Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
Gaddhalakonda Ganesh Movie Review : Varun Tej shines in Harish Shankar's unabashed ode to cinema
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Gaddhalakonda Ganesh Movie Review : Varun Tej shines in Harish Shankar's unabashed ode to cinema

Gaddhalakonda Ganesh Movie Review : Varun Tej shines in Harish Shankar's unabashed ode to cinema

Hemanth Kumar CR • September 20, 2019, 17:35:56 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

Varun Tej’s makeover as a fierce gangster is Gaddhalakonda Ganesh’s biggest USP and Harish Shankar taps into the actor’s energy to add zing into this film

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Gaddhalakonda Ganesh Movie Review : Varun Tej shines in Harish Shankar's unabashed ode to cinema

Language: Telugu Like most things in life, the world of cinema too is full of surprises. Like, a film which was titled Valmiki right from its inception, was baptised as _Gaddhalakonda Ganesh_  at the 11th hour because the former title raked in plenty of controversy. Incidentally, in the film, directed by Harish Shankar, there’s a scene where the protagonist, Abhilash (Atharva Murali) and a projector operator (Thanikella Bharani) argue over why one needs to adjust, but not compromise to make a film. Gaddhalakonda Ganesh, the title, is precisely this sort of adjustment to appease everyone, but then, it doesn’t really make a difference, because when it comes to the actual film and its story, Harish Shankar doesn’t compromise anywhere to narrate what he wants to. If this film wasn’t a remake of Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda, then one could even assume that Abhilash, the aspiring director in the story, might be Harish Shankar’s alter-ego, considering how much both of them vouch for the power of cinema. Right from the beginning, Harish Shankar makes it evident that Gaddhalakonda Ganesh is an ode to cinema and its effect on people. Brahmanandam makes a cameo just to recite a poem to underline the many facets of cinema and why it’s so intoxicating. The film, however, tells us how cinema changes the life of a rugged gangster and makes him human, once again. And as we get to know the characters and the world that the story is set in better, it also takes a different shape where we question how villains are portrayed and how smartly the story, written by Karthik Subbaraj, subverts the tried and tested tropes about the lives of gangsters. The film follows the journey of an aspiring director, Abhilash (Atharva) who gets fascinated with the life of a gangster, Gaddhalakonda Ganesh ( Varun Tej ), and he ends up making a film with Ganesh playing the lead role. [caption id=“attachment_7374851” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] ![Varun Tej in a still from Gaddhalakonda Ganesh. Image from Twitter](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/large_file_plugin/2019/09/1568970173_valmikisocial.jpg) Varun Tej in a still from Gaddhalakonda Ganesh. Image from Twitter[/caption] In this film, the villain is the hero, and so, Harish Shankar ensures that everything that Varun Tej does looks heroic. There’s no trace of evilness in Ganesh’s approach to killing people. He even says that he won’t kill anyone if he thinks it’s wrong, but being the short-tempered gangster that he is, he knocks people off without thinking too much. He doesn’t like to be reminded about his past and he certainly hates it when people disrespect him or his opinions. This approach alters the way we perceive the deeds of Gaddhalakonda Ganesh. His moral compass tilts towards doing the right thing, and even in his most fierce state, he’s still an emotional person because of his mother and Sridevi (Pooja Hegde). On the other hand, Abhilash wants to get to know Ganesh better by hook or crook, and he pushes the limits further to get close to Ganesh. This often puts him in jeopardy, but also it leads to hilarious situations where his friend (Satya) is always at the receiving end. Abhilash also meets Bujjamma (Mrinalini Ravi), who becomes a pawn in his endeavour, although both of them fall in love with each other. The interplay between these characters is engaging, but all said and done, the focus is almost always on Ganesh and the lead actor, Varun Tej. There are films where you know that an actor has had absolute freedom to tap into a different dimension of what he can offer. In Gaddhalakonda Ganesh, Varun Tej has clearly relished playing the character. Be it his ferocity or the dialect, Varun Tej aces the role and it’s a treat watching him transform effortlessly into a gangster. One of the best scenes in the film has him breakdown into tears when his mother hugs him. It’s a moment that stays with you, because that single shot captures how a man, who thinks he has a stone heart, melts into a blob of humaneness. Atharva Murali is a huge asset to the film and he brings a lot of believability to his role. His conversation with Thanikella Bharani is among the best written and directed segments in the entire story, and Atharva makes you root for him instantly. Newcomer Mrinalini Ravi is gorgeous on screen and lights up the frame every time she’s around. Pooja Hegde, who has played a key role, fits into her character quite well, and her chemistry with Varun Tej works quite well. For all the solid masala moments that the film delivers at regular intervals, there are chunks in the narrative which seem a little off. At times, the take off doesn’t quite work and in other instances, it feels way too convenient for the story to unfold in a certain fashion. This is especially obvious in the initial portions when Atharva lands in Gaddhalakonda; however, as the story unfolds, the life and eccentricities of Ganesh take centrestage. At a run time of close to three hours, the film also feels a tad too long and some sequences overstaying their welcome. Gaddhalakonda Ganesh isn’t consistently good, but when it hits the right note, it’s tough to take your eyes off the screen. Thankfully, there are plenty of such solid moments where you forget about everything else and believe in the magic of storytelling. It’s not just Ganesh who changes by the end, perhaps, we, the people, too warm up to the film which finds its right rhythm as it reaches its crescendo. That in itself is a surprise, like the art of cinema. Rating ***

Tags
Movie review Valmiki MovieReview varun Tej Pooja Hegde South Indian Movies SouthIndianMovies Mrinalini Ravi
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV