Leader :: My Review

Leader has a promising first half and a cinematic second half. The momentum is set high after the first half where as the second half fell flat and lets u down with unnecessary scenes occupying most of the screen time.

After many postponements Leader has released today with many expectations as it was Kammula's movie and Kammula shifting his gears from soft romantic stories to a serious one, With the debut of RANA the curiosity has been doubled.

Plot

Leader deals with the current political scenario of the state often shifting the gears from one topic to the other. The main intention is to differentiate a Leader from a politician. The story takes off with a high note with the attack on Present CM Sanjeevayya (Suman) whose last desire is,his son Arjun Prasad (RANA) has to become CM and should do things that he being a CM could not do. Dhanunjay (Subbaraju) is a cousin of RANA who is also strongly aspiring to become CM. Even Peddayana (kota) elder brother of Sanjeevayya, who is much like a party head, caste biased and always feel only his family members has to rule the state turns against Arjun and wants Dhanunjay to become CM. The rest of the story is what problems CM face after he takes the oath?, what politics Dhanunjay and Peddayana play to throw Arjun from the CM chair? and what reforms he brings in? The second half of the movie deals mostly Arjun trying to protect his CM position and what makes him realize the difference between Leader and Politician. The rest of the story is whether Arjun becomes a Leader or a politician.

Performances

Rana, unlike most of the star kids has made a grand debut with a subject that has guts. He did not stick to the routine telugu commercials with 6 songs, 5 fights and comedy scenes. Rana mostly underplayed his character as required. As a debutant he has done an amazing job. His voice is commendable, his action is okay though need to take care of expressions here and there. On the whole he has done a wonderful job. At few emotional scenes RANAs voice sounded similar to Venkatesh.

Richa, my god she is gorgeous on the screen. Sekhars heroines though really not damn beautiful, he takes care that their presence leaves great impressions. Thanks to photography and her costumes.

Priya Anand is also okay, her dialogues were witty and she has done a good job. Though she has not much screen presence she is impressive.

Suhasini as the wife of murdered CM and mother of RANA is a perfect fit to the role and is able to bring much simplicity that is needed to the role. Her dialogues at times were really good. Subbaraju has done a wonderful job as a candidate aspiring to become CM. Kota though lacks his sarcastic political dialogues as we often see him utter in these kind of movies, he has done a neat job. Rao Ramesh, though his character has limited screen presence, with his unusual dialogue delivery, he has done a good job. Another important character is Harshavardhan, this would def be one of his best roles he has done. He too has done a very good job. Ahuthi Prasad, Tanikella Barani were okay.

Technical Departments

There should be a special mention to the music, Mickey has done an amzing job with his music, be it songs, BGM or Re-recording.

Songs on Screen

1. Ye shakuni aadani judam (Vandemataram) : Much like a montage song. picturized well post CM's Death
2. Rajashekara : I personally did not like this song.
3. Hey CM : Good
4. Aunana Kaadana : Shekhar Mark picturisation, Richa is gorgeous in this song.
5. Sreelu pongina : okay
6. Maa telugu thaliki : Re-Recording isn't great probably because of the use of the old Track.

Photography is good, production values are great. Editing is okay.

Story-Screenplay-Dialogues-Direction

Story: Good
Screenplay: Bad
Dialogues: Good
Direction: Okay.

Shekhar has really made a sincere attempt with this film. He should def. be appreciated for the story he has chose. First half of the movie is good but second half of the movie mostly tests your patience. Okay when you have chosen this subject you need to completely focus the issue. It isn't a commercial entertainer to include all the elements. The need for the hero romancing heroine is completely cinematic. Second half of the movie seems pretty cinematic and you do not require these kind of scenes to take over your screen time. I would like to ask one thing whether the CM has only one issue (raiding biggies and collecting black money), accumulating them to 100000crores and utilizing the money for the people? He should have focused more on many current topics rather than wasting the screen time and testing our patience with hero-heroine romancing, songs between them and all those stuff.

Shekhar rather than dealing the subject more trustfully dealt it more in a diplomatic way.

Dialogues of the movie are really good at times. He has romance, humor and punch in his dialogue. The conversation between Gollapudi Maruthi Rao and RANA at the assembly is def one of the best scenes with great dialogues. Like wise there are few dialogues that Shekhar can remember for ever.

On the whole Leader is movie with a promising first half and dragged second half. Def. second half should have been much much better that what it is now. RANA looks promising.

My Review: 2.75/5