‘Srikanth’ (2024) Movie Review - Rajkummar Rao Is Excellent In A Paint-By-Numbers Biopic

Unoriginal movies breed unoriginal criticisms. "Style over substance" and "subtlety of a sledgehammer" are some of the phrases film critics go for when they come out exhausted from an uninspiring production. Since the movie itself doesn't stimulate them in new, exciting ways, their sentences too sound repetitious. With (uncreative) biopics, a new kind of repetition has emerged. Film critics have begun using Wikipedia for comparison. In the case of Tushar Hiranandani's Srikanth, however, Wikipedia should rightly be brought up. After watching the film, just go through the Wikipedia page of Srikanth Bolla. You will realize that there is almost no difference between the page and the script (written by Sumit Purohit and Jagdeep Sidhu). In fact, Wikipedia will end up offering you more fun than the entire film through a line regarding Srikanth's adjustment to things like Western bathrooms and shower systems (the sole thing that's funny in the movie is that visual gag where Srikanh's father [Srinivas Beesetty] uses his hand to ask for a bigger bottle of alcohol). Everything in the film feels like a desperately stretched version of the Wikipedia account. A good biopic brightly illuminates its subject. A bad biopic merely "inspires" you through a faux motivational tone that takes the place of substance. Srikanth belongs to the latter group.

This paint-by-numbers biopic follows the bland "problem-solution" approach. Throughout the film, Srikanth (Rajkummar Rao) crosses one obstacle after another, which makes him look more like Mario than a motivational figure. When schools don't let him study science, he files a case against the Indian education system (the lawyer merely sits on the bench while Srikanth delivers his arguments). When the airport staff members refuse to let Srikanth fly alone without a companion, he presents his competence as a spectacle (did nobody bother to check the rules before sending him to the airport?). There are other issues he solves with the snap of his fingers, though you forget most of them due to the generic treatment. Everything comes and goes so blithely that you stop taking the problems seriously. The movie, anyway, uses its events to convey only one message: Srikanth is a genius. He is a sportsman, a chess player, a decent boyfriend, a visionary businessman, and an inspiring human.

Post-interval, the "external" obstacles give way to the "internal" ones. Srikanth becomes jealous when a news reporter praises Ravi (Sharad Kelkar) for taking a risk on the visually-impaired businessman, and Ravi says, "Thank you." What remains unsaid by Ravi, due to a kid, is something along the lines of "Thank you, but Srikanth deserves all the compliments." Srikanth, though, doesn't see and thus doesn't understand why Ravi didn't add anything else after "Thank you." As far as he knows, his friend took all the compliments. This is one of those instances where Srikanth's blindness actually makes him blind to the truth. As a result, his arrogant side comes to the foreground. What this thread conveys is that "Hey, Srikanth is not a saint. He is a human." However, this event gives us nothing else apart from this narrow message inserted to balance out the saintly portrayal, to erect a shield for dodging "Srikanth is an angel" criticism because Srikanth's mistakes, his egotism, don't do any severe harm to his business. His personal image, too, isn't incredibly spoiled by his political alliance (all we hear is tsk-tsk-type mild disapproval). His unhealthy over-confidence just doubles up as a kindergarten-level moral lesson (Be kind to others).

Srikanth, in his speeches, often gives credit to his teacher, Devika (Jyothika). The movie, however, doesn't make the effort to provide us with some personal details regarding her life. At the airport, she tells Srikanth that she will concentrate on herself in his absence. What are her hobbies? Does she have any friends? Based on the movie, she exists to only serve Srikanth. His girlfriend-turned-wife, Swathi (Alaya F), too, functions like a North Star. When Srikanth mentions he doesn't want to return to India, she reminds him that he has the power to influence other people like him in India. Later, she criticizes his behavior at the airport. Again, you can put forward these questions: What are her hobbies? Does she have any friends? Oh, what do her parents think of her relationship with Srikanth? Were they always open-minded? A good biopic doesn't confine itself to achievements. Hiranandani's movie, though, acts as an award for its main subject.

Rao, nonetheless, is excellent. He lucidly brings out his character's shame, sadness, happiness, guilt, and arrogance. Rao goes through the whole emotional spectrum without making any unnecessary fuss. Sadly, the movie is neither as incredible as Rao's acting nor as inspiring as the real-life figure it's based on.

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times