Srikanth movie review: Based on the real-life story of visually-impaired entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla, this Rajkummar Rao-Jyotika starrer makes for an inspirational watch.
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Jyotika, Alaya F, Sharad Kelkar, Jameel Khan
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Writers: Sumit Purohit, Jagdeep Sidhu
When a young Srikanth’s father asks him why he didn’t flee away when he was getting bullied by his classmates under the pretext of a cricket match, the blind boy intrepidly replies, “Kahan bhaagta Nana, main bhaag nahin sakta sirf ladh sakta hain.”
Likewise at several instances throughout the film, it is pointed out to us how the visually-impaired Srikanth Bolla’s vision made up for his lack of sight. Watching him overcome all odds feels like winning a personal battle and a big chunk of credit for this goes to the emphatic tone of the storytelling.
What’s Yay: Performances, Direction
What’s Nay: Srikanth’s inner conflict could have been fleshed out in a better way
Story
Srikanth opens in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh where a man rushes to a liquor shop after learning that his wife has given birth to a baby boy. The size of his alcohol bottle measures the amount of his happiness. Upon reaching home, he rushes by his wife’s side and holding the newborn in his arms, proudly names him, ‘Srikanth’ after his favourite cricketer by the same name.
However, his joy is short-lived when he learns that the infant was born blind. His relatives suggest him to abandon the baby. At one point, he gives in and even digs a pit to bury baby Srikanth. However, his wife’s pleading and his own conscience stops him from turning into a sinner.
While the couple accepts him and raises him with love and concern, the world outside is not all things sunshine. The rest of the film revolves around how our hero refuses to let adversity define him and proves to his detractors that ‘Sri can’ with his teacher Devika (Jyotika) whom he equates to ‘Yashoda mayya’ and his business partner Ravi (Sharad Kelkar) by his side.
Direction
When it comes to biopics, there is always a fear that the makers might end up glorifying the person whose life is being depicted on screen. Here’s where Tushar Hiranandani’s Srikanth stands out in the crowd. Right from the beginning of the film, the director and his team of writers (Sumit Purohit and Jagdeep Sidhu) make it clear that their intent is honest- to celebrate Srikanth Bolla’s remarkable journey and inspire by highlighting how we are not limited by our abilities (or rather disability in this case), but by our vision.
One of the biggest strength of this Rajkummar Rao-Jyotika starrer is the use of empathy in the storytelling rather than sympathy. There is a constant emphasis on how differently-abled people like Srikanth deserve equal opportunities to achieve their dreams and goals rather than being seen with pity.
Be it the protagonist’s clever approach in the court to fight for his right to education when he denied a seat in the Science stream by a college or his great presence of mind when an airlines denies him entry because he is travelling solo, the makers’ light-hearted narrative makes you both smile as well as grab an important message.
However, there is also a slight flipside to this approach which gets a bit monotonous after a while. The high points start hitting you a bit less than how their should. Later, when the time comes for the makers to highlight the ‘grey’ in Srikanth, they end up sketching his inner conflict with thin ink. This portion feels a bit rushed, but the performances make up for the flaws.
Also, Srikanth’s monologue in the finale looks a bit like spoon-feeding which personally, I feel could have been pulled off in a more compelling way.
Performances
Rajkummar Rao deserves a pat on his back for making sure that his reel version of Srikanth does not comes across as caricaturish on screen. The actor has a strong hold on his body language which clearly reflects in his performance. Even when the writing stumbles at some places, Rao doesn’t lose sight of what he’s supposed to deliver and emerges as the apple of our eyes.
Jyotika’s subdued performance as Devika makes you wish that you had a mentor like her character in your life. In Srikanth’s battle against all odds, she gets her own tiny moments of heroism. Srikanth also throws some light on the man’s love life. However, Alaya F who plays his romantic interest Swathi barely gets the chance to shine with the way her track is inserted in the plot. Nevertheless, she still manages to pull off a decent act.
Sharad Kelkar who plays Srikanth’s business partner Ravi conveys his character’s strength and considerateness with conviction.
Technical Aspects
Cinematographer Pratham Mehta captures every mood and ambience in the film with sincerity. Debasmita Mitra and Sanjay Sankla’s satisfactory editing ensures in smooth flow of storytelling.
Music
Udit Narayan’s reprised version of his evergreen Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak song ‘Papa Kehte Hai’ blends seamlessly in the events unfolding on screen and makes you nostalgic. The rest of the songs- ‘Tu Mil Gaya’, ‘Jeena Sikha De’ and ‘Tumhe Hi Apna Mana Hai’ fails to make a mark.
Verdict
‘Tum sach mein bahut interesting admi ho, Srikanth,” his ladylove Swathi tells our protagonist in one of the scenes in the film. Director Tushar Hiranandani and his team of writers along with actor Rajkummar Rao succeed in conveying this emotion to the audience with their clear vision. In short, Srikanth is quite an eye-catcher for reminding us that one can conquer any obstacle with hard work, perseverance and self-belief.
