BOTTOM LINE
Half Maza, Half Meh
RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
UA13+ – 2h 30m
Ramana (Rao Ramesh) and Krishna (Sundeep Kishan) are a father-and-son duo who live like bachelors. The lack of women in their lives creates so many issues for them. Their dream is to have a perfect family picture portrait.
What is the solution to Ramana and Krishna’s problems? How does it lead to more complications as Yashodha and Meera come into their lives? The way they overcome it is the movie’s basic plot.
Performances
Mazaka is a film where, despite the age gap, the two primary characters can be said to be the main leads. Here Sundeep Kishan and Rao Ramesh play those roles.
Sundeep Kishan is his usual self with lots of energy. The movie offers him an entertaining part after a gap and he goes all out with it. Apart from a few places where his voice indicates a sore throat problem, everything else is alright, keeping the lighter subject in mind.
Rao Ramesh is clearly the show stealer every way one looks at it. From the writing point to the performance and the few moments to recollect, he gets them all and delivers.
Ritu Varma and Anshu (Manmadhudu fame heroine making a comeback) are the two female leads. They both have key roles in the narrative. While they don’t do much, they are still important for narrative purposes. They manage the necessary requirements well.
Trinadha Rao Nakkina known for Dhamaka directed Mazaka, with story, screenplay, and dialogues by Prasanna Kumar Bezawada. It is a leave your brains behind, kind of mass entertainer with romance and family drama thrown in in equal measures.
The opening scene perfectly sets the tone for what to expect from the movie. If that works for you chances are that the rest of the flick will work. If it doesn’t, then there are fewer chances, but a few sequences are sure to at least give some amusement.
The director doesn’t waste any time and gets to the main point quickly with the immediate back-and-forth narrative employed at the police station.
The simultaneous revealing of the characterizations and core plot (related to women in their lives) is neatly done. It keeps the narrative sharp and also delivers punches effectively in the process. The ground is neatly set for the fun and drama to come.
However, there are two issues here. One is the actual content that’s happening and the second is the simultaneous repetition. The latter can’t be helped, at least initially, but the former should have been better.
Not everything meant for entertainment works. There is a lot of cringe in the content. It might still be okay for a few, but one knows the difference when the right scene arrives.
Take the letter sequence as an example, while the Rao Ramesh segment works, the other half doesn’t. This inconsistency in writing and blocks is present from the start. The interval block is one segment where everything comes together to deliver a hilarious outcome.
This unevenness in comedy is seen all the way, but it’s more pronounced in the second than in the first. It makes the latter a decent watch provided the expectations are rightly set.
The duality in the narrative is a consistent feature throughout the movie. We have the same attempts at comedy and drama from father and son post-intermission as well. The familiar issue of one working while the other failing happens here, too. But, there is more that misses here than hits.
The subplots involving the major conflict in the proceedings are terribly handled. There is zero bite in the drama, and the whole thing feels cold and gives a lacklustre vibe to the proceedings whenever it’s brought up. It still wouldn’t have been that much of an issue, but it gets a lot of weight and hype as the narrative commences during the second half.
The way the drama gets concluded in Trinadha Rao Nakkina movies has always been a problem (barring his sophomore attempt). It is no different here. The whole thing feels rushed and has zero impact.
The antagonist track starts on a curious note, but that too fizzles out as more is revealed related to the character. It turns out to be a minor inconvenience, at best, in the end.
With the two major hurdles to making the narrative interesting and gripping failing to land, we are only left with individual comedy blocks, in the end. That is all the movie has to offer.
Mazaka is another typical Trinadha Rao Nakkina mark product. There is a core middle-class sentiment, but that’s lost entirely in the cringe entertainment surrounding it.
Overall, Mazaka has a few blocks that deliver, and if the writer and director had successfully developed their idea of blending fun with emotion in the second half, the film could have been a fresh experience. Still, it works to an extent if you have no expectations.
Apart from the four main characters, Murali Sharma plays an important part. His character is designed well and he effortlessly slips into it. However, there is no meat to it beyond the overall design.
Srinivas Reddy, playing the secretary for the umpteenth time sleepwalks through the part. Hyper Adhi is wasted barring a scene. Raghu Babu is okay. The rest don’t register.
Leon James music is loud keeping up with the movie’s tone. However, nothing is foot-tapping and memorable despite expected beats. The background score doesn’t do much either. The cinematography is alright and the production values are good for this mid-range product.
The editing is neat for the most part despite maintaining a consistent fast pace. However, the ending sequences lack the same finesse giving a feeling of narrative being hurried to wrap up things quickly. The writing is a mixed bag. It’s all about gags and a few work, while others don’t.
The production quality from AK Entertainments and Hasya Movies, along with the visual appeal, looks really good for a film of this setup and its needs; at no point do we feel any compromise from the makers.
Rao Ramesh
Fun in first half
Interval
Drawbacks?
Weak second half
Fun and emotion don’t blend well
Cringe humor
Good ideas, but poorly executed
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, partly. Few fun episodes worked.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, to those with an appetite for mass entertainment and very low expectations.
Final Report:
Mazaka has fun moments that work in parts, but with zero bite in the drama despite ample opportunity, we’re left with only individual comedy blocks in the end. That’s all the movie has to offer. Rao Ramesh delivers well, while Sundeep tries to match him. If you’re in it just for a few good laughs, give it a try.
First Half Report:
Mazaka first half is passable with the right expectations, offering a fresh hook and a couple of fun blocks that work well. It’s mostly routine, and while not all comedy attempts land, Rao Ramesh adds to the fun factor.
— Rao Ramesh and Sundeep Kishan kick off Mazaka with a fun vibe. Stay tuned for the report!
Director Trinadha Rao Nakkina is back with another comedy entertainer, Mazaka, this time with Sundeep Kishan and Rao Ramesh to entertain. Stay tuned for the Mazaka reviewand U.S. premiere report.
Cast: Sundeep Kishan, Ritu Varma, Rao Ramesh & Others.
Direction – Trinadha Rao Nakkina
Story, Screenplay and Dialogues – Prasanna Kumar Bezawada
Producer – Razesh Danda
Produced by – Razesh Danda, Umesh KR Bansal
Presented by Zee Studios
Co-Producer – Balaji Gutta
Banners- AK Entertainments, Hasya Movies, Zee Studios
Screenplay – Sai Krishna
Music Director – Leon James
Cinematographer – Nizar Shafi
Editor – Chota K Prasad
Art Director -Brahma Kadali
U.S. Distributor: Sarigama Cinemas
Mazaka Movie Review by M9
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