Telugu superstar Nagarjuna must be a much-relieved man. Luckless Nag had been passing through a lean patch over the last few years. At long last, his prayers have been answered. 'Mass', directed by Raghava Lawrence, has turned out to be a hit. So, the New Year has begun with a bang for the son of that great thespian, Nageswara Rao.
Story may not be a strong point of 'Mass'. Nevertheless, the movie has struck a chord in the people's hearts. Racy, punch-packed action films by and large hit the bull's eye, from the box office standpoint, in Tollywood. That way, 'Mass' has managed to generate mass enthusiasm. No wonder, hit-starved Nagarjuna is all smiles.
'Mass' also marks an image makeover for Nagarjuna, whose forte is romantic movies. In 'Mass', Nag has succeeded in recasting his image by portraying a tough character. Remember the Hindi movie "Shiva"? The body language is brooding and the acting, expressively eloquent.
Ganesh (Nagarjuna) is a man with a mission. The locale is Visakhapatnam. Fear stalks the city as mafia dons Satya and Seshu (Raghuvaran and Rahul Dev) have unleashed a reign of terror. It is the writ of the father-son duo that runs in the city. Any attempt at resistance is ruthlessly crushed.
It is this grim scenario that greets Ganesh. The hero rises to the occasion. He decides on the strategy that terror tames terror. So off goes the message to the baddies that they would be bumped off one by one. Even the dates on which the deed would be done are announced with gusto!
The flashback tells the evolution of Ganesh into "Mass", the people's representative. Ganesh is an orphan who ekes out a living as a mechanic. Adi (Sunil), the son of his foster parents, is his best friend. Cupid strikes through Anjali (Jyotika), a rich girl.
Then follows a twist in the tale. The revelation dawns on Ganesh's wedding day: Anjali is none other than the sister of the mafia don, Seshu. Adi, who was instrumental in Ganesh falling in love with Anjali, pays the penalty with his life. He is shot dead by Seshu and his gang. The girl is whisked away to Visakhapatnam. The stage is set for the beginning of Ganesh's mission: to avenge the death of Adi and finish off the mafia gang.
It's a commendable maiden effort by director Lawrence, who has managed to infuse life and verve into the narrative, despite the storyline being weak and clichéd. He knows the pulse of the Telugu audience. So all the ingredients that go into the making of a successful formula film are there: fierce fight scenes, dance numbers and romance. But music director Devi Sri Prasad disappoints.
Both Nagarjuna and Jyotika give a good account of themselves in the lead role. Charming Charmy is adequate.
If thriller is your cup of tea, then “Mass” is the movie for you. Entertaining.
‘Mass’ has mass appeal