Sainikudu is an Average Movie, No fizz in this hyped flick

SAINIKUDU CAST: Mahesh Babu, Trisha, Irfan Khan, Prakash Raj, Kota Srinivasa Kamna Jethmalani, Telangana Shakuntala DIRECTOR: Gunasekhar
RATING: Average

We have seen it all before, you can see it some more. But one more like Sainikudu, the Prince is sure to lose his charm ever more. Sainikudu turns out to be a patchwork culled and cobbled from movies done to date, or even death. Movies such as Streetfighter, Shaolin and from the not-so-recent Rang De Basanti come to the mind. This latest Gunasekhar-Mahesh Babu film is like the combo burger offer minus the free cola. The fizz is surely missing.

The story, by Gunasekhar, is about die-hard medical students who want to do good to society. So Sid, Siddharth yaar, played by Mahesh Babu, and his gang go about saving people from floods, eveteasers and goondas, not necessarily in that order. They face a firewall trying to deal with “politricks” when they take on the Chief Minister (Kota Srinivas) and the spoke in the wheel Pappu Yadav (Irfan Khan). To start with, they catch red-handed the relief material meant for flood victims being driven to Pappu’s godown out of the State.

It doesn’t take long for them to be branded as terrorists and Sid has no way out but to turn a fugitive. He even kidnaps Pappu’s love Varalakshmi (Trisha), when the villain is about to tie the knot. Director Gunasekhar certianly has a knack of saying, “See even I know beauty and the beast.” By then Pappu Yadav is the Home Minister having driven away students who wanted to contest against him into exile. He is aided and abetted by Mondi Naani (Prakash Raj) who is ever willing to go to any extremes to see the happiness in Pappu’s eyes. Incidentally, for that he is even willing to get Sid and his gang killed or even get his “sister” Varalakshmi married to him. Mondi Naani’s character is a straight lift from the real life character of Moddu Srinu and is certainly not a coincidence.

Meanwhile, Sid-on-the-run with hostage Varalakshmi develops a sort of Stockholm Syndrome and their love blossoms. What more does the audience want? A quick break! Kamna Jethmalani’s Banjara dance and Paruchuri dialogues come as a relief.