Saturday, 8 February 2014

Review : Paisa

Story: Prakash(Nani), a random drifter can't believe his luck when he accidentally gets his hands on Rs 50 crore. But soon enough all hell breaks loose as cops, goons and powerful politicians step into the scene. 


Movie Review: Every other scene in the movie has a superimposed backdrop of the Charminar jutting out from the foreground, much the same way gaudy wall paintings would in cheap theatre productions. Well, most of the movie is set in the old city and perhaps the filmmaker was desperate to drive home the point to the audience. However, the presence of a surfeit of popular faces from Deccani cinema like RK, Akbar-bin-Tabar, Raju Srivastav lends some forced authenticity to the proceedings onscreen. 

Technically there is plenty that's wrong with the movie that looks like it's been shot with the wrong camera. The production values are reminiscent of those you would find in an amateur home video. But then even the best of Krishna Vamsi's films didn't click for their technical finesse so to harp on them would be redundant. 

His brand of cinema borders on the grotesque and the filmmaker sticks to his strengths and whips up a rather indulgently entertaining experience. The plot is simple. The protagonist Prakash is a good for nothing old city bum who hangs out with jobless friends dreaming about one chance to make it big. There is Noor who is madly in love with Prakash and a pampered daughter of a powerful politician Sweety who Prakash fancies. 


Heartbroken on finding about Prakash's fondness for Sweety, Noor decides to get married to an aging Arab Sheikh to pay off a family debt. But Prakash gatecrashes the wedding along with the friends and in the ensuing melee escapes in a SUV he finds on the way. He can't believe his luck when he discovers huge plastic covers filled with cash stashed in the trunk. It turns out the money - Rs 50 crores - is actually election funds meant for a corrupt minister. From here on it becomes a free for all with cops, goons and the lot chasing the money. 


Nani's performance as the loveable rogue is easily the biggest USP of the movie. He has the author backed role and he carries it off with panache. Catherine Tresa looks pretty convincing playing a burkha clad girl. The thumping background score sets the pace for the numerous twists and turns that follow.