Time and again, Balakrishna has proved to be a man of surprises. Little needs to be said that his forthrightness has been a cause of unintentional humour many a time. June 9 was one such day. Prior to a day before his 60th birthday, the actor-politician released a number he had sung and the choice took many by surprise. While many expected that the song would be from his next film with Boyapati Srinu, none even had the inkling that he would take up a legendary, tough number like Shiva Shankari (from NTR’s Jagadekaveeruni Katha, originally sung by Ghantasala and considered among his best) for the same.
The result, though sincere in terms of attempt, is a sorry experience for a music lover where the actor is glaringly underqualified to sing a number of great repute. If at all NBK’s version does something, it reminds you to get back to the original and tells you why a few things need to remain untouched. One wonders who advised the actor-politician to attempt a prestigious song on a momentous occasion. It’s a work even a genuine fan would admit to being an embarrassment.
However, possibly to help us recover from the shocker, the teaser of his next film with Boyapati Srinu was also out in an hour’s time that reflected every sign of a terrific commercial potboiler in the making. The rural setup, the dhoti look, sharp cinematography and lines like ‘Edutivaritho ela matladalo nerchuko, seenu garu mee nanna garu bagunnara anedaniki, seenu garu mee amma mogudu bagunnada anedaniki chala theda undira…’ prove yet again why Balakrishna’s affiliation with Boyapati is always bound to strike gold.
Among the current crop of filmmakers, Boyapati clearly knows best to utilise Balakrishna’s body language and off-screen image to his advantage. Thaman’s effective background score ensures that the emotional high with the dialogue is used to good effect. It’s a relief that a superb teaser has made many forget the previous blooper from the same man.
