different. While Lucifer celebrates Mohanlal and treads a tightrope between being a mass film and a layered political drama, Godfather is single-minded about its aims to please Chiranjeevi’s fans. The political backdrop is just another prop to celebrate the ‘mega’ star.

There are no greys here - Brahma is the king(maker) and the ones against him are vanquished or need to fall in order. However, beyond the isms, what holds the film together is the family drama. The death of a political patriarch PKR results in infighting among his immediate family members and the party for power and it takes his mysterious stepson Brahma to keep things under control.

The intriguing side to Godfather is that its lead protagonist Brahma isn’t after power. Being sidelined doesn’t make him bitter, he steps back when necessary and is more interested in keeping his father’s political legacy intact. In what could’ve been a potentially absorbing contest within the bloodline, Brahma is barely challenged.

There’s a bunch that’s against Brahma but there’s a bigger bunch that sings him praises. His introduction shot begins with a woman bowing down to him. For a while, you wonder if this is a Telugu film pre-release event where everyone’s in awe of Chiranjeevi…sorry, Brahma. The film is about Brahma’s world. He’s the creator and the destroyer. In an attempt to project him as the saviour, Mohan Raja removes all traces of vulnerability from his personality.

To give credit where it’s due, Godfather doesn’t at all remind you of its original. With Chiranjeevi’s most non-mainstream script in recent years, Mohan Raja delivers an unabashedly commercial film. The treatment of the interpersonal relationships, the dialogues, the conflicts are more direct and easily digestible and there’s no ounce of pretension.

Chiranjeevi purely enjoys being at the centre stage and lets his ‘fanboy’ director and composer S Thaman do the heavy lifting. All that Chiranjeevi needs to deliver is an impactful stare or a stylishly come out of a car donning a kurta without straining his vocal cords much - the slow motion shots, the lighting and the background score take over from there.

Mind you, the entire team is sincere about this tribute. While they initially seem interested in the story, the second hour spares the viewer from such formalities. Only two characters in the film don’t succumb to Brahma’s aura - his brother-in-law Jaidev and his stepsister Satya Priya (at least initially) - and the film’s best performances come from the actors who portray them - Nayanthara and Satyadev.

Nayanthara does a masterful job of portraying Satya Priya’s trauma of losing the only emotional anchor in her life and how she comes to terms with her past wounds. Satyadev is truly the star of the show though - the amount of restraint and control he brings to the depiction of a straightforward antagonist part deserves a viewing. Salman Khan, in his brief cameo, is content being himself.

Chiranjeevi, of course, brings composure and style to Brahma - the one above all who can do no wrong. Sarvadaman Banerjee’s presence springs a surprise while Brahmaji, Anasuya and Murali Sharma (whose act reminds you of Ala Vaikunthapurramulo again) and Shafi pass muster. Sunil, Divi, and Samuthirakani struggle to rise above their uni-dimensional roles. Lakshmi Bhupal’s dialogues are intermittently sparkling and further the fan-pleasing exercise.

Director Mohan Raja’s worth is visible in portions where he tweaks key twists from the original and makes Godfather feel like a native Telugu story.

Verdict:

Godfather is a film solely made to celebrate Chiranjeevi and give the star’s fans a reason to cheer. In its pursuit to be a larger-than-life star vehicle, storytelling takes a backseat. This gives a different glossy twist to the Malayalam original Lucifer but it happens at the cost of a few creative compromises. If you need a one-liner to convince you to watch it - here it is, Chiranjeevi is back in form. Watch out for Satyadev and Nayanthara too.