Mazaka comes from the duo of Samajavaragamana and Ooru Peru Bhairavakona. Producers Razesh Danda and Anil Sunkara are on a hat-trick. Does their reunion with Sundeep Kishan deliver the intended ‘maza’? Let’s find out.
Telugu Funda’s reveal of the basic plot:
Krishna (Sundeep Kishan), a happy-go-lucky college-goer, falls for Meera (Ritu Varma). His widowed father Venkata Ramana (Rao Ramesh), meanwhile, woos a 35-something US-bound woman named Yashoda (Anshu Ambani). The father-son duo might be separated by a generation but they are united in their mission to win over their sweethearts at any cost. But there comes a situation where only one of them will laugh their way to the wedding. How do they navigate the Catch 22 situation? That’s what the second half is about.
Telugu Funda’s take on the performances:
- The main ones: Sundeep Kishan and Rao Ramesh are largely okay but their characters required them to be far more comical than they are. They generate laughs in the first half, but their energy wears thin in the second hour.
- The female leads: Anshu of Manmadhudu fame doesn’t look invested. Ritu Varma of Pelli Choopulu fame is average.
- The bad guy: Murali Sharma, as a cruel clown, is a rich businessman with no heart. Someone should urgently hypnotize him to get out of his Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo character.
- The comedians: Srinivas Reddy is good, while Hyper Aadhi is funny in one scene. Raghu Babu is routine.
- Others: Ajay and Supreeth are seen as a cop and a rich bad guy, respectively.
Telugu Funda’s take on the Technical Departments:
- The music: Leon James’ work is a high-effort one. Sommasilli Pothunnave and Pagili deserved better treatment.
- The cinematography: Just passable. Many frames are dull.
- Production values: Not up to the mark. Clearly, the makers wanted to wrap it up on a low budget.
- Other elements: The choice of locations, the art direction and other aspects are middling.
Telugu Funda’s Analysis:
Mazaka is Exhibit #9582 that Telugu film writers write forced and weird coincidences because they want it easy. Additionally, there have to be villains and eve-teasers who drive the plot in convenient directions.
Writer-director Prasanna Kumar Bezawada and director Trinadha Rao Nakkina have had a successful journey together: Cinema Choopistha Mava, Hello Guru Prema Kosame, and Ravi Teja’s Dhamaka. In the case of Mazaka, the writing department heavily relies on making characters meet accidentally to propel the plot forward. And these characters have a tied destiny somehow. Too many films have too much of this, but Mazaka is one of those films that goes on and on.
By the time the climax plays out, chances are you would be tired of the alleged “twists” in the love stories of Meera and Yashoda. The film could have been turned into a relatable family drama with solid female characters. Probably, someone with the mindset of director Baskhar of the Bommarillu days would have handled the subject in a wholly different manner. There surely are sparks of coming-of-age family drama in Mazaka. But everything is frittered away in favour of over-the-top comedy.
Telugu Funda’s Verdict:
Mazaka has a fairly engaging first half. The second half is meandering, with unnatural plotting robbing the film of ‘Maza’.
Rating: 2
Follow Telugu Funda on trending Social Media Platforms for more Cinema, OTT, Political, And Sports updates.
