Credits
Jeevi Rating: 3.25/5 (Three and quarter)
Genre: Action
Cast: Nag, Soundarya, Shilpa Shetty and Raghuvaran
Music: Mani Sharma
Camera: Chota K Naidu
Screenplay : Yandamuri Veerendranath
Story & Direction: Tirupati Swamy
Producer: Aswini Dutt
Theatrical Release Date: 29th September 2000
Review
Story
Soundarya is the journalist who is harassed by the misdeeds of Deva, the most influential person and an underworld mafia don in the city. Deva is apparently as Hindu devotee who is bent upon teaching Geeta to every human he meets.
Then she happens to see an accident in which a bunch of rowdies die. She takes the opportunity to create a fictional character called 'Azaad'. She writes a letter that Azad has done this assassination to end the rowdy deeds in the city. And the word spread like wildfire that there is a guy called 'Azaad' who is the protector of common man. Soundarya takes more opportunities like popularize the character of 'Azaad'.
There is a humble guy called Chandra Sekhar Azaad (Nag) in Rajahmudry who has a widowed mother, a beautiful sister and a cute maradalu, Kanaka Maha Laxmi (Shilpa Shetty) to take care of. As his sister's marriage is fixed, Azaad go to Hyderabad to get the five lacs he saved in a chit fund company.
There he happens to be involved in a few bomb blasting incidents and avoids all the bomb blasts happen without his knowledge. People start thinking that he is the Azaad. And soundarya meets him and explains him about her mission of ending nonsense in the city. Chandrasekhar Azaad, who is more interested in taking money from Chitfund Company and go back to village to participate in his sister's marriage refuses to don the role of legendry character Azaad.
But later on that chitfund company turns out to be bogus one. And they cheat Azaad. By looking at victims committing suicides, Azaad wants to don the mask of 'Azaad' and stop corruption in the city. All the incidents that happen make Deva feel disturbed.
Azaad also comes to know that Deva is not a Hindu, but a Muslim terrorist who is in a mission to destroy India. And the rest of the film is about how Azaad assassinates Deva and his gang of goons. If you want to know how Azaad put an end to the Deva's life and whom he did marry ultimately (Soundarya or Shilpa Shetty), you gotta watch this film on the giant screen.
Performances
Nag: Nag, who donned a new avatar as a man next door with 'Nuvvu Vastavani' carries his charm in this film too. Except for the climax, his character is driven by the intelligence of Soundarya character. Nag shows his sentimental action in this film towards his sister role. He carried the film with his charm and elegance.
Soundarya: She is given a role of powerful and wily journalist. She performed her bit with perfection. It looks like she has done her own dubbing in this film. Her voice is different and more earthly than plastic Telugu voices our heroines get. She was very glamorous in this film and Tirupathy Awamy made sure that her 'glamour' is used to the maximum extent.
Shilpa Shetty: She looks different as the villege belle 'Kanaka Mahalaxmi'. In a few frames, her histrionics resemble that of manisha in 'Oke Okkadu'. Even her voice resembles us of 'Simran'. The artist who dubs for Simran has lent her voice to shilpa in this film.
Prakash Raj: He did a cameo role in this film. He is a sub inspector in this film. His role mostly involves in criticizing the society using slapstick comedy and ends up in attempting suicide as a proud Indian.
Raghuvaran: He acted as a Pakistan born muslim terrorist under the mask of a religious Hindu leader. Though he put all his efforts, there is no dhum in the character.
Technical departments:
Music: Background score of this film is gripping. But songs of the film are not upto the standard of Vyjayanti films. As far as shooting the songs are concerned, they are very impressive and rich. But the songs in second half have become ineffective, as the story of the film was dull during that part.
Dialogues: Dialogues in this film are good, though they are predictable. All the dialogues are trademark of Paruchuri brothers.
Screenplay: Screenplay by Yandamuri is good in the first half, but in the second half it's gone haywire. Yandamuri mark is shown in the stories too. In one of his novels, he made the PM of India as an agent of ISI. Like that he molded the villain character as an ISI agent in the mask of a Hindu.
Photography: Camera work is a definite plus point for the film. Chota K Naidu has excelled in making this film a visual treat.
Direction: Tirupati Swamy, a journalist by profession has chosen a story that is based on a journalist. The basic story of the film is inspired by a hindi film 'Main Azaad Hun' which in turn is inspired by a Hollywood 1941 classic 'Meet John Doe'. The story of the film good and director did an excellent job in the first half, but lost track in the second half. Though the way Soundarya established 'Azaad Character' as the savior of society looks unconvincing, the directed as played it in a good way.
Analysis: Analysis: The first half of the film is excellent. But it was the second half that let the film down. As we approach the climax, things become very routine and predictable. This film could have been done better. Director seems to have inspired by films like 'Oke Okkadu' (Shilpa Shetty characterization, keeping Arjun mom as Nag's mom), Bharateeyudu (creating terror that Bharateeyudu will come and destroy the evildoers), Mask of Zorro (where azad writes A with his sword after accomplishing act) and of course 'Main Azad Hoon'. On a whole, it was a good attempt to dish out a wholesome entertainer.
