Twenty-five years since director P Raghavendra Rao Pelly Sandhadi hit the box office in 1996. Gowri Ronanki has held onto the megaphone to pay homage to the film.
With the veteran director making his debut starring debutants Roshan Srikant and Sri Leila. You can’t miss the signature scene with fruits and flowers being thrown at the heroine’s navel, this time with a water sprinkler.
The similarities end even though it’s still old wine in a new bottle.
Director Maya (Shivani Rajashekar) wants to discuss Dhyanchand and experienced basketball player Rashhavendra Rao.
He even threatens to kill himself if his dream doesn’t come true and sends his father (Rajendra Prasad) to Vasishta to talk. It didn’t matter why he couldn’t get close to Vasishta alone. The two men were out for a walk when Vasishta told the story. What comes out of it is just a love story and not about sports.
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Looking back, young Vasista (Roshan) met Sahasra (Sri Leila) at a wedding, and it was love at first sight for both of them. Their relationship bears the brunt of the decisions made by Sahasra’s sister, as Sahasra promised her father (Prakash Raj) to marry the man of her choice and not embarrass the family like her sister. His father allies with his cousin (Vennela Kishore). Can Vasista Stop Marriage?
There are no ups and downs, even if the hero is blinded in the penultimate game by the chalk dust thrown by the opposing team. Almost ready to lose, he washed his face with water and continued to save the team. The climax is very predictable.
There’s nothing to recommend about this stupid and outdated move:
Neither exciting nor exciting story. Did the director assume that the waffle-thin plan with the old script would lure today’s audience to the theatre? There are lots of youth jokes and great acting from the ensemble, including Rao Ramesh, Shakalaka Shankar, Pragati, Hema, and Raghu Babu.
The roles of Prakash Raj and Rao Ramesh suffered from a poorly written script. Roshan and Sri Leila look fresh and cheerful but struggle to achieve chemistry. With a good story, they will shine.
This Manmohan Desai style ends with a battle between Good and Evil where a young Roshan with a slight build meets a tall man in the centre of Hanuman’s spear, colour, and idol. This film can be advertised as an expensive show season for Roshan and Sri Leila.
In addition, flowers and fruit come into play under the skilled guidance of Raghavendra Rao (who also worked on and controlled the film). Director Gouri Ronanki also added coconut water to the mix. While the film is busy paying homage to Raghavendra Rao’s trademark, the story takes a back seat. The old school romance between the main couple is so dusty that you don’t feel much.
While conflict throws a wrench in the work of young love in the film, the concept is not new.
The logic goes more than usual, but that’s to be expected again. The dramatic song between Vasista and Sahastra’s father (Prakash Raj) can amaze family audiences. Toxic men challenge each other and call it normalized love in the ’90s and early 2000’s films, but the director doesn’t want to thrive beyond that in 2021.
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What works at Pelli SandaD is the rich imagery in its songs. They look really great on the big screen, and other directors can learn about that wealth while creating commercials. Roshan copes well with the emotions he needs. This is the perfect start for him as a hero. Sree Leela looks excellent and can handle lots of fruit and ice cream. The other actors played their roles well.
Pelli SandaD remains a closely watched fare, with the main actors coming in on their own. But don’t expect anything new or logical.
