Hey Balwanth Review: Fun When Funny, Flat Otherwise

BOTTOM LINE
Fun When Funny, Flat Otherwise

RATING
2.25/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 4mins

What Is the Film About?

Krishna (Suhas) has admired his father’s business since childhood. His goal in life is to take over the business one day as an adult, even though he knows nothing about it.

Krishna completes MBA and turns into a business consultant. He contacts an NGO run by Mithra and decides to prove his worth to eventually take over his father’s business.

What happens when Krishna accidentally gets the chance to take over his father’s business, and the repercussions it has on his life are the movie’s basic plot.

Performances

Suhas is seen playing another middle-class to upper-middle-class kind of role. He suits these parts and the space, making him instantly relatable. The actor gets to do fun and drama in equal measures, much like his previous films, and he is fine as usual.

Shivani Nagaram, too, is apt for the part and plays a key role in the movie instead of just being a bystander. She has decent chemistry, within the limited space given, with Suhas, and it helps in the key circumstances. The fun works as they both bounce of each other well.

Analysis

Gopi Atchara writes and directs Hey Balwant. The movie is a comedy entertainer with a unique hook and some drama revolving around it.

The movie’s core point, the business on which the whole promotion has revolved, is revealed within the first few minutes. From the first point, this business angle keeps on delivering whenever used from a fun aspect.

One needs to keep in mind the content here, as it may feel offensive to a few. If that’s not the case, then there is no issue. There are a lot of double meanings and adult jokes, but given the setting, they don’t feel forced and work most of the time.

The first half takes time to settle in as we are introduced to multiple characters. The political thread involving a father and rival, a few comedic entities feel random initially. These portions move flatly. However, once the hero knows the actual business, the momentum starts to build slowly.

The real fun starts when the whole gang has to manage Mithra from knowing the truth. From there on until the interval, Hey Balwanth delivers well on what it promised, a fun ride.

The momentum is maintained post-interval, as the next goal is set quickly. However, once the whole gang reaches a huge mansion, the narrative starts to fall apart slowly.

The problem was visible in the first half itself when there were abrupt emotional moments. However, they were cut short, and some fun moments followed immediately. In the second half, the same happens, but the length is longer, and the fun is less.

What happens as a result is the drama feels overdone and contrived, and the dialogues come across as preachy, especially when it talks about the upliftment of the women in question.

As we move closer to the end, the fun dries up entirely, and the proceedings take an emotional turn. They are predictable and lengthy. We get the point, but a feeling of hammering home the point persists. Having said all that, the ending is still okay, for what it wants to convey. But it’s difficult to connect after such a drag.

Overall, Hey Balwanth delivers on the fun based on its wacky hook. The narrative stays afloat as long as it runs on that entertainment segment. The drama and messages don’t gel well and drag the proceedings, mainly in the second half. Try it for the fun parts, but that’s about it.

Performances by Others Actors

The movie is filled with artists, known and unknown. Among the known ones, senior actor Naresh is obviously the standout. He seems to be missing in action for a major portion of the first half, but comes at the right time around the interval. Since then, he has been utilised well both his comic and dramatic skills.

Vennela Kishore delivers in his usual style and is superb in a particular scene in the first half.Sudarshan gets a good role after a gap. He is present throughout and delivers punches in his style. The double entendre one-liners, especially work well.

Harsha Vardhan and Ajay Ghosh suffer due to weak characterisations. The women’s gang is fine with a couple of them having decent parts. Senior actor Annapurnamma adds to the character’s dignity, whereas Babu Mohan is fine in an opposite way.

Music and Other Departments?

Vivek Sagar works to his strength, delivering a mix of funky, classical and modern beats – be it in the songs or the background score. The BGM felt a little repetitive in a couple of emotional sequences, though. The cinematography could have been better. The Guntur vibe seen in some previous films shot there is missing. The editing is okay. The second half needed better trimming, though. The writing is alright.

Highlights?

Entertainment

Pre-Interval To Interval

Few Funny Bits In Second Half

Drawbacks?

Heavy And Old Fashioned Drama

Fails to blend comedy with emotion

Uneven Tone

Final Act Drowned in Forced Melodrama

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, the fun parts were really enjoyable. However, one needs to keep in mind the A rating and, therefore, the adult nature of the jokes.

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, if one doesn’t mind the drama that comes in between the entertainment.

Hey Balwanth Movie Reviewed by Kalyan

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