Loafer HD Released

Ever wondered what makes one a star in Tollywood? The answer seems to be this: slo-mo action sequences, ability to be a hooligan who chases a girl who will eventually fall for him, dress rich even if you aren’t, have a good side to you even if you are a bad man, ability to shake a leg with confidence even if you have two left feet, and of course cool-headedly pack a punch. All these are like the rites of passage. And it seems with Laofer Varun Tej has finally undergone all that and made his way into a commercial zone he hadn’t stepped into in his first two films – Mukunda and Kanche. He is the character who you’ll find only in the world of Puri Jagannadh’s films – free-spirited, street-smart and full of quirks.

Here’s the film’s premise: Raja (Varun Tej) is forcefully taken away from his mother Maha Lakshmi (Revathy) as a kid by his father Murali (Posani) who, as she calls, is a ‘loafer’. With the belief that his mother died when he was a kid, Raja, under the guidance of his father, grows up to be a thief. And all this, unfolds in the magnificent blue city of Jodhpur. And it is a twist of fate that unites the two of them again.

As a package, Loafer works wonders because it gives you ample comic relief – in the form of Saptagiri, Ali, Brahmanandam, Dhanraj, has a menacing villain – Mukesh Rishi, Charan and another scary looking guy, a beautiful female protagonist, Mouni (Disha Patani) who is an amazing find because she is a pleasure to watch in every frame despite being given limited scope to perform, and heroism to the maximum. But it’s not just about that. Loafer has the oft used mother-son sentiment in abundance and it works only because Varun Tej and Revathy make it look convincing. But a bit more depth in their relationship and a little more chemistry would make the effort laudable. And then again, there’s a rushed up climax where Revathy seems to forgive her husband who solely married her for the sake of money and ran away with her only son who she would see only after 25 years!

The thing about Loafer is that it is a very ordinary tale which is replete with a formula the director has explored multiple times. The story is aided by PG Vinda's magical lens and Sunil Kashyap's engaging music. For some reason, Puri Jagannadh is fascinated by foreigners, hippies and rustic villainy which are all elements he uses in this films. But surprisingly, Puri’s trademark punch dialogues which generally stay with you long after you walk out of the theatre are amiss in Loafer.

This film defies all possible logic. It is definitely something you have seen before. It’s not an extraordinary tale. Yet, you can watch it because it’s not every day you get to see the birth of a star.