Why do I have a love-hate relationship with 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'?
Like most Tollywood fans, Allu Arjun's Ala Vaikunthapurramloo is my comfort zone, too. Whenever I get tired of browsing through Netflix, I resort to Ala. I can watch it on loop for days without even getting bored (not an exaggeration!). BUT like any good thing, this film also has its flaws that cannot be forgiven. Let's discuss all the good and bad of Ala.
'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo': The name itself sounds like music
Being a Tamil-speaking Tollywood fan, I had to browse through the internet to know what the name meant. But I liked the vibe it created when I said it. Honestly, I would have liked whatever title the film carried, as I have always been a fan of Trivikram Srinivas's movie titles—Aravinda Sametha - Veera Raghava, Attarintiki Daredi, Khaleja, Athadu...I can go on all day!
NICE story of a NICE man in a NICE way
This family drama is full of factors we don't see in reality. Because it has been two years since the film released, let me not care about spoilers. It starts with Valmiki (Murali Sharma) swapping his infant (Sushanth's Raj) with his boss's child (Arjun's Bantu) as they are both born the same day. Though this act is evil, it was well-intentioned (for his son).
The biggest positive is the man himself
Now let's talk about the lead. Yes, the charmer Arjun. You may catch me praising him more often in this article. The opportunity might have fallen into his lap because he is a star kid. But he sustained success only through his hard work, and this film is proof. Be it dancing, acting, or being witty—you name it, and he has nailed it all!
I mean, who else can dance THAT well?
Look at his moves in Butta Bomma. The way he effortlessly slithers during the song's whistle portion... And how can we forget the climactic portion in Sittharala Sirapadu where he dances all the while thrashing the hell out of the goons! So, what could possibly go wrong in such a near-perfect film? The answer is misogyny, which we see in most Telugu films.
Okay, enough with the praises, now let's discuss what's wrong
There are arguably fewer negatives in Ala when compared to several other films. But these flaws are not something that we can brush off and move on. To start with, Pooja Hegde's role is almost like a cameo appearance. She only appears to shake a leg in dance sequences. There is not even a justification on how love bloomed between the lead actors!
There are flaws—agreed. But we can cut it some slack!
The worst part is the objectification of Hegde. Clearly, Amulya (Hegde) was uncomfortable with all the leg-glaring by Bantu but he continued with it anyway. I definitely feel that Arjun has to step up and stop romanticizing abuses. There's no second opinion on it. But considering all the other aspects, Ala is (and will be) one of the finest films I have ever watched.
