SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD IS LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI MINUS THE SOUL: GOOD BUT NOT GREAT ENOUGH

First things first. Shankardada Zindabad was a remake of Lage Raho Munnabhai. And it was just that. A copycat version. No planning seems to have gone into the making of the film, and Prabhu Deva's nervousness of directing a big hero like Chiranjeevi is visible all through the film. The result: the film has everything to go for it, but it lacks the soul. And a movie without a soul is like eating biryani without the masala. It may be nourishing to the body, but not spicy enough to give you the feeling that you have had your fill.

There are three things that have worked for Lage Raho Munnabhai: its novelty, its impeccable screenplay and the heroine. Apart from this, the great bonding between Munnabhai and Circuit was exceptionally portrayed. Of course, there was Dilip Prabhavalkar, who wowed the audiences with his role of Gandhi. But, unfortunately, in Shankardada Zindabad neither of them have spelt any magic.

And it is not without reason. The first mistake the filmmakers made was wanting to make a foolproof film -- without any errors in terms of production or the pace of the film. And towards that end they've recreated the Lage Raho... sequences frame by frame.

Sadly, Prabhu Deva didn't know what to do with Ravi Teja, Allu Arjun and Pawan Kalyan in the film which had no place for them. So, he did the best thing that any filmmaker would do: junk them. What a callous waste of talent!

Come to think of it, the fault doesn't lie with Prabhu Deva. And only Chiranjeevi would have to be blamed for the insipid film. For, he wanted to have his say in the film, as he had great hopes of entrenching his position as the mega star of the industry. And ended up having his finger in every pie of the production. Like it or not, he wanted Shankardada Zindabad to do for him, what Sivaji: the Boss did for Rajnikanth. Let us not forget that Chiranjeevi is no Rajnikanth, and neither is Prabhu Deva a Shankar.

This is not to say the film is an absolute piece of trash. No, not at all. It is done well by any stretch of imagination. But, as we have said, it lacked the soul. It is like a photocopy of Lage Raho Munnabhai and an immature one at that. Everyone contributed their mite to enhance the image of the film, but when there is no soul in the film, their performances end up as mere appendages.

The biggest blunder however, is the casting of Karishma Kotak as the heroine. While Vidya Balan had an amazing grace, Ms Kotak had nothing going for her. Not even looks. She looks plump, and maybe was taken to offset the body weight of Chiranjeevi. But, sadly, it didn't work. In comparison, Sonali Bendre oozed an unmatchable presence in Shankardada MBBS. The only thing that was missing in Shankardada MBBS was the pace. But in the sequel, both the grace and the pace were missing.

Chiranjeevi's fans expected some good choreography to offset the emotional scenes in the film. But they were disappointed with the mediocre dance sequences. And this leaves us with a good film to watch out for but a mediocre execution of the project. Will Tollywood ever realise that it would have to pull up its socks?

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WHO IS THIS SHANKARDADA? CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM?

Who is this Shankardada?
Shankardada is a small-time goon and gangster who settles property disputes, gets people vacated from their premises using violence, and does everything that involves violence.

Whay are people zindabad-ing him?
That is a long story. To cut it short, he falls in love with a radio jockey and waits for an opportunity to meet her. And it comes in the form of a quiz on Gandhi. Whoever gets all the questions right will get to be interviewed by her on her radio programme. So, our hero kidnaps the professors and gets the all the answers right and predictably, gets a chance to meet the heroine.

What happens after that?
Our hero somehow manages to con his way through in the radio interview, and, of course, impresses his girl. But the problem comes later when she asks him to deliver a lecture on Gandhianism to her gang of 60-year-old friends.

So, how does he overcome the crisis?
He goes to the library and reads as much as possible on Gandhi, everything he can lay his hands on. And on the third day, Gandhi miraculously appears before him and tells Shankardada that he would help him on one condition.

What is that condition?
That Shankardada should give up his violent ways and put to practice Gandhian principles in everything he does.

But that is really tough for a goon. Isn't it?
True. But he finds it easier to make a difference in the lives of many people through Gandhianism than through violence.

And how does that happen?
It is an amazing story. And it is wonderfully told with a gripping narrative interspersed with the comic elements.

One last question: what role does ATM play?
ATM is usual self in Shankardada Zindabad too and is the right hand man of Shankardada. Like what is Lord Lakshman to Lord Rama, ATM is to Shankardada. There are some great comic elements in the movie and the emotions will open your eyes and probably make you cry.

