Mr. Manju DVD

There couldn't have been a better title than Mr Majnu for a film that deals with a male protagonist's endurance of a heartbreak. With this Venky Atluri directorial, Akhil Akkineni has officially been given the mantle to take over the casanova roles that his father-actor Nagarjuna has specialised in. It can't get more official than this, when he's referred to his grandfather and father's iconic films in a lyric that reads 'Devadasu manavado, Manmadhudike varasudo'. However, more than the playboy side to Akhil, it's his acting mettle that impresses in Mr Majnu, the most. The film is proof to Akhil's coming of age and composure as an actor, presenting his confidence to handle a perfect masala outing.

Vikram Krishna a.k.a Vicky, played by Akhil, is a heartthrob at college, a hit with girls, so much so that they fight to be his 'girlfriend'. On his return trip to India after completing his graduation, he meets Nikitha a.k.a Nikki (Nidhhi Agerwal) during a flight. After initial friction, Vicky and Nikki get a better excuse to hangout together realising that both their cousins are due to marry soon. The relationship then takes various twists and turns while Nikki is at the receiving end with Vicky's commitment issues. The plot deals with how the two stand through the thick and thin of their relationship and revive their love.

For the first thirty minutes at least, Mr Majnu proceeds on a rocky terrain. Director Venky tries a tad too hard to project the flirtatious side to his lead character Vicky and the regular references to Akhil's 'glamour', 'heart throb' image seem too much to handle. The film comes into its own only during the family-drama segments, where you realise the 'gentlemanly' dimension of Vicky. The real surprise is the understated performance of Akhil Akkineni here, he's extremely efficient in striking an emotional chord.

Though the film often gives you a deja vu of the director's first film Tholi Prema in terms of the narrative structure, Mr Majnu doesn't lose steam for most parts. There's some liveliness in the proceedings with Hyper Aadi's entry in the second hour, his bitter-sweet equation with Subbaraju ensuring laughs aplenty. The commentary by an animated version of a two-year-old infant makes for some very engaging sequences too. Certain quirks to the characters, like that of Priyadarshi, who suffers every time Akhil tells a lie, add flavour to the film.

The dialogues remain to-the-point and the sub plots complete the story well, though the thread about film piracy could have been integrated better into the story. Rao Ramesh's role starts off with much promise, only to be ignored sooner. Mr Majnu could have even been a crispier film had the filmmaker avoided those overlong action segments. Nidhhi Agerwal gets plenty of screen space to show her scope but doesn't make any impact as an actor.

It's Akhil who steadies this rocky ship, while composer Thaman remains the unsung hero of the film for its terrific music score. Be it energy, melody or a sense of calm, Thaman's music is a perfect anchor to the film's story. Mr Majnu may not be as heartwarming as Tholi Prema, but has every element in it to make for an engaging watch at the cinemas.