'Ashok'

Director- Surendra Reddy

Producer- Valluripalli Ramesh

Cast- NTR, Sameera Reddy, Prakashraj, Sonu Sood, Vadivukkarasi and others

Music- Mani Sharma

Cinematography- Senthil Kumar

Everybody was nervous about this film until its release. The director and the crew had postponed its release couple of times to shoot and re-shoot come of the scenes. The hero, Jr NTR, was very nervous because he desperately wanted a hit film. The director, Surendra Reddy, was looking for a hit too.

It looks like they just might get what they were looking for. Technically, the film is brilliant. But, its biggest drawback among other things is a lack of strong and convincing story. And, too much of senseless and unnecessary violence…

NTR is Ashok, a tough and straight-forward bike mechanic who has zero tolerance for injustice. His affinity to street-fights and troubles angers his father so much that he throws his son out of the house. Ashok, therefore, lives alone. But, he is very much attached to his parents and his sister.

He falls madly in love with Anjali, a classical dancer. She loves him too. She had witnessed a murder committed by a local gangster KK. His mother happens to be a very corrupt and villainous politician. For some strange reasons, the gangster falls in love with Anjali and wants to marry her.

Surendra Reddy obviously is inspired by the violence that he saw in many Hollywood blockbusters but he has failed miserably to bring a nativity element to it. Some of the scenes were simply obnoxious. Some are pretty unwanted- villain's chopped head flying in the air, all those violence against children…

Senthil Kumar's cinematography is excellent. Mani Sharma's 'Gola, gola' is very good.

You just can't fail to notice an absolute absence of any onscreen chemistry between NTR and Sameera. NTR looks heavier than before.

And Surendra Reddy loves excessive violence. Did we already mention that before? In his over-enthusiasm to get as much of violence as possible into the film, he completely forgot to concentrate on things like story, screenplay and on entertainment elements like comedy and romance too.

Watch it for NTR. That's all. He dances like the breeze in spite of his bulky frame.

Plus-

• Technical aspects

• NTR's earnest performance in his role

• Music

Minus-

• Screenplay and lack of story

• Excessive and unnecessary violence that are completely out of context in the Indian scenario

• Predictability in the story