Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is set in the soft tinted, beautifully framed, pastel hued cotton candy land that Trivikram Srinivas builds. The evil doers here are left to their own devices, in hope that karma will get to them. And when that doesnt work, theyre of course beaten up black and blue, but in style. The film sets up a lot of characters and ends up showcasing scenarios that are completely implausible. But the films biggest strength is that you buy it all, even if Trivikram, yet again, tells the tale of a man who wants to help a family he cares about.
The bane of Bantus (Allu Arjun) existence is his father Valmiki (Murli Sharma, giving a brilliant performance). The older man likes putting down his son at every opportunity, reminding him of his fate for having been born in a middle class family. He seems more interested in his boss Ramachandras (Jayram) son Raj Manohar (Sushanth A) than his own and theres a reason for it. The chaos that ensues when Bantu finds out the truth about his father and enters Vaikunthapurram (the lavish home Ramachandra and his family stay at) in a bid to help them is worth watching. But not because the film pulls of something new, it doesnt.
The film is not without its issues. While the romance that ensues between Amulya (Pooja Hegde) and Bantu is adorable, especially Thaman S numbers Samajavaragamana and Butta Bomma, the way it all begins is extremely problematic. The fact that Bantu cannot stop staring at Amulyas legs because theyre beautiful is played for laughs, but Trivikram balances it out, very ironically, by giving his lead a line that talks about consent. Pooja Hegde manages to bring in spunk into a character that is nothing more than a manic pixie dream girl, but she sure is a delight to watch on screen. Tabus character too is poorly fleshed out (what a shame), and the emotional scene she has with her husband doesnt completely work. But shes nothing less than grace personified. Sushanth A doesnt get much to do either.
In Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo numerous characters are set up, played by Nivetha Pethuraj, Rahul Ramakrishna, Navdeep, Sunil, Harsha Vardhan, even the antagonist of this tale Samuthirakani and more, but the key players remain Murli Sharma, Sachin Khedekar (in a role he seems to be having so much fun with) and of course, Allu Arjun. Allu Arjun sinks his teeth into his role, pulling it off with effortless ease. He’s as comfortable being the miserable son as he is playing the man who will beat up everyone around him with swag, someone who will smile in his sleep despite his circumstances and instead of blaming his father, take charge of his life. He, of course, dances like a dream and the fight sequences by Ram Lakshman are a delight to watch. Especially a particular sequence that involves a fight and a folk song. There’s even a tribute to famous celebs from Tollywood.
Thaman S music and background score for this one is impressive (Ramuloo Ramulaa and OMG Daddy are killer) and the cinematography by PS Vinod is good. Naveen Noolis editing couldve been tighter, especially in the second half, where the film doesnt pack the kind of punch the first half did. Trivikrams fans might miss his trademark punch comedic dialogues, but fitting with the theme of the film, the comedy in this one is more dry and sarcastic, and it works
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo has a little bit of everything and despite the cliche and predictable storyline Trivikram manages to make it work and deliver what he promises. Watch this one for Allu Arjun, especially if youre a fan, for he shines in this one and of course, the fun of it all.
