Srikanth laughs it up

Noted Telugu actor Srikanth -- who played a thug in Shankar Dada MBBS and a classical singer in Swarabishekam -- dons the role of a cable operator in Kanchanamala Cable TV. Once again, he displays his comic timing to perfection with a bunch of comedians ably helping him hold the audience's interest.

Debutant director Parthasarathy's fixation for veteran filmmaker Vamsi's narrative style makes him rely too heavily on comedy, diluting the romance between the protagonists. New girl Laxmi Roi looks good, but has to improve her emoting skills. If you overlook some lewdness, it's a good rib-tickler, but you need to leave your  thinking caps behind to enjoy this village-centric love tale, reminiscent of films like April Okati Viduthala. Composer Radhakrishna, hailed as the new music sensation after Anand, prefers to rehash a few old hits this time to hugely disappoint. 

Srikanth -- who recently bagged a Filmfare award for his riveting performance in Shandar Dada MBBS  -- has again shown what it takes to carry a comic hit. His confidence in young directors is definitely paying off since they are coming up with interesting themes. While the plot of a guy madly in love with his niece is familiar, the sheer comic timing could carry this through.

Laxmi displays enough skin and exhibits fear comfortably. She will probably end up a typical glamour girl for Telugu filmmakers.

Comedians Sivaji and Sunil, as friends of Srikanth, look every bit village bumpkins, while another bunch, including Krishna Bhagwan, Raghubabu and M S Narayana, continue to provide more hilarity. Character actor Satyanarayana cakewalks through his role while Bharani, as a criminal lawyer, is adequate.

Veteran writer Marudhuri Raja's dialogues are an asset for the film. Parthasarathy shows an eye for good visuals but needs to understand that the head (plot) should lead the dog and not the tail (comedy). Hope he reverses this next time around.