Critic's Rating:
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kajal, Prakash Raj, Nassar, Sayaji Shinde and Brahmaji
Direction: Puri Jagannath
Movie Review: A film like " Businessman" is a cause for celebration, simply because it does away with forced comic interjections in the narrative. For once, the comedy in a mainstream Telugu flick is all situational without being slapstick. The humor is dry and loaded with sarcasm, taking pot shots on everything under the sun, but does the job nevertheless evoking peals of laughter. Kudos to director Puri Jagannath for coming up with those lines.
And then there is Mahesh Babu, in full flow at that. "Round off chesi confuse cheyalanukuntunnara. Confusion lo inka ekkuva kottestha... " goes a punch dialogue. "Matladaniki vacchanu kabatti, manasaupurthy ga kottatledu..." goes another. As far humor goes it is definitely a step up. Some would say that the punch dialogues in "Businessman" are even better, wackier and quirkier than "Pokiri". The must haves of a Mahesh Babu pot-boiler are dutifully ticked off, rather well at that. Five minutes into the film, you get the feeling you are going to enjoy this one, and the feeling stays on till the end.
Coming to the story, there isn't any. Mahesh plays Surya Bhai, who moves to Mumbai with a single point agenda - that of becoming the undisputed don of the business capital's underworld. It happens to be a time when Mumbai is enjoying a relatively crime-free phase with all the mafia kingpins being nabbed, much to the glee of Nassar, the commissioner of Police.
His happiness proves to be short lived as Surya begins to recruit all the goons in the city. He calls his gang Surya Exports and Imports. He soon starts to cut deals with all and sundry - small time businessmen to the biggest politicians, even the Prime Minister. He corporatizes the whole business of mafia and gradually grows to become a rule unto himself. He has a little flashback too which is revealed towards the end.
Chitra (Kajal Aggarwal) is the daughter of the Police Commissioner. She also happens to be Surya's love interest. The much-hyped lip-lock also turns out fine.
"Businessman" is a typical Puri Jagannath film loaded with attitude and style. The narrative moves along at a breakneck speed hardly giving you time to catch your breath. The action is gritty and realistic without going overboard. The leading lady, Kajal plays the eye-candy to perfection, albeit not having the 'Ileana' kind of impact in "Pokiri". Guess you cannot help but compare this one to the 2006 blockbuster, for this is the first time Puri and Mahesh have come together since "Pokiri".
As far as the performances go, Mahesh takes the cake. He had the author- backed role but, still enlivens the whole movie with an intense performance. The climax scene is especially rivetting as Mahesh switches from anger to comedy effortlessly. This must be one of his best performances if not the best. Mahesh literally carries the film from the start to the end. The supporting cast including Sayaji Shinde, Prakash Raj and Subba Raju do justice to their roles. Music by Thaman is good and the background score stands out, amplifying the experience. The film scores high on production values and visual imagery.
All in all, it's an unpretentious entertainer that manages to strike the right balance. It might not be a cinematic wonder but sure has enough in it to keep you interested till the end. How much you like the movie might just be a matter of how fond you are of Mahesh Babu.
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