Athili Sattibabu LKG entertains

A majority of Telugu film titles are followed by a caption which stresses on some quality of the hero.

Similarly in Athili Sattibabu LKG -- veediki kuuda  -- the caption here implies that Sattibabu (the protagonist) is a worthless character.

EVV Satyanarayana, equipped with his brand of comedy, tries to convey that money cannot buy everything in life.

The film unfolds in a small village called Atthili where we find Venkatratnam, who is known for his charitable work, earning him a name and a statue erected in his honour next to Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

Ironically he has three good-for-nothing sons. One is a gambler and the other is a dipsomaniac while the youngest, Satthibabu (played by EVV's son) is a modern day Shylock -- he loans money at high interest rates.

He also runs a tent house with necessary equipment for conducting a marriage ceremony. The workers of his tent house are all comedians including Ali and Mallikarjuna Rao. He is such a miser that he does not even allow his brothers to use the equipment without payment.

Surprisingly, pretty Vidisha falls in love with Sattibabu, who in turn likes the upma and the laddus she makes.

However, her father, L B Sriram, is caught in Sattibabu's financial net.

In the meantime the brother-in-law plans to usurp the property of the brothers as the elder ones borrow money from him. To save the property, Sattibabu decides to get married to a girl who would offer him good dowry. He spurns Vidisha's love thinking that her father planned the entire show only to escape from repaying the loans he took from him.

Then he meets Pragathi who manages a beauty parlour and instantly falls in love with her income decides to marry her. However, being the miser he is, Sattibabu is still unhappy.

Will Sattibabu ever change? That makes the rest of the story.

The credit goes to EVV for making a fast-paced comedy. The first half has you in splits while the second, though a bit slower, still keeps one engaged.

The description of each character is first class and EVV's meticulousness in selecting the stars to play the roles is evident in each frame.

Naresh, as the protagonist, is okay while Brahmanandam, as the new generation purohit tickles.

Music by Sri Krishna is okay.

On the whole, a very enjoyable three-hour entertainer.

Rediff Rating: