Anil Ravipudi’s Sarileru Neekevvaru brings back the classic Mahesh Babu, who plays a confident and heroic character that fights, dances, saves the day, and delivers speeches on morality. The film has enough drama, emotion, and danger to drive its wafer-thin storyline, but Anil gets carried away trying to blend two unrelated storylines, resulting in repetitive scenes. However, he manages to keep the film light-hearted and entertaining, which may work for some viewers.
Mahesh Babu’s character, Ajay Krishna, is a daredevil soldier stationed in Kashmir, who likes to live on the edge and has nothing to lose. Professor Bharati (Vijayashanthi) is a patriotic single mother who has lost her eldest son in the army but is willing to send her second son (Satya Dev) to serve as well.
Meanwhile, Samskruti (Rashmika Mandanna) and her family have a separate storyline, where she randomly proposes to strangers just to avoid the man her father chose for her.
Despite the shallow storyline, the film never takes itself too seriously, and Anil avoids taking the expected route with his direction. Mahesh Babu’s character is reminiscent of his earlier roles, and his fans will enjoy his punches, speeches, and jokes.
However, the repeated jokes and catchphrases, including the talk of patriotism and Alluri Seetharama Raju, become tiring, and the climax falls flat. Krishna’s role in the film is also disappointingly insignificant.
Mahesh Babu shines as the patriotic hero, while Rashmika Mandanna’s character lacks depth and exists merely to fawn over the male lead. Vijayashanthi delivers a solid performance, but her role is reduced to praising the hero in one-liners.
The music by DSP is average, with some misplaced songs that disrupt the flow. Rathnavelu’s cinematography is overshadowed by subpar VFX shots, but the action scenes are engaging.
In conclusion, Sarileru Neekevvaru has its moments, but Anil Ravipudi’s overindulgent direction and lack of structure prevent it from being a must-watch film. However, fans of Mahesh Babu and Vijayashanthi will enjoy watching them in their element.
