BOTTOM LINE
Story Eh Vundala Enti
RATING
2/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 43m
‘Family Star’ is about Govardhan (Vijay Deverakonda), who carries the weight of running the joint family on his shoulders. The story delves into the reasons why his family suffers because of his older brother and explores how and why the wealthy entrepreneur Indu (Mrunal Thakur) enters his life. The conflict that arises with her presence shapes the narrative of ‘Family Star’.
Performances
Vijay Deverakonda, known for his aggression both on and off-screen, convincingly portrays the character of Govardhan. At no point do we feel he is overacting, even though the nature of the character demands a certain behavior. This showcases his finesse as an actor and his ability to play simple, relatable characters convincingly.
Vijay’s styling remains simple and in sync with the middle-class role he portrays, and his screen presence adds value to the ordinary plot presented by Parasuram.
Mrunal Thakur, as Indu, initially looks lovely, but the way her role is presented gradually becomes uninteresting, especially in the second half where she remains mostly mute, with her job limited to looking somewhat sad and delivering sporadic dialogues. Surprisingly, her styling also lacks the appeal that was a value addition in her previous Telugu projects. The team behind the project failed to make the best use of the fresh pairing of Vijay and Mrunal in several aspects.
Parasuram, who previously directed Vijay Deverakonda in ‘Geetha Govindam’, reunites with him for ‘Family Star’. However, this time he has an aged plot and two weak conflicts (Brother and Heroine) to drive the narrative.
We wish someone had seriously asked him to explain the story before shooting began.
What we understand after watching ‘Family Star’ is Govardhan (Vijay D), who bears the burden of a joint family due to issues with his brother, who has become a drunk addict. Has anyone on the team raised doubts about this crucial brother conflict and the reason shown for the drunk addiction, which is critical for the family emotion to work? Whatever Parasuram came up with is laughable on paper or on-screen.
However, what makes the first half passable is Vijay’s screen presence and the vibe he carries as Govardhan. Mrunal’s entry into the mix helps add some feel-good factor along with some nicely written dialogues.
The entire second half is shot in the U.S. as the story takes place there. Again, we wish someone in the team had raised some basic questions to director Parasuram about the core story that takes place in the second half.
And how in the world Vijay trying to escape white women in New York downtown made it to the final cut, God knows. One should have guts to pass the entire episode in the final version of the film.
Leave this aside, the ideas that were executed to show how successful Govardhan’s (Vijay) work in the U.S. etc., show how utterly basic the writing department’s effort was. The ideas that should be trashed on paper, such as the Middle-Class Thesis and the notion of building homes in America like those in India, are unfortunately presented with confidence in the film.
And oddly enough, there is zero effort to make use of a fresh pair like Vijay and Mrunal. When the story returns to India, there are a few nicely written dialogues to describe the man of every family star, but what follows is again an extended action episode which looks like a very patchy wrap-up.
Overall, ‘Family Star’ has a passable first half but suffers greatly due to the director’s lack of clarity on the story and the dead weak conflicts he tried to build the drama on.
‘Family Star’ has a bunch of supporting cast members, some of whom are well-known, but none of them make an impact. Even senior actor Jagapathi Babu plays a brief, template role. Vennela Kishore once again gets a half-baked sidekick comedian role, and he does what he always does.
Other actors like Divyansha Kaushik, Ajay Ghosh, Prabhas Sreenu, and Jabardasth Ramprasad are also part of the cast, but none of them register.
Senior Marathi actress Rohini Hattangadi is utilized to some extent, but Vasuki, known for her nice screen presence, is utterly wasted.
Music by Gopisundar is outright disappointing, and it is not the type of film that you can compensate for with just your background score. The background music elevates a few scenes here and there, but the overall work from Gopisundar is not worth discussing. This is a department that should stand as a backbone for the film but disappoints on all counts.
KU Mohanan’s cinematography is just decent; the film looks normal, and nowhere in the visuals does it look refreshing. Editing by Marthand K. Venkatesh is a highly mixed bag. The film suffers from lag and has many unwanted scenes, some of which even make a common audience surprised to see how they made it to the final cut.
The production values by Sri Venkateswara Creations are adequate, with nothing specific to mention.
Highlights?
Subtle message
Few well-crafted dialogues
Drawbacks?
Age-old plot
Weak conflicts fail to drive the narrative
Second half
Music
Cringe-worthy American episodes
No, especially the second half.
Will You Recommend It?
Nah!
Family Star Movie Review by M9
Final Report:
Family Star has a passable/decent first half; although the setup is familiar, the freshness of the lead pair holds it together. However, the second half goes downhill, and Parasuram seems clueless about what he intended to present. There is no solid plot in his hands to generate drama or emotion. Go with right expectations.
First Half Report:
The first half of Family Star runs in a familiar setting, with the freshness of the lead pair holding up with a few well-written dialogues. We need to see if the second half raises the bar.
Family Star movie begins by establishing Govardhan’s (Vijay) character and the middle-class family setup. Stay tuned for the first half report.
Stay tuned for Family Star Review, USA Premiere Report.
Family star comes with the fresh combination of Vijay Deverakonda and Mrunal Thakur, marking the blockbuster reunion of Vijay and Parasuram after ‘Geetha Govindam.’ U.S. Premieres will begin shortly, so stay tuned for the first report as always.
Cast : Vijay Deverakonda, Mrunal Thakur
Director & Writer – Parasuram
Producers : Dil Raju – Shirish
Banner: Sri Venkateswara Creations
DOP : KU Mohanan
Music : Gopisundar
Art Director: AS Prakash
Editor : Marthand K Venkatesh
Creative Producer : Vasu Varma
U.S. Distributor: Sarigama Cinemas
Family Star Movie Review by M9
Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
