Pakka Commercial is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language courtroom action comedy film directed by Maruthi, and produced by UV Creations and GA2 Pictures. The film stars Gopichand and Raashi Khanna alongwith Sathyaraj, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Rao Ramesh, Anasuya Bharadwaj and Ajay Ghosh playing supporting roles.
The film has music composed by Jakes Bejoy. Pakka Commercial is released theatrically on 1 July 2022, with mixed to positive reviews from critics and as well as audiences.
Pakka Commercial Movie Cast & Crew
| Directed by | Maruthi |
|---|---|
| Written by | Maruthi |
| Produced by | Bunny Vas |
| Starring | Gopichand Raashi Khanna |
| Cinematography | Karm Chawla |
| Edited by | S. B. Uddhav |
| Music by | Jakes Bejoy |
| Production companies | UV Creations, GA2 Pictures |
| Release date | 1 July 2022 |
| Running time | 151 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Cast
- Gopichand as Ramchand
- Raashi Khanna as Lawyer Jhansi
- Sathyaraj
- Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
- Anasuya Bharadwaj
- Rao Ramesh
- Ajay Ghosh
- Kiran Talasila
- Saptagiri
- Sai Krishna
- Ramana Reddy
Story
Lucky (Gopichand), the son of retired Judge Suryanarayana (Satyaraj), is a talented lawyer who will argue for anyone with money. But is it really as ‘Pakka Commercial’ as it sounds?
Review
Maruti has a special style of filmmaking that sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t. Pakka Commercial begins as this very self-aware comedy, taking a bit of a serious matter but always following the line between bringing it back to the midcap category.
The actors also seem to be playing their characters, memorizing ridiculous lines. The problem is, they seem to enjoy it more than you do.
Suryanarayana (Satyaraja) is the kind of judge anyone wants; He is a person who has sympathy for the plight of the people in his court, even if his hands are bound by law. An unfortunate incident forces him to retire, taking him away from anything related to the law.
Years later his son Lucky (Gopichand) wears a black coat and returns to the same place where his father was sworn. While his father believes he is a philanthropic lawyer who will fight for the victims, in reality, Lucky will only fight for those who give him the most money, whether he is in cash or not.
When a business magnet Vivek (Rao Ramesh) enters the picture, the retired judge returns to court to confront his son. Yes, yes, in this film Rashi Khanna is also playing the role of a TV actress named Jhansi who is famous for playing the role of a lawyer.
She is so dedicated that she even studied law to prepare for her role and is understandably annoyed when she was fired due to budget cuts in exchange for Covid-19. This is one of those few films that doesn’t pretend the coronavirus epidemic doesn’t exist, but it doesn’t use the epidemic beyond some particularly silly moments or dialogues.
There’s also a joke involving masks and body that doesn’t really come down to its purpose. Each of the characters, including Rashi and Rao Ramesh, is written as caricatures and while it may seem fun at first, Maruti manages to take it a little further away keeping in mind your interests.
The opening sequence of the film gives you hope that maybe something will be meaningful but it’s just confusing – song, dance, fights, a few jokes, punch dialogues – repeating the cycle to the end.
There is no rhythm or rhythm to the way the film progresses, which makes you wonder if there was a relevant screenplay anywhere. Some of the dialogues are even self-aware of what kind of film this is, almost reflecting the thoughts of the audience, but it only makes it entertaining in pieces. You can see the ending coming from a mile away, even if the movie pretends you don’t know what’s going on.
For example, Rao Ramesh’s rage is how he will ensure that what critics only write about him in reviews is funny on paper and the actor acts on it, but it doesn’t really translate as intended.
The same goes for the dialogue about his mass fan base by Gopichand. What doesn’t work is how Lucky’s character track is ‘redeemed’ and how Jhansi emerges from the scenes, filling the space whenever needed.
Jacques Bejoy’s music doesn’t really interest you, like the description in the film, except for the Lehenga Low Lady Donu number, but it’s also really weirdly placed.
Gopichand, Rashi, Satyaraja and Rao Ramesh’s excellent performance is the reason why Pakka does commercial work. They seem to be giving their all to their characters, despite the inconsistencies.
Gopichand shines in both comedy and action sequences while Rashi breathed life into an egoistic TV actress. Despite the shortcomings, Maruti has tried to bring some freshness to the proceedings.
If the character of Satyaraja gets a dream sequence or how the character of the zodiac believes that some things are best said through duets, do some other things like that. Unfortunately they are not enough to make the whole film work.
Maruti has delivered better films, characters and stories in the past; Pakka Commercial is not really his best work. But if you’re a fan of her or the main cast, give the film a chance. Just don’t expect too much.