Raj Tarun comes back to the big screen with his Paanch Minar, a crime-comedy movie which included Rashi Singh as the main girl. The film tries to combine humour with a crime-based tension, and it is marketed as a light entertainment with thriller undertones. How successful or not this mix is discussed below.
Story
It is the story of Krishna Chaitanya, also known as Kittu (Raj Tarun), a person whose life takes a radical twist as he loses five lakh rupees in a bitcoin scam. He joins the ranks of cab drivers in order to reclaim his lost money. One of his rides goes out of control as two hitmen shoot their victims in the car. Even after Kittu manages to escape, he sets a domino chain of troubles unknowingly.
Very soon he is pursued by several different sides: the assassins who are determined to silence him, one of the local dons named Murthy (Ajay Ghosh) or CI Aiyer (Nithin Prasanna), who thinks that Kittu should be killed. What makes them antagonistic, what misconceptions lead to an even more complicated situation, and what is the meaning of the name Paanch Minar, are slowly unveiled during the development of the story. It is basically a story of a man Kittu, who is struggling desperately to survive in an unsafe environment of crime.
Plus Points
A mellow comic act is performed by Raj Tarun, who falls into a role that comes natural to him. His response to stressful situations, as well as his bewilderment-induced humour, is a regular source of entertainment in situations where the text favors him. It is clear that Raj Tarun is comfortable in such light comedic scripts.
Ajay Ghosh is given a somewhat serious, somewhat quirky role, and he can deal with both sides with confidence. His appearance adds to a number of scenes, particularly when the mood changes to humour and low intensity. Brahmaji appears in a minimal role but does an efficient job whereas Sudarshan brings in the right humour at the right time, and plays a part worth the bit whenever the movie starts to lose its momentum.
The latter half is slightly smoother and stronger paced. More focused writing and strictly managed sequences bring the humour down more accurately here, particularly at times where the chaos and the seriousness clash. The better flow in the second half makes the viewing experience somewhat interesting.
Minus Points
The greatest negative aspect is that the tale can be predicted. The traditional crime-comedy pattern is adhered to, and not many surprises are presented. Although humour helps not to make the film boring, the script seems expected and formulaic. The absence of vivid twists lessens the thrill that a crime-related story is supposed to possess.
Rashi Singh is given little room even though she is the lead female character. Her part does not add much to the development, and this is why her presence seems more ornamental than critical. Brahmaji is also not exploited to its full extent and the minimal character growth does not allow him to deliver the impact that he would have provided.
Even the second half performs slightly better, but still, there are needless scenes, artificially inserted humour, and filler that disrupts the progress of the action. Some of the comedic elements are ineffective and the lack of emotional layers does not allow the elements of crime and comedy to blend together. Consequently, the movie is lopsided in spite of its playful premise.
Technical Aspects
Director Ram Kadumula takes a safe and traditional course as far as writing and treatment are concerned. There is a simple story with a straightforward narrative and although the execution is clean, it is not fearless and daring. There are comedy stretches that are gleaming here and there, but overall the film seems like a missed opportunity—firmer twists and more creative writing would have elevated the experience a great deal higher.
The cinematography by Aditya Javvadi is clean and produces visuals appropriate to the genre. Shekar Chandra’s music is satisfactory and does not stand out of the story. In the second half, Prawin Pudi, the editor, does a good job and provides more momentum than in the first hour. The humour in dialogues by Gorijala Sudhakar is much needed and comes in at the right time. The production values are not impressive, yet they are reasonable for the scale of the film.
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Verdict
In general, Paanch Minar is a crime comedy which cannot amuse in whole. The acts, particularly by Raj Tarun, Ajay Ghosh, and Sudarshan, manage to keep the film alive, and there is enough humour to make sure that some portions work quite well. But the predictable story, the lack of characterisation, the lack of emotional support, and the uneven flow of events do not make the film a completely satisfactory entertainer.
The film performs on a sufficient level so that the audience can have light and harmless fun with low expectations. However, viewers who anticipated witty writing, great twists, or well-constructed tension may be unimpressed.
Rating: (2.75/5)
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