Organic Mama Hybrid Alludu review: SV Krishna Reddy’s comeback film is a disappointment

2/5

Story:

Vijay (Sohel) is an unsuccessful film director hailing from a family that makes Kondapalli toys for a living. While helping his parents sell the toys at a plush hotel, he meets the girl of his dreams Hasini (Mirnalini Ravi), the daughter of a rich landlord and a businessman Organic Venkataramana (Rajendra Prasad). He’s furious when he comes to know of his daughter’s relationship with Vijay. What’s in store for the much-in-love couple?

Review:

In a recent interview, director SV Krishna Reddy claimed he places his faith in a good screenplay over a good story when asked about the plot of his comeback film Organic Mama Hybrid Alludu. Perhaps, the statement was to keep the audience’s expectations from his film to a bare minimum. Much like its title, the film is stuck in a time warp; the story is non-existent and the screenplay is stale.

For someone who effortlessly produced family dramas and clean comedies in the 90s, Organic Mama Hybrid Alludu is a sad reminder that SV Krishna Reddy is probably past his prime. Much like his earlier films, he’s credited for his contributions across multiple departments - story, screenplay, direction and music, though there’s nothing to write home about in any aspect.

If there’s something that the filmmaker deserves credit for, the film is relatively tolerable despite the lackadaisical treatment. Beyond the romance and humour, he pays homage to many strugglers in the film industry and even justifies why you don’t need to have a good story to make a successful film. The travails of a director in the film, however, are likely to appeal to an industry insider over an average viewer.

As a film, Organic Mama.. lacks focus and is distracted by the subplots, that neither entertains nor contribute to the story. The plot is all about a couple’s efforts to earn a nod from the girl’s adamant parent for their marriage owing to class differences. However, the narration is muddled with satires on the film industry and the real estate mafia. The transformation of the girl’s father, ultimately, is too simplistic and it’s hard to understand what the fuss was all about.

The Kondapalli toys backstory that the film commenced with, suddenly takes a backseat in the second hour. Several characters arrive and leave the film sans much purpose - it’s as if SV Krishna Reddy had the dates of many comedians in the industry and didn’t know how to use them. The desperate effort to stretch the duration to a 150-minute narrative adds to the viewer’s agony.

There are too many cinematic liberties thrown in and surprisingly humour is the weakling in an SV Krishna Reddy film - such a statement would have been an oxymoron in his heydays. He clearly underestimates his audiences and the film has none of the key ingredients one would expect from a passable entertainer - humour, drama or the performances.

The lead pair Sohel and Mirnalini Ravi aren’t too bad either; they’re just stuck in the wrong film. Going by their underwhelming roles, the film feels like a paid holiday for veterans Rajendra Prasad and Meena, who get to don ad-worthy dhotis and silk saris without having to strain their acting muscles. Sunil, with an annoying voice modulation as an innocent film producer, is intolerable.

Surya and Hema hardly have anything noteworthy while many potent comedians - from Praveen to Saptagiri to Viva Harsha to Prudhvi Raj, Ali and Babu Mohan - are wasted in poorly-written sequences. The Ajay Ghosh subplot is a snoozefest at best and Sana, Raja Raveendra, Rocket Raghava and Surekhavani don’t get to add much value. The dialogues are akin to one-liners from soapy television commercials.

The climax, written more like a pre-release event speech, helps you leave the theatre with a big yawn. There’s nothing memorable about the film’s music although the number Allasani Vari Allika is the pick of the lot.

Verdict:

Organic Mama Hybrid Alludu is a disappointing comeback film from SV Krishna Reddy, ailed by a weak plot and a snoozefest of a screenplay. The treatment is outdated and the narrative loses track amidst a bevvy of subplots. The lead actors Sohel, Mirnalini Ravi, Meena and Rajendra Prasad are passable though they can’t salvage the film.