Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram has landed, marking the much-awaited return of Tollywood’s superstar Mahesh Babu. While Babu shines in peak form, the film itself leaves a mixed bag of emotions.
Guntur Kaaram is essentially a love letter to Babu’s stardom. Trivikram keeps him in the spotlight from the opening frame, ensuring audiences get their full dose of the charismatic actor. However, this singular focus comes at a cost. The narrative often stretches itself thin, feeling unnecessarily long at 159 minutes.
The story revolves around Ramana (Babu), whose childhood is marred by tragedy. A shocking flashback reveals the death of his father (Jayaram) and the disappearance of his mother (Ramya Krishnan). While Ramana finds solace in Guntur with his extended family, his mother resurfaces years later in Hyderabad, having risen to become the Law Minister through her father’s (Prakash Raj) political machinations.
So, while Babu undoubtedly carries the film on his shoulders, the plot elements tend to falter. Guntur Kaaram feels at times indulgent and overlong, relying heavily on Babu’s star power to compensate for narrative shortcomings. The film offers glimpses of Trivikram’s signature wit and clever wordplay, but they’re not enough to fully rescue the story from its pacing issues.
Overall, Guntur Kaaram is a film defined by its charismatic lead performance. Mahesh Babu elevates every scene he graces with his screen presence, but the surrounding narrative struggles to keep up. Whether this star power is enough to satisfy audiences for the entire runtime remains to be seen.