Finance
Srikanth depicts the true story of Srikanth Bolla, a visually challenged self-made billionaire who rose from a destitute Andhra town to become one of India’s premier businessmen.
Even with the usual disclaimer of creative liberties, the plot hews as close as it can to real life in a feature film: the delight of the father (Srinivas Beesetty) turning into dismay when he holds his sightless newborn in his arms, his mother (Anusha Nuthul) begging for his life, the bullying in the local school, his brilliance shining through, getting into MIT when IIT refuses him entrance, his return to India, and his embarking on the untrodden path that takes him into the kind of unbelievable sunshine that most people, leave alone those with disabilities, only dream about,
There is no doubt that Tushar Hiranandani has picked an appropriate subject. Despite increased activism and awareness, putting a person with a handicap at the center of the frame remains a bold act, especially now when theatrical releases are dying by the dozens. With Rajkummar Rao as Srikanth Bolla, you can expect both competence and sincerity. Touching on the high points of a difficult life in a 2.5-hour feature pushes toward broad brushstrokes; nevertheless, because this removes intricacy, the story-telling ends up being quite plain.
Rao is one of the few performers who can thoroughly embrace his part while also shedding any vanity: when his Srikanth Bolla says his mantra, Sri Can, and grins, you smile back.
Jyotika is credible as Srikanth’s rock, the teacher who remained by his side when all hope seemed lost. Alaya F appears as the young woman who becomes intrigued by this man who refuses to let anything stand in his way of achieving his goals, and she immediately brings a spark to the film. You wish she had a bigger role; who is this girl? Sharad Kelkar is dependable as ever, as the loyal buddy who never turns his back on Srikanth, even when the latter becomes too full of himself, and starts throwing his weight around.
Dispensing with this aspect, that disabled people need to be ‘noble’ and ‘good’, is the strength of this film: Rao does a solid job of being disgruntled and too smart for his own good, telling us that people with deep challenges are, after all, also human. They can also behave badly. More focus on this side of Srikanth, whose endeavours in real life have had a lasting impact on blind students wanting to opt for the sciences, would have lent the film a welcome interiority.
And then are the message-y parts, heavy on dialogue, laden with life lessons, which come thick and fast. While Srikanth’s climactic speech telling us what we must and must not do when faced with people with disabilities is effective, it is also a lazy device, which makes the movie more tell, than, well, show.
Still, despite its limitations, will take ‘Srikanth’. Because it chooses to tell the story of someone who refused to be labelled a bechara — no standing on the road and begging for alms or ‘making candles’ –and celebrates an individual who managed to lift himself from a hole in the ground, literally, where he was going be buried alive, to someone who created a job for himself, and countless people like him. Because it talks of barabari, not bechargi: yes it comes off as a dialogue, but it is also effective.
When Srikanth says knowingly, ‘hamaare chakkar mein mat padna, bech ke kha jayenge’, you are startled, and then you laugh out loud. You know instantly that this is a guy who has learnt that self-pity is self-defeating, that he is grateful to have been supported to be able to reach a point where he can make the best of his innate abilities, that he is a winner. And everyone loves a winner, right?
Srikanth movie cast: Rajkummar Rao, Jyotika, Sharad Kelkar, Alaya F, Jameel Khan, Srinivas Beesetty, Anusha Nuthul
Srikanth movie director: Tushar Hiranandani
Srikanth movie rating: 2.5 stars
Source:IE
