Funky, jointly produced by Naga Vamsi S and Sai Soujanya, hit the cinemas today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.
Plot:
New director Komal's career is on the brink of collapse after his debut movie's budget shoots up to an unsustainable level. Chitra, the producer's commanding daughter, now starts steering the project. Komal retains his job after he promises to control the budget using 'jugaad' tactics. Once back in the director's chair, his attention gets divided between the project and Chitra.
Performances:
Vishwak Sen is good, although he doesn't hit it out of the park. By setting aside his "Mass Ka Das" persona (he is even made fun of as "Stress Ka Das"), he grounds the performance in a way that feels both relaxed and accessible. His willingness to be the butt of the joke adds a layer of humour, while Kayadu Lohar successfully brings out the poise and subtly arrogant demeanor of her affluent character. VK Naresh and Sampath Raj are underutilized. A few good scenes involving the producer-financier duo would have been welcome.
Technical Aspects:
The background score is serviceable. It's at the level it was supposed to be. Bheems Ceciroleo's songs are not up to the mark. Navin Nooli's editing is too tight. Suresh Sarangam's cinematography pairs the funk of the film sets with the hesitant swagger of the love story. Jonny Shaik's art direction doesn't sanitize the production and props of the film within the film.
Post-Mortem:
Right from the start, Funky introduces film industry persons who are not aware of how ridiculous they are. A financier's crazed love for Jr NTR makes him go to any lengths just for a photo-op with him. A producer has made numerous films with the word 'Manchi' just because his banner's name is Manchi Productions. And then there is our male lead, Komal, who is almost on the verge of being kicked out of the industry for wasting his producer's precious resources. He is insincere at work and exploits his assistants. There is more to his personality, though.
He ignores his family. Or, so it seems. In one of those scenes where he must pretend affection for relatives he has never met, he has to figure out, on the go, how different persons are related to him. A track is conceived around his sister's wedding; and it takes the form of a spoof on the 'Appaginthalu' tradition.
The heroine, Chitra, is angry with Komal right at the start of the film. This way, the film avoids a whole stretch to establish the background for this. The run-time would have increased by ten minutes, but the trade-off would have been worth it. The audience would have appreciated the tension between Komal and Chitra better. The first song is not a love song but one built on the hero's apology.
Some jokes are clever, if you are a thoughtful follower of (bad) movies. For example, in many commercial actioners, the antagonist avoids attacking the good side because he is advised to show restraint until elections. This is the advice Sampath Raj's character receives from a funny goon. "What is the link?" he screams in frustration, mirroring the exasperation of Telugu movie buffs. The use of the word 'containers' in many action movies is another element that is mocked. "Even if unnecessary, the characters have to keep using the word throughout," a character says. The trend of foreign stunt directors being recruited just because they are lucky is also cited.
The male lead is a weirdo. "I may ignore my family, but I have family values," Komal declares, unironically. As a socially awkward person, he doesn't know how to look involved at his sister's wedding.
Funky is jointly written by director Anudeep KV and Mohan Sato. The foundations of the humour are built around Komal's missteps during the making of his maiden venture. A major flaw is that the love story between Komal and Chitra doesn't feel weighty. It's a bit more serious than the one we saw in Jathi Ratnalu, but way less appealing in the absence of an upbeat song.
Closing Remarks:
Funky is a meta-cinematic ride that succeeds largely due to its clever "inside baseball" jokes about the Telugu film industry. It is watchable.
