Jeevi Rating: 3.75/5 (Three and three fourth)
Genre: Family Drama
Cast: Srikanth, Naveen, Raasi & Laya
Music: Srinivasa Murthy
Dialogues: Janardhan Maharshi
Story, Screenplay & Direction: EVV Satya Narayana
Producer: EVV Satya Narayana
Theatrical Release Date: 2nd February 2001

Story

This movie starts with a variety titles clipping. Instead of giving importance to the star cast, EVV has made all his technicians (including light boys and clap boys) introduce themselves to the audience.

Praveen (Naveen) and Subadra (Raasi) are lovers and they decide to elope as their parents have other plans for them. They fix up bus stand as the venue and decide upon 11 pm as the time. But due to some reasons Praveen could not come to the bus stand and an embarrassed Subadra is caught red-handed by her parents.

Cut

There is a colony called prem nagar in Hyderabad and there lives a beautiful couple Jagdeesh (Srikanth) and Subadra. Jagdeesh works in a car showroom as a marketing manager. He tries all the ways to impress his wife, but to no avail. She does not let him touch her body and makes his life miserable with her indifference towards him.

Praveen joins the company where Jagdeesh is working. They become friends quickly and Jagdeesh finds a house just beside his house. Praveen along with his wife Kanaka Durga (Laya) joins the house. It took no time for Praveen to realize that his pre-marriage lover is the wife of his new friend Jagdeesh. And the strong-hearted Subadra was initially unhappy with Praveen for the way he left her in lurch at the bus stand. But later on realizes the real story behind Praveen not coming (he was beaten by his father and was forcibly put in unconsciousness for ten days till Subadra got married).

Willing Subadra feels that a woman can love only once in her life time and cannot continue the relationship with her hubby and she asks Praveen to take her away and marry her. Praveen tries to explain her how good Jagdeesh is. Subadra is aware of the kindness and greatness of Jagdeesh. But she is not wiling to accept him as her husband as she could not forget Praveen.

One fine day, both of them whisk away to Goa by informing their spouses that they are going on a trip for different reasons. After staying in a hotel, the guiltiness in Subadra starts growing. They get to know a couple, GV(Prakash Raj) and Avanti(Abantika) who are ex-classmates of Praveen. Incidentally, this couple too has the similar background. Only difference is that Avanti's husband resorts for suicide after her elopement with GV. Subadra slowly starts realizing the importance of her husband Jagdeesh and suspects her lover Praveen of materialistic motives behind eloping with her. After a few days of stay in the hotel, Subadra leaves back to Hyderabad by leaving a note to Praveen that she prefers staying with her husband then eloping and remarrying Praveen.

Mean time, Kanaka Durga comes to know that her hubby has eloped with her neighbor's wife. She starts treating Praveen nastily after his journey of Goa. Subadra resorts to a sudden suicide after the critical remarks on her by the neighboring society. Kanaka Durga decides to go for abortion as she feels her child should not be the son of an evil minded Praveen. As we travel to the Mediciti hospital for climax we come to know that the docs out there are none but GV and Avanti.

If you have some cinema sense, you must have guessed what actually happened in the film by now. Even if you know the entire story, you must watch this film for its gripping screenplay on bigger screen for better feeling.

Performances:

Artists:

Srikanth: Srikanth got used to play this kind of 'maha manishi' characters in the past too. And he did he part with consummate ease in this film.

Naveen: Naveen did his role with same ease. But his dancing ability was given a back seat as the songs he danced have less scope for dances.

Raasi: Raasi is the pillar of this film. She has done her schizophrenic lover role excellently. All the negative shades of the character are projected well by her with out attracting too much of hatred ness towards her by the viewers.

Laya: Laya did well as an innocent wife.

Technical Departments:

Story - Screenplay & direction: Story of the film can be told in 3 lines. But what made the viewers glue to the seats through out 2 and half hours without squirming their butts is the gripping screenplay. EVV stitched all the scenes with perfection and injected the heavy sentiment compensated by adulterated comedy. You do know what's going to happen in the next scene. But, still you get amazed the way he conveyed the gripping series of scenes to the audience using his innovative director's brush on the celluloid. EVV made sure that story is hero for his film.

Dialogues: A special mention should go for the dialogues in this film. Janardhan Maharshi, along with his team of writers, made the viewers clap for his powerful dialogues on 'Thaali' in this film and at the same time he could attract uncontrollable giggles from the viewers with his adult comedy dialogues.

Music: Srinivasa Murthy grabbed the opportunity given to him with both hands. But, like many other films, his music got elevated only in the situational songs like 'Rama Chilakamma' and 'Gatame Jataga Talachi'.

Photography: Jayaram's photography is good as usual.

Analysis: This film is made with simple story and super screenplay. Only drawback of the film is the adult comedy injected in this film. But I could notice a thunderous applause from the audience for the comedy strips in a B center like Hindupur. But, the strength of the film is shown in the EVV's handling of the subject 'Thaali' and treating the character of 'Subadra', married women who eloped with her lover, with utmost sanctity through out the film. This film is a must watch one for all the EVV movie lovers. Otherwise too, it is strongly recommended if you can enjoy(or bear with) the adult comedy.