Story:
The story takes place around 2007 in Ambajipeta village. Venkat (Nithin Prasanna) is an upper-caste landlord there, and half of the people in the town live by taking loans from him. Malli (Suhas), barber’s son, works in a marriage band in the same village. Malli’s elder sister, Padma (Saranya), is a school teacher. Venkat’s sister Lakshmi (Shivani) and Malli both love each other. Venkat, who is proud of his caste and money, always gets into fights with Malli and Padma. Venkat tries to teach him a lesson when he learns that his sister is in love with a lower-caste guy like Malli. What did Venkat do to Malli and Padma? How do they respond to Venkat’s crooked act? Will the Village people support Malli and Padma in their fight? Answers to these questions form the rest of the story.
Analysis: The film’s first half starts slowly but goes on a smooth path, with the love track of Malli and Lakshmi working very well. The entertainment parts are blended with some intense moments in the first half. The interval sequence comes across as a hard-hitting one. The film’s second half mostly goes on a serious note and has some powerful moments, but the narrative seems to fluctuate, which affects the emotional impact.
Positives: The performances of Suhas, Saranya, Nithin Prasanna, and Shivani Nagaram worked well for the film. Suhas was excellent in emotional scenes, while Saranya got a superb role, and she did a splendid job. Nithin Prasanna was perfect as the antagonist. The director neatly establishes the characters and the central conflict between them in the first half. The police station scene in the second half was a banger and brought the emotions perfectly. Also, the scene where Padma talks about respect was good. The film’s climax was dealt with nicely without getting carried away by the emotion, and ending the movie on a meaningful note was commendable.
Negatives: The film’s narrative is on the right track in the first half but goes on a confused note in the second half. It looked like the director, Dusyanth Katikaneni, wanted to show something, and the result was another thing. The Dharna episode looked a bit silly, though the backdrop of the episode was severe. The character of Padma, who already goes through an unfortunate incident at the midpoint, is thrown into a tragic situation in the second half, which looks unnecessary. Before the audience can feel the emotion in the pre-climax, the film jumps into the climax, which does not allow the message to get the desired effect that it wants to convey.
Ambajipeta Marriage Band Final Note/Verdict:
The film is a sincere attempt but goes haywire in the midway. The performances from the lead actors, a neatly done first half, and a few emotionally charged sequences involving Suhas and Saranya work for the film. In contrast, the deviation in the second half and redundant feel at parts work against it. The director’s intention was good, but the film could have been stronger overall.
* It’s a personal opinion. It will not be based on it’s film run or the talk on the other side.
