Trisha Krishnan

from sify.com
Moviebuzz


Movie
Pournami
Director
Prabhu Deva
Producer
M.S.Raju
Music
Devi Sri Prasad
Cast
Prabhas, Trisha, Charmee, Sindhu Tolani

M.S.Raju and Prabhu Deva after doing that candy floss entertainer Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana has tread on hitherto unexplored territory of doing a period drama (1963 milieu with no authentic or proper research) and ends up with egg on their face! It is an extremely flawed film with a breezy first half that just drags on and on and moves to a predictable end.
The major problem with Pounami is its non-happening script, its infantile storyline which is a lot of mumbo-jumbo and lacks good humour, human emotions, hummable numbers or even an interesting love build-up which is very crucial for the story to be believable.

We expected much more from past master M.S.Raju whose earlier films were total entertainers packaged superbly with style and panache. But sadly Pournami disappoints. Raju?s formula of mixing various Hindi and other regional films has gone awry. The basic thread of the first half is taken from Vaishali, a Bharathan classic from Malayalam while the second half is a straight lift from the Brazilian film Behind the Sun including some shots from the original like the blood-stains on shirt turning yellow which means revenge time.

The only saving grace in the film is Prabhas, Charmme and Trisha. Prabhu Deva has blundered by introducing Trisha in the second half as she is the pivot around which the story moves. In a short role, Trisha impresses though her character and love for the hero is not well-established by the director. Prabhas as a crazy fan of Elvis Presley in the first half is a delight to watch and Charmee steals the show with her vibrant expressions. Sindhu Tolani has nothing much to do.

Technically the film is tacky with Ashok?s cardboard sets blowing in the air with lackluster camerawork by Venkat Prasad. Devi Sri Prasad?s music lacks soul and creativity and the climax song Bharatha Vedamuga? reminds you of Raa Raa? in Chandramukhi. The film moves at snail pace and did Raju and Prabhu Deva forget about the music loving villain Rahul Dev in the end who was introduced with such great pomp!!

The story-

The film starts off with a prologue (in Black&White) when it is told that long time back a village hit by a famine was saved when a danseuse from a traditional family came forward to dance in front of a Shiva temple for rains. Since then it is a tradition that a girl from that family should dance on Pournami day for every 12 years. Now it is the turn of Pournami (Trisha) to perform the sacred ritual but she goes missing and everyone thinks that she eloped with her lover. But the truth is that she was packed off as the Zamindar had set his eyes on her!!

Shivkeshav (Prabhas) comes to live as a tenant in a portion of a huge mansion and starts a rock-and-roll dancing school. Chandrakala (Charmi) is a poor little rich girl of the household, ill-treated by her step mother who wants to sell her off to the local Zamindar (Rahul Dev).

Shivkeshav meets Pournami, in his village entangled in faction fights. Pournami is now in disguise as a gypsy girl and they fall in love with each other. But she sacrifices her life for him and the rest of the film is how Shivkeshav fulfills her last wish to make her sister Chandrakala dance in front of the Shiva temple.

post ur reviews here