SHANKARDADA GETS READY TO HIT THE SCREENS ON JULY 25: ARE YOU READY FOR HIS GANDHIGIRI?

Shankardada Zindabad is finally ready to hit the screens. And the auspicious date is July 25. Even as Chiranjeevi's fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the film, it would be an acid test for both Chiranjeevi and Prabhudeva. The latter has already proved his mettle with his stupendous successes in Nuvvostanante Nenoddantanu in Telugu and the remake of Pokiri in Tamil. And seeing the spark and the deftness in his direction, he has been personally selected by Chiranjeevi to direct the sequel of Shankardada MBBS. And those who have seen the rushes say that Prabhudeva has indeed done a marvellous job. Predictably, Prabhudeva is jittery as he is directing a megastar in the south for the first time and his future fortunes hinge on the success of this film. If it becomes a hit, which it is likely to become, he will strike gold in Tollywood. But, if it turns out to be otherwise, he will have to pack his bags and head for the Tamil film industry.

As for Chiranjeevi, who is especially at the crossroads of his career, with his son too making a foray into films, he badly needs a superhit in Shankardada Zindabad. And, we hear, that he has taken all efforts to ensure that all the loose ends in the script are tightened and a perfect blow-by-blow account with all the emotions that touched the hearts of the audiences in Lage Raho Munnabhai are felt by the Telugu audiences as well.

Though Karishma Kotak looks like a pale imitation of Vidya Balan, we have to wait and see how this damsel has donned the role of a radio jockey. With hardly more than a week for the release, let's hope that Chiranjeevi will live for long in the hearts of the Telugu audiences.

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SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD SONG: GOOD MORNING



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THE GRAND FINALE

CHIRANJEEVII RAVES ABOUT THE MUSIC OF HIS NEW FILM SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD

I generally don't talk much about the music of my films. But,

for this one (Shankardada Zindabad), I'm sure the audio will

become a hit because all the seven numbers, composed by Devi

Sri Prasad are sure to attract everyone. People always expect

good films me. And here is one. We had a ball on the sets.

-- Chiranjeevi on the audio of Shankardada Zindabad

KARISHMA KOTAK, THE HOT BABE OF SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD: TAKE A DEKKO AT SOME OF HER FABULOUS PIX

KARISHMA KOTAK, THE HOT BABE OF SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD: TAKE A DEKKO AT SOME OF HER FABULOUS PIX

CHIRANJEEVI GETS NAUGHTY WITH KARISHMA KOTAK, GIVES HER A WARM HUG TO SHOW HIS APPRECIATION FOR HER SCINTILLATING PERFORMANCE

Maybe taking a cue from Richard Gere, So excited was Chiranjeevi at the audio release function of Shankardada Zindabad, that he hugged the heroine, Karishma Kotak, and whispered in her ear: "Don't tell about this to my wife". We know Chiranjeevi that men get naughty at 40. But et tu?

TENSION WRIT LARGE ON CHIRANJEEVI'S FACE AT SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD AUDIO RELEASE FUNCTION

Actors too are susceptible to nervousness when they are on stage. And this can be seen in Chiranjeevi's face too at the audio release functiion of Shankardada Zindabad. When he is not talking on the megaphone, he is nervously watching the proceedings. Which in other words means, quietly feeling the pulse of the audience. Take a look at the photographs carefully, you can feel the tension that is writ large on Chiranjeevi's face. It is visible even when he is all smiles and laughter. What could the cause of the worry be? Is he worried about the fate of the film? Or whether he would be able to live up to the expectatiions of his fans?

THE AUDIO IS OUT AND IS REPORTEDLY QUITE A RAGE WITH THE FANS, WILL THE FILM BE THE SAME TOO?

The audio of Shankardada Zindabad, the sequel to Shankardada MBBS, was launched with great fanfare at a function held at Shilpa Kala Vedika on Wednesday. Fanfare, because some of the prominent actors and directors of the Telugu film industry graced the occasion. They include actors not just from the Chiranjeevi clan like Pawan Kalyan and Allu Arjun, but Venkatesh too made his presence felt.

Of course, the entire cast of the film -- Srikanth, who plays the role of ATM, Karishma Kotak, the heroine, Mamata Mohandas, Devi Sri Prasad, who complosed the music for the film, Prabhu Deva, the director.

Also present were the Tollywood filmmakers K Raghavendra Rao, Trivikram Srinivas, S J Surya, V N Aditya, M L Kumar Chowdary, Aswini Dutt, M S Raju, Paruchuri Venkateswara Rao, Dil Raju, Gemini Kiran, Ravi Shankara Prasad, Manohar Prasad, T Trivikrama Rao, Addala Chanti.

