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Mahanubhavudu
Mahanubhavudu links:
• Sharwanand interview
• Pre release function
• Press meet
• Trailers
• Photos
• Posters
Jeevi
rating: 3.25/5
Punchline: ‘clean’ entertainer
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Type: Straight
Banner: UV creations
Runtime: 145 minutes
Censor Certificate: U/A
Release date: 29 September, 2017
Theater watched: Screen 4, Prasads multiplex, Hyderabad
Cast: Sharwanand, Mehreen, Vennela Kishore, Nassar, Bhadram, Kalyani Nagarajan, Anand, Pizza Boy, Bhanu, Himaja, Venu, Sudarshan, Sai, Venki, Shankar Rao, Vennela Rama Rao, Rama Devi, Madhumani, Ragini, Rajitha, Abbulu choudary, Subhash, RK .etc
Music: SS Thaman
Cinematography: Nizar Shafi
Art: Ravindar
Actoin: Venkat
Choreography: Raju Sundaram
Lyrics: Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry, Bhaskarabhatla, Krishna Kanth
Editor: Kotagiri Venkateswararao
Story, Dialogues, Screenplay & Direction: Maruthi
Producers: Vamsi & Pramod
Mahanubhavudu links: |
Anand (Sharwanand) is a rich and sophisticated youngster who has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - excessive obsession for hygiene). He wears his disorder on his sleeve proudly. He falls in love with Meghana (Mehreen) after getting impressed with her hygiene levels. As they fall in love, she realises that his obsession for hygiene is dangerous for normal living. Rest of the story is all about how Anand sacrifices his obsession to win her back.
Sharwanand: Sharwanand breathes life into a character with a disorder. He makes sure that his obsession for hygiene looks lovable, but not irritating. His body language is perfect and made sure that he has generated comedy with slightest expressions. He has also added that chirpiness to the dances which he has trademarked in Run Raja Run film.
Others: Mehreen Pirzada fit the role well. Vennela Kishore doesn’t have much to play in first half, but made sure that his kind of moments are there for him in second half. Bhadram’s ziddu character worked really well with the crowds as his character unintentionally irritates hero character every time. Nassar is good as heroine’s father. Venu though acted in a couple of scenes has excelled with his comedy timing as a guy who doesn't bother to wash his hands. Anand is rugged as wrestling champion from village. A relatively new actress Kalyani Natarajan played the role of hero’s mother character.
Story - screenplay - direction: It’s a clean and simple story if you take OCD out of it. By adding OCD trait to hero character, Maruthi has added lot of entertainment through characterization. He has also created likability to character. If we take films like Prema Katha Chithram and Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, there was an ample opportunity to write an engaging screenplay because of the the trickiness in character (Nani in BBM and Nanthidha in PKC). But, Mahanubhavudu doesn’t have that cushion of screenplay comfort. Hence most of the time, film looks simple except for entertaining scenes. Since OCD is a sophisticated concept, he made sure that the village backdrop in second half tends well for the middle class audiences and masses. The most hilarious episode in the entire film is Sharwanand’s open bath episode that comes in second half. However, the tempo goes down after high scenes in second half. 
Other departments: Few of the songs scored by Thaman are good. Background music is very good. He has used the music typically used for animation films in Hollywood for the scenes depicting OCD of the hero. Background music has helped the film (especially the scene where kid enters when Sharwanand takes open bath). Cinematography by Nizar Shafi is excellent and depicts the disorder of hero with clear classification of visuals. Dialogues written by Maruthi are very good. Production design by Ravinder deserves an applause. Editing by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao is smooth. Production values by UV Creations are excellent. UV Creations is growing from strength to strength with each film by maintaining production quality and by making sure that they have content that appeals universally to all cross-section of audiences. 
Analysis: OCD characterization is a twin-edged blade. It gives a new flavor for characterization and entertainment. But thwarts you in screenplay section as story is simple with no scope for twists. Hence you can see highly entertaining scenes followed by a few dull episodes. High tempo narration followed by lull. This also make the story and character travel highly predictable. But the director made film appeals to everybody with a nice sprinkle of entertainment. Climax of the film is a bit of let down. If you are expecting hygienic fun, here is a ‘clean’ film for you. Mahanubhavudu will definitely make you conscious when you go to public restrooms in the interval. You may watch it (this recommendation comes with a disclaimer that this film is nowhere close to Bhale Bhale Magadivoy in terms of entertainment and engaging scale)!