BOTTOM LINE
Low Voltage Jathi Ratnalu
RATING
2/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 8mins
What Is the Film About?
Funky is not a film that relies heavily on story. At a basic level, it follows a struggling film director played by Vishwak Sen, who runs into career troubles. How he manages to complete his film and win over his love interest, Chitra, played by Kayadu Lohar, forms the core plot in simple terms.
Performances
When it comes to performance, Vishwak is a mixed bag in Funky. He plays the usual naive character but nothing really stands out. The performance is decent, yet it never rises above average. Even in terms of physicality, there seems to be a visible lack of effort for a lead hero. Towards the end, we do see a slimmer and sharper version of him, which looks promising. Hopefully, that reflects in his next film.
Kayadu Lohar looks pretty on screen and carries some lovely costumes. However, her character is written in a very basic and passable way. The role does not give her much scope, and as a result, she does not leave any impact even though she looks good throughout.
Analysis
Funky is directed by Anudeep, who earlier delivered the hugely popular Jathi Ratnalu.
The film opens with clarity about what it wants to be. The first 15 to 30 minutes establish the tone clearly. It is filled with one liners and back to back comedy punches. Some jokes work here and there, but that alone does not make the first half enjoyable.
The biggest issue is the lack of proper flow. The comedy does not move smoothly from one moment to another. What should have felt like innocent, naive fun instead feels staged and effort driven. You can sense the attempt to generate laughs in almost every scene.
Vishwak’s character, especially, needed to come across as organically naive and believable. That magic touch is missing. The humor works intermittently, but it rarely feels effortless or natural.
Along with that, the pacing becomes a problem. Even though the runtime is not long on paper, the first half feels lengthy. The repeated pattern of setting up jokes without strong progression makes it drag.
The tracks featuring Anudeep and Mad director Kalyan Shankar are clear examples. They go on for too long and turn irritating. Sampath Raj’s track is just okay, with limited impact from a fun perspective.
Overall, the first half lacks a smooth narrative flow. There are scattered laughs, but without that seamless, innocent comic vibe, it struggles to feel consistently entertaining.
The second half continues with the same tonal inconsistencies and issues seen in the first half. Some jokes do keep clicking here and there, but the core problem remains. The film does not rely on a strong story or emotional base. It depends almost entirely on gags and on how charming the overall experience turns out.
That is where Anudeep falters big time. He makes a clear attempt to recreate the magic of Naveen Polishetty’s character from Jathi Ratnalu through Vishwak in Funky. But the way the naivety and character arc are written fails to capture that magic by a wide margin.
Even though a few moments work intermittently, the character never grows on us naturally. Because of that, the overall experience never feels truly enjoyable. The responsibility largely falls on Anudeep for trying to rehash his own blockbuster instead of moving beyond it.
In the end, Funky delivers scattered laughs, but as a whole it feels like a weaker, watered down version of Jathi Ratnalu.
Performances by Others Actors
Funky has a large supporting cast, though only a few familiar faces. Sampath Raj gets a fairly okay role with limited fun. Muralidhar Goud appears briefly in a single scene, and that moment does bring some fun.
There is also a bunch of youngsters who fit their roles well. However, none of them really stand out, mainly due to the weak writing and lack of strong character development.
Music and Other Departments?
The music is composed by Bheems Ceciroleo. Apart from one decent song, the rest of the album does not really click. Even the background score offers nothing memorable. Overall, there is very little to highlight in the music department.
Cinematography by Suresh Sarangam is just about okay for a simple film like this. The visuals are neat and functional, but nothing stands out.
Editing by Navin Nooli, however, feels choppy. Several scenes end abruptly, and the transitions lack smoothness. This adds to the uneven flow, making both halves feel longer than they actually are.
Production values by Sithara Entertainments & Fortune Four Cinemas are decent. They are adequate for a gag based film like Funky, but nothing particularly impressive.
Highlights?
A few well written one liners work in both halves.
Drawbacks?
Failed attempt to recreate Jathi Ratnalu magic
Weak and uninspired characterization for the lead
Weak direction
Forced comedy
Choppy editing
Did I Enjoy It?
No. Even though a few jokes clicked, the overall experience wasn’t truly fun.
Will You Recommend It?
No. Even though a few jokes work, it does not make for a comfortable or consistently fun watch.
Funky Movie Reviewed by Kalyan, M9 News
U.S. Premiere Report:
#Funky Review: Low Voltage Jathi Ratnalu
Anudeep still feels stuck in the Jathi Ratnalu zone. Nothing wrong with that, but this time the naive innocence that made it work is mostly missing in Funky even though some jokes do keep clicking well in both halves. The bigger problem is the uneven flow.
Naveen Polishetty lit up Jathi Ratnalu. That magic is missing here for Vishwak.
M9 Rating: 2/5
Funky U.S. premiere begins at 6.30 pm EST (5 am EST), Stay tuned for Funky Review, U.S. Premiere report.
Cast: Vishwak Sen, Kayadu Lohar, Naresh, VTV Ganesh, and others.
Director : Anudeep KV
Producers: Naga Vamsi, Sai Soujanya
Music: Bheems Ceciroleo
Editor: Navin Nooli
Co-Producer: Venkat Upputuri
Cinematography: Suresh Sarangam
Written by: Anudeep KV & Mohan Sato
Art Director: Jonny Shaik
U.S. Distributor: Moksha Movies
