Movie Review: Stand Up Rahul!

Raj Tarun is struggling to make a successful comeback. All his recent attempts turned futile at the Box Office. Stand Up Rahul is his latest attempt. This is crucial for Raj Tarun’s career. Will he stand up? Will he break the jinx? Check out!

What is it about?

Rahul (Raj Tarun), a happy-go-lucky guy, is passionate about stand up comedy. But he opts for a job for his mother (Indraja) who doesn’t want him to be like his father (Murali Sharma), a failed filmmaker. Rahul meets Shreya Rao (Varsha Bollamma) at work who happens to be his schoolmate. Rahul and Shreya had initial friction that later turned into a relationship. While Shreya wants to marry Rahul and get settled down, Rhaul has a different opinion on marriage after seeing his parents’ failed marriage. How Rahul becomes a stand up comedian which he loves and wins his love is the Stand Up Rahul about.

Performances

Raj Tarun as Rahul is okay. There are a handful of moments in the film where we feel he is the perfect choice for the Stand Up Rahul. But the sad truth is that the story isn’t apt for his comeback. It never lets him stand up. One wonders why Raj Tarun chose such a lousy script. Varsha Bollamma doesn’t score much with Stand Up Rahul. But she has got a role with substance. Her screen presence in the film is throughout which is rare for lead actresses. This is not a better role than what she did in Middle Class Melodies. Murali Sharma and Indraja play typical father and mother. Indraja’s role has some complexity. She did her part well. Vennela Kishore as Steve gets to play a stereotyped office boss. He irritates. Raj Kumar’s comedy fails to entertain.

Technicalities

Stand Up Rahul is based on a wafer-thin plot of balancing passion and responsibility of family. The writing lets it down. The screenplay is predictable and scenes are stretched out. Songs are not good. Background music too disappoints. Even with a small run-time of 2:14 hours, the film appears to be lengthy.

Thumbs Up
Raj Tarun’s Acting

Thumbs Down
Poor Comedy
Lack Of Hero-Heroine Chemistry
Stretched Out Scenes

Analysis

The Stand Up Rahul title sounds interesting. It reminds us of the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Wake Up Sid. But the former is nowhere close to the latter. The film starts with the introduction of Shreya and how she fantasizes about a fairy wedding since childhood. It also introduces how funny and cheery Rahul is and how his family is. After taking a chunk of the time in presenting all the characters, the scene shifts to Hyderabad. Even as one patiently waits, the story doesn’t progress. Office comedy doesn’t work at all. The side actors try so hard but fail to evoke laughs. Vennela Kishore’s comedy which was supposed to entertain, falls flatter.

The chemistry of the lead pair is crucial for feel-good romance. But that doesn’t gel well here. How Shreya fell for Rahul is still a mystery even after stating that his marriage is fixed. What’s more? Shreya kisses Rahul. It looks artificial. Also a traditional and conventional girl Shreya agreeing for a live-in relationship lacks proper justification in the film. All these give some forced drama feel. Rahul’s Stand Up comedy stints too doesn’t work. They all look unnatural. The movie appears stretched. In the first place, it doesn’t have well-written scenes and then the scenes are dragged out, adding to the woes of viewers. Post interval, the film doesn’t move. It goes on a predictable trajectory. Raj Tarun is the only saving grace. But even he can’t rescue this film.

The film’s director Santo tries hard to convey a message to youth to follow one’s heart not bogged down by family pressure. This message was delivered by several filmmakers in the past in a better way. Santo attempts to be Indraja in the film and tries to rub his message on the viewers. Unfortunately, it has not worked out. The supposed to be youthful romance gets dominated by sentiment and family melodrama towards the end. The parents reunion takes centrestage sidelining the lead pair’s track. On the whole, Stand Up Rahul falls down. It’s a free-fall. The movie doesn’t stand up anywhere.

Bottom-line: No Standing, Only Sleeping!

Rating: 2/5