Directed by AR Mohan, Allari Naresh starrer Itlu Maredumilli Prajaneekam hit the screens today. Let's see how it goes.
Story: Set in the forest region of Maredumilli, the film revolves around the lifestyle of people living in a remote area. On mid-term election duty, Srinivas, a government teacher, travels to the region to encourage tribal people to vote. Infuriated by the system, people living in Maredumilli refuse to vote as their area has been neglected by various politicians for the past three decades. How will Srinivas convince the villagers to exercise their democratic rights? What obstacles the sincere school teacher will face in the process of fulfilling the wishes of the forest people is the decisive factor.
Performances: After Naandhi, Naresh has done yet another social drama that exposes the loopholes in our system. Apparently, Naresh is decent in formal wear throughout the film. His seated acting without any comedic expression brings depth to the proceedings.
Heroine Anandhi is pretty in half sarees and her attitude as a village bell is showcased beautifully. Though there are combination scenes between Naresh and Anandhi, the film has less room for romance and colorful duets between the lead pair.
Vennela Kishore is awesome with his comedy timing. His facial expressions while delivering punch lines elicit healthy laughs. Actor Praveen gets a long role in which he gives a decent performance.
Sampath Raj is convincing as the district collector. Surya Teja takes on a meaty role as a tribal boy with an aggressive personality. Other supporting artistes like Raghu Babu among others have done their duty well.
Technical Features: Sricharan Pakala's music suits the genre of the film. While the songs are situational and screen passable, the background score elevates several key scenes.
Cinematography by Raam Reddy is good. He beautifully captured the natural places in and around the Maredumilli forest region. Chota K Prasad's editing is good as he keeps the film's running time within limits.
Set mostly in a forest region, this limited-budget film has good production values.
Analysis: Director AR Mohan's basic concept revolving around the lives of people living in remote areas is good. Along with his ideas on paper, the first half of the set-up scenes are properly presented.
A government teacher who goes to any extent to help the downtrodden is featured in several thought-provoking scenes. On the other hand, if the director had focused on maintaining the same pace in the second half, the result would have been unanimous. The screenplay loses its impact in the crucial part of the second part, which is a negative for the film. To summarize, Itlu Maredumilli Prajaneekam is a social drama that has a fresh edge but suffers from a slow paced story in the second half.
Verdict: A sincere try!