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Critic Review
Kondapolam (2021)During his IFS interview at the UPSC, New Delhi, Kataru Ravindra Yadav (Vaishnav Tej) narrates his journey on the chief interviewer’s (Nasser) insistence. Ravindra hails from a poor family in a village near Nallamala Forest in Kadapa. Ravindra’s father (Sai Chand) educates him by herding goats. But even after completing his engineering and pursuing software courses in Ameerpet, Ravindra fails to get a job in Hyderabad and returns to his village
In unavoidable circumstances, Ravindra, his father, his childhood friend Obulamma (Rakul Preet), fellow villagers Ravi Prakash, Hema, Mahesh Vitta and others go into the Nallamala Forest to do Konda Polam. The forest is ruled by a tiger, and on the other hand, dreaded smugglers who cut off the precious Bommakarra trees also pose a threat to innocent villagers. The entire story is about how a meek and fearful Ravindra overcomes his fears and becomes an IFS officer..
Based on a novel of the same name, ‘Kondapolam’ definitely has a novel concept, a story that has not been told. It is like a class of a personality-development. It needed a more convincing narrative. But this is for only niche audiences who cannot mind very slow narration..
Overall, Konda Polam is a genuine attempt with some cinematic liberties. But art and literature have dominated the cinema. Konda Polam may disappoint the masses. After Uppena, Vaisshnav offers a raw deal..
Konda Polam is essentially a tale of shepherds who go through numerous hardships to make a living. The film has a unique plotline but the narrative is tad bland. There are a fair few gripping sequences in both the halves, but the narration is a bit uneven. It makes for a passable watch.
Konda Polam might have its moments where it misses the mark but it gets more things right than wrong. Give this one a chance this weekend if you were waiting for a unique story to be told all along. This is not the film for you if you're looking for some masala though..
An epic tale of becoming’ is a leading tag for a film to have. While it definitely is a story of a man coming of age and realising his priorities, it lacks the ‘epicness’ it foretells. Why raise audience expectations, when the odds of meeting them is practically nonexistent? Look, the story underneath it all is great. This idea of a man learning about himself while trying to help the weaker beings in his care is a great way to tell a coming-of-age story. It’s the execution that leaves a lot to be desired. Same dialogues or concepts are repeated by different characters, as if they ran out of ideas. Many plot devices are introduced and abandoned in the middle, which in turn makes the threat seem repetitive and lethargic, after a point. I understand that it is unavoidable when the conflict is as simple as man vs wild or survival vs wilderness, but I also believe that that could’ve been taken care of..
All in all, “Kondapolam” has a unique story and concept that has never been explored. The attempt is appreciable, but it runs at a sluggish pace and doesn’t make an engaging watch. It lacks elements that appeal to a wider audience..
Director Krish came with a bold attempt to turn Konda Polam novel with Vaisshnav Tej. Both should be complimented for their guts. Konda Polam starts in an interesting manner but despite having all ingredients in the first half, one gets a feeling that something is missing. Blossoming romance between Ravi and Obulamma is cut short in the middle. Obulamma’s character created by Krish is the highlight in the film. Second half carries on and the viewers fail to get connected to the characters with routine elements creeping in and the misplacement of songs. Screenplay missed the cohesion and the narration turned predictable. Considering all these aspects.
