Pokiri (2006)

Sairam, thank god I had forgotten the "twist", despite having seen Bhai's Wanted (2009) when it came out. Not only was I majorly zoned out (so much that I don't even remember for sure if I slept for sometime in the middle) but I have also actively tried to erase all memories of it. Which is why I was shocked enough to legit scream when the big twist came along. 

From what I have heard about Pokiri, it sounds like some kind of cultural reset. And going by that, I must say that it totally lived up to that hype. Prince Mahesh seems to be at the peak of his career, and it's a performance that is memorable in more ways than one- he really shines through as the cool, stylish hero who outsmarts villains and beats them up. Of course, he needs a solid story and some killer dialogues as well, both of which are amply present here. I loved how understated his commitment dialogue was, especially in comparison to Bhai's exaggeration, the memory of which still gives me war flashbacks. The romance angle was also quite well done- I was honestly not expecting to ship them at all for some reason (Julayi) so yeah. Pleasant surprise and all that. However, I was quite triggered by the rampant display of violence against women. Why are men? Really, why? But well, the movie kind of had the best catharsis moment with the Khairatabad hero scene (don't worry, no spoilers) (incidentally, Shruthi's brother might be my favourite character in the movie). And of course, the twist. As my friend called it, the biggest twist of the decade. I am so glad this is the one time my memory failed me, and no, I will not get over it. 

Let me just acknowledge how uncomfortable it made me to watch Sayaji Shinde in a good role. Not that he wasn't good (lol) at it, but it's like watching Prakash Raj play the role of a son. It just feels fundamentally wrong on some level. Coming to fother himself, he was insane as the villain (obviously) and hit all the right notes. I was completely disgusted by him, which means that he was A1. And so was Ashish Vidyarthi, using the same criteria. (Man I have been so scarred by Vidyarthi over the years that if I ever see him in real life, I'll probably run away in the opposite direction.)

Brahmanandam, Ali and Venu Madhav were excellent in the comedy sequence, It was over-the-top and completely mad- as it should have been, keeping in with the overall theme of this movie. Also, I was thriving as I watched Prince Mahesh's subversion of bureaucracy in the hospital scene. Totally healed some broken part of me. And yes, I was judging myself for finding Nassar hot, but not really, because DAMN. (This does not necessarily apply to other movies.) (Or does it?)

In conclusion, had I been living in undivided Andhra Pradesh around the time Okkadu or Pokiri came out, I would have totally spent the the next few years being a Mahesh Babu simp. Jagadameeeee.