Years before streaming services reshaped the entertainment industry, television premieres were monumental events. Families would gather around their television sets to watch popular films, especially during festive occasions. These three-hour epic tales would be stretched to an exhausting six hours, courtesy of a flurry of advertisements, but the collective viewing experience bonded families in a way that transcended the monotony of daily life. It was an era where cinema wasn’t just a medium of storytelling, but a shared family ritual.
Ganesh’s latest film, “Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi,” seems to have been crafted with nostalgia for that bygone era in mind. With online streaming now dominating movie consumption, it’s difficult to imagine an outdated narrative like “Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi” drawing audiences away from their comfortable living rooms and into theaters. In a rather curious marketing move, the movie’s makers chose not to release any teaser or trailer, ostensibly to keep the plot’s major twist under wraps.
Directed by Srinivas Raju, the film attempts to tell its love story through a non-linear screenplay—a narrative device that has its merits. However, this creative choice isn’t enough to salvage the film, which struggles under the weight of uninspired plot elements and lackluster writing.
Ganesh stars as Krishna, an affluent business magnate leading the Krishna Group of Companies. His character is juxtaposed against Pranaya, portrayed by Malavika Nair, who is Krishna’s assistant and confidante. Just as the audience starts to get invested in their present-day camaraderie, the storyline shifts to a flashback, detailing how Krishna donned the disguise of a humble driver to win over Pranaya, who runs an orphanage.
The narrative attempts to create intrigue around what happened between these two timeframes. “Memory loss,” murmurs a viewer behind me, pointing out an overused trope that dates back to the golden era of cinema. The film fails to offer a fresh take on the concept, relying instead on another clichéd plot device: love at first sight.
The shortcomings of “Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi” are exacerbated by its hollow writing.
. The Krishna Group of Companies is depicted as a formidable organization, yet what it specializes in remains a mystery. The protagonist seems perpetually ensconced in nonsensical meetings that appear pointless. On the other hand, Pranaya’s orphanage lacks authenticity, resembling more a quaint homestay than a haven for children in need.
One particularly bizarre subplot involves Krishna’s assistants constantly reminding him (and the audience) about the countless women eager to marry him, as if his love for Pranaya is an act of benevolence. In stark contrast, Sharanya Shetty’s character, who works for a rival company and also falls for Krishna, is portrayed as glamorous and aggressive—a stereotypical portrayal that perhaps reflects the director’s view of a ‘rich and successful woman.’
When “Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi” was initially announced, the pairing of Srinivas Raju and Ganesh raised many eyebrows. Raju had been known for his gritty, violent “Dandupalya” series, deviating vastly from Ganesh’s forte in romantic comedies. This unusual pairing was leveraged as a unique selling point during the film’s promotional phase. Unfortunately, the end result fails to justify the hype. For Ganesh, this film feels like yet another tread on familiar ground, offering nothing novel to his audience. His portrayal of Krishna feels repetitive, mirroring roles he has done in the past.
Despite these shortcomings, “Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi” is currently playing in theaters, for those inclined toward a nostalgic trip. However, one can’t help but feel that its outdated narrative and stale tropes will struggle to resonate in today’s vibrant and ever-evolving cinematic universe.
The film industry has come a long way from the days when families would unflinchingly sit through hours of commercials just to watch a single movie together. Today, with a plethora of streaming services offering high-quality, diverse content at the click of a button, traditional cinema faces an uphill battle. In this context, films like “Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi,” which fail to innovate and captivate, seem destined to be remembered as relics of a past era.