Starring : Vikas Vasishta and Sandeep Varanasi
Director : Praveen Kandregula
Producers : Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.
Music Director : Satyavolu Sirish
Cinematographers : Apporva Shaligram and Sagar Y. V. V.
Editor : Kakarala Dharmendra and Girijala Raviteja
Bollywood directors Raj and DK of The Family Man fame have kick-started a new initiative under the banner D2R Indie to encourage young and aspiring filmmakers across the country. Cinema Bandi is the maiden film in their mission which they envisioned starting from the scratch. Thanks to Raj and DK’s backing, Cinema Bandi has been acquired by Netflix and the film had its digital premiere earlier today. Here’s our review of this little indie film.
Story:
Veerababu (Vikas Vasishta) is an auto driver. He accidentally finds a DSLR camera. After planning to sell it off initially, he eventually decides to make a film with the camera. He hires a local wedding photographer named Ganapathi as the cameraman and a salon guy Maridesh Babu as the hero and casts vegetable vendor Manga as the heroine of his movie.
How did Veerababu and his team, who do not even know the difference between costumes and shot, make the film? What problems did they face in the process? How did the people of their village help them? What’s the mystery behind the camera? Did Veerababu and Ganapathi finally make the film they wanted or not? form the rest of the story.
Plus Points:
Cinema Bandi is all about the conflict between innocence and pure mentalities. The producers should be lauded for backing such a story and debut director Praveen Kandregula must be appreciated for choosing a pure village drama and yet coming up with a thoroughly enjoyable innocent characters and milieu.
Especially, the director showcased the lives of the main characters in the film, their ideas and their desires quite effectively and naturally. Throughout the movie, we get the feeling that we are watching the lives of Veerababu, Ganapati and Maridesh Babu up close. Similarly, the delicate humor written by director Praveen is also a major strength of the film.
Each and every character in Cinema Bandi is very natural. Each character makes sense and moves the story forward implicitly. Coming to the cast, Vikas Vasishta, who played the hero, did a great job. Sandeep Varanasi also played an important role quite convincingly.
Also, Trishara, who appeared in a key role, impresses with her natural acting. The actors who played the villagers did complete justice to their roles. The dubbing is so real that the regional accent and rural flavour were translated quite naturally.
Minus Points:
Director Praveen, who is spotless in terms of story and its characters, seemed a bit sloppy in the narration department. It would have been nice if the shooting episodes in particular had been shortened. Also, some comedy scenes that are not necessary for the story should have been edited out. The scenes that unfold after the camera gets damaged are boring.
Technical Aspects:
Praveen did complete justice as a writer-director. The film is wonderfully crafted with good story and interesting characters. The film manages to entertain as well as inform, balancing the elements of fun and emotion. However, extra care should have been taken regarding the narrative.
Sirish’s soundtrack is good and goes well with the narrative. The cinematography is quite impressive. All the visuals unfold very naturally in line with the cinematic mood. Producers should be applauded for backing such a genuine effort. The well-planned production design on such a shoestring budget is praiseworthy.
Verdict:
Cinema Bandi succeeds in entertaining the audience thoroughly. The film showcases the hilarious plight of innocent villagers who set out to make their first film with nothing but a DSLR camera in hand and immense passion in heart. In the process, the film takes us close to their lives. On the whole, Cinema Bandi will be the right choice for the audience who wants to enjoy a good, heart-warming film this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
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