‘Ajay Gadu’, a romantic action entertainer, is produced by Ajay Kumar Productions. Starring Ajay Kumar in the lead, the film is directed by the hero himself.
Story:
Ajay (Ajay Kumar Kathurvar) is an aspiring filmmaker who falls in love with the daughter of a rich man. As expected, he runs into trouble due to the class differences with her millionaire father. A chance meeting with a hippie doctor named Swetha during a tough time puts his life on an unexpected path. What is the nature of the relationship between Ajay and Swetha? What happens to Ajay’s love story and his dreams? Will he be able to overcome the unexpected crisis?
Performances:
Ajay Kumar Kathurvar comes with some features of Akhil Akkineni minus the excessive sophistication. He is impressive in a relatable role. Playing the titular character, he gets to bash up and shake a leg in the songs.
Bhanu Sree, who plays his lover, is good and glamorous. Prachi Thaker is seen as Roopa, a young girl who is enthusiastic about interviewing Ajay. Shweta Mehta essays the role of a doctor with personality flaws. While the character could have lent itself to easy objectification, her confident demeanour makes a difference.
Abhay Bethiganti of ‘Ramanna Youth’ and ‘George Reddy’ fame plays Ajay’s all-weather friend. Prudhvi Dandamudi plays an airy boss who is infamous for classist attitudes. Jayasree Rachakonda is seen as Ajay’s motivational mother. Yadama Raju plays a minor part as a security person.
Technical Departments:
Karthik Kodakandla, Sumanth Battu, and Prathik Many Zenna compose the songs. The trio are joined by Siddharth Sadasivuni (background score). The film could have done away with at least one song. The flow gets interrupted, although you get the reasoning behind the decision to include songs. In a film about a Telugu filmmaker, doing away with songs would have been ironic.
G Bhanuchandar has taken care of the Editing and VFX departments. The latest version is less than two hours long. Ajay Nag and Hari Jasthi have handled the cinematography. Stunt Director Prudhvi gets to navigate a beaten path. Choreographer P Vishal could have done with less Western influence.
Analysis:
As the opening credits roll, we are introduced to numerous tense moments in the life of Ajay over a period of time. The editing pattern is aimed at creating curiosity in the story of an ordinary man who ends up facing extraordinary situations in life. As the story starts playing out, ‘Ajay Gadu’ attains a sense of calmness. A young girl’s face brights up once she meets Ajay, who appears sober and could well be a celebrity worthy of adulation.
The conflict plot points are placed with care in the first and second acts. How the dreams of an aspiring filmmaker could be threatened at every step in different settings and contexts is shown without much fuss. By and by, Ajay comes across as someone who wants to make films responsibly.
The film should have acquired the trappings of a thriller. The lady doctor, who comes with her own bitter past, is not adequately fleshed out. While the screenplay is not rushed, the scenes between her and the male protagonist could have come with better nuance.
Aspirational stories need much depth. ‘Ajay Gadu’, while not simplistic, should have been more layered. The third act should have been elaborate. The film could also have done with an idiosyncratic or eccentric character who turns out to be positive as a total surprise. That would have added a running time of about ten minutes and an element of suspense.
Vox Verdict:
‘Ajay Gadu’ is a romantic action entertainer with a message.
2.5/5
