This week I’m taking a look at a couple of Telugu language films which have just landed in US theaters, each a twisty, high concept story serving up a dizzying blend of genres. Taking inspiration from real life events and “in the news” concepts, both feature plots centered around financial fraud, but served up in the most entertaining way possible.
Be sure to check out the linked trailers; as I feel both are an easy sell based on the pulsating soundtracks, clever narratives, and engaging characters.
ZEBRA – directed by Eashvar Karthic
Surya (Satyadev) is a bank employee who has familiarized with the intricacies of the banking system, and occasionally helps out desperate individuals who need help by exploiting loopholes in the system to, for example, return stolen and misplaced moneys. His Robin Hood-esque activities land him in dire circumstances though, when he’s discovered stealing back funds from a gangster in the employ of Aahdi (Dhanajaya), a no-nonsense supervilllain-esque crime boss.
The sum isn’t the issue; it’s the insult. The discovery of the act embarrasses criminal boss Aadhi while doing live negotiation in a high-level meeting with a rival and potential business partner, causing him to lose face.
The violent and unpredictable Aadhi then makes life hell for Surya and his colleague friends, including his fiancee Swathi (Priya Shankar) and best pal “Buddy” (the very funny Satya Akkala, whose performance I would describe as an Indian Dennis Nedry, in both appearance and manner).
Surya is given a short few days’ deadline to pay Aadhi back the sizeable sum (about $600,000), leading the desperate trio of friends to take drastic measures – including engaging the services of the notorious gambler Baba (Sathyaraj in a scene-stealing supporting role), and ultimately deciding to rob their own bank – allowing the film to climax with a superbly entertaining heist.
The camera is in love with the characters, heroes and villains alike, making them pop off the screen exuding badassery, set to funky, hard-driving Indian hip-hop. You don’t need to be familiar with these stars or even with Indian films or culture in general – the coolness is apparent, and absolutely translates universally.
If you’ve seen RRR, you might recall how the second half pulls a fast one on the audience, revealing more information that reframes an antagonist as a hero. ZEBRA tries to pull off a similar twist but it’s far less convincing or welcome.
Aside from that critique and the absurdly flexible morality which drives it, this movie is an incredibly fun and layered treat with a smart script, a fair amount of action, and a terrific cast of colorful and likeable characters.
MECHANIC ROCKY – directed by Ravi Teja Mullapudi
Interestingly, Mechanic Rocky treads similar ground with its story centered around insurance fraud. While that might not sound inherently interesting, it’s another enjoyable mishmash of romantic comedy, musical, crime, and action.
Rakesh (Vishwak Sen), aka “Rocky”, is a mechanic in the employ of his family’s garage, which has also expanded into a driving school. But with the sudden passing of his father (Naresh), the business faces an uncertain fate, and seems poised to get overtaken by a ruthless developer (Sunil), who has long had designs on the property but failed to convince pops to sell.
The story is narrated by Rocky as described to a Maya (Shraddha Srinath), a pretty girl who may just be his last customer. Rocky describes his story of everything leading up to his current desperate situation – including his relationship with his dad, and a failed romance with the one that got away – the ravishing Priya (Meenakshi Chaudhary), the sister of his best pal from his school days.
An apparent typo on his dad’s insurance policy dictated his sole beneficiary as “Rajesh” rather than Rakesh, so Rocky and Maya (who is in the biz) conspire to fix the mistake – that is, to engage in insurance fraud.
But this is an Indian comedy so nothing’s quite what it seems and things will get shaken up and turned around with big twists and stunning revelations – starting with the duo getting caught, making things much, much worse.
Mechanic Rocky leans hard into the musical aspect of the film, with a handful of show-stopping song and dance sequences with music by Jakes Bejoy. It’s lighter in tone and violence than ZEBRA, keeping things in “PG” territory but still having a fun time (an opening suicide which sets certain plot elements into motion being the harshest exception – it’s upsetting but not graphic).
It’s not quite as slick as ZEBRA, which is my favorite from this pairing, but Mechanic Rocky is a very charming action musical with a keen sense of fun and an escalating series of game-changing twists.
In one of the film’s best sequences, Rocky’s helping a customer who’s in a rush to get some dents out of his car, when he’s suddenly attacked by thugs once again trying to coerce him to sell the property. Determined to satisfy his customer to whom he promised a 10-minute turnaround, he staves of the attackers, strategically slamming them into the vehicle so as to pop out the dents.
I’m into it.
A/V Out