The whole auditorium reverberated with the cries of Shankardada Zindabad when the audio was released.

WHO SAID WHAT:

The most precious thing for me in the world is the affection and enthusiasm showered by my fans. Devi Sri Prasad, who scored amazing music for Shankardada MBBS. did even better for Shankardada Zindabad. All songs in this film are superb. Sometimes, I feel jealous of the manifold talents of Devi Sri Prasad.

-- Chiranjeevi

I always wanted to do at least a small role in Chiranjeevi’s film. I am acting like a representative of all the fans. My dialogue in the film represents the heartbeat of all the fans. It took me 18 years to fulfill my dream of becoming hero.

-- Pawan Kalyan

Shankardada MBBS was a big hit. I hope that Shankardada Zindabad will become a bigger hit.

-- Venkatesh












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SHANKARDADA GETS READY TO WOW AUDIENCES ONCE AGAIN WITH HIS SEQUEL: WILL IT BE ZINDABAD ALL THE WAY FOR CHIRANJEEVI?

Shankardada Zindabad, starring Chiranjeevi as the goon-turned-Gandhian, has completed the shooting of its songs in Australia. The audio will be released in the first week of July, that is in a week from now, according to music director Devisri Prasad. Karishma Kotak, who is playing the lead role of a Radio Jockey, in place of Vidya Balan, has some impressive curves and curves to show in this film, we hear. But, one thing we can say for sure. She may have the oomph of a Mallika Sherawat, but she doesn't have the charisma of Vidya Balan. Let's wait and see how she will fare, it is just a matter of time. The film is a remake of Lage Raho Munnabhai, which wowed audiences the world over.

WILL SHANKARDADA DO A SIVAJI? EXPECTATIONS SOAR FOR SHANKARDADA ZINDABAD

With the super success of Rajnikanth's film, Sivaji: The Boss, all eyes are on Shankardada Zindabad, in which Chiranjeevi plays a 'goon-turned-Gandhian'. Chiranjeevi, we hear, is taking all possible efforts to ensure that there are no flaws in the film, technical or otherwise. And he has been monitoring every shot and scene of the film, especially after the not-so-impressive showing of Shankardada MBBS.

Though Munnabhai MBBS was a roaring hit in Bollywood and touched the heartstrings of the people in India, director Jayanth quite couldn't catch the pulse of the film, and the result was that Shankardada MBBS, which would have been a chartbuster for Chiranjeevi couldn't fare as expected. Predictably, Jayanth was blamed for the film's poor showing, and Prabhu Deva roped in to direct the sequel.

But, more than Shankardada MBBS, Shankardada Zindabad needs a very sensitive handling of the film, which is why the filmmakers wanted to retain the entire cast from the Hindi version. But except for Dilip Prabhavalkar, who played Gandhi, the others were not too willing to act in a remake. So, out go Vidya Balan, who was the lynchpin of the entire film after Gandhi, Dia Mirza and Boman Irani. Of course, Srikanth, who played Arshad Warsi, was the favourite of Shankardada MBBS, and the audiences are looking forward to see how he fares in the sequel. One thing we can expect, however, from Prabhu Deva is the technical finesse and the amazing choreography, two things that are vital in a Chiranjeevi film today. Because if the songs catch on, it is half the victory. And, even if they manage to capture 50 per cent of the essence of Lago Rahe Munnabhai, the filmmakers would go laughing all the way to the bank.

Right now, the songs are being picturised on Chiranjeevi and Karishma Kotak in the picturesque locales of Australia. Except for that everything is complete. And the film is sceheduled for release in exactly a month from now -- on July 24.

Mumbai model is heroine of Shankardada Zindabad

It's official now. The pal... pal... pal... girl from Lage Raho Munnabhai, Vidya Balan, has refused to act in the Telugu remake of the same film Shankardada Zindabad despite the producers and the director, Prabhudeva, falling head over heels to convince her why she must do the film in Telugu too. But Balan refused to be cowed down by the emotional blackmailing of the Tollywood bigwigs. So now they've settled for a sexy Mumbai model Karishma Kotak. The shooting of the film is currently underway in and around Hyderabad and the grapevine has it that Prabhudeva has been doing a marvellous job in shaping up the film the way Chiranjeevi wants it. Must give it to the boneless wonder for perfectly honing his good PR skills.