The Family Star

This movie is a hot mess wrapped in a pretty package. It's like they threw a bunch of stuff at the wall, hoping something would stick, but ended up with a jumble of silly, bad and stale bits that don't quite gel together.

The screenplay is a roller coaster, but not the fun kind. You may get a few moments of laughter, but then you're plunged into scenes so ridiculous or dull you'll wonder if the script was written during a group brainstorm where no ideas were turned down, no matter how nonsensical.

The whole vibe of the film feels like it's stuck in a time warp, clinging to an old-school approach that's more yawn-inducing than nostalgic. And, boy, could they have shaved off some runtime. It drags like a lecture that could've been an email.

Vijay's shines in bits and pieces, but even his charm can't fully distract from the chaos.

Mrunal is not really matching up with Vijay, and her performance feels as if she's stuck on repeat, recycling the same handful of expressions we've seen in her last few outings. The rest of the cast? They're just there, doing their thing, not making things worse but not adding much either.

On the technical front, they've splurged. Cinematography, sets, costumes - all top-notch, making you wish the story and direction had received half that attention. Background score gives you headache and the songs make for a good time to check your phone or go for a snack.

Honestly, unless you've been hyped up by all the marketing or feel the unbearable peer pressure from your mates who can't resist jumping on every movie bandwagon, give this one a miss. It's not worth the sit-through, unless you enjoy critiquing every aspect or need background noise while doing something actually interesting.

Govardhan is a young man from a middle-class family, who is shouldering the responsibility of supporting his struggling family. A wealthy girl named Indhu falls in love with him and decides to write a thesis about him and his family's struggles without their knowledge or consent. When Govardhan discovers Indhu's actions, he becomes deeply hurt and decides to break up with her. He also chooses to ignore her, leaving Indhu feeling devastated and desperate. Will Indhu be able to clear his misunderstanding and prove her innocence, or will she be unable to reunite with Govardhan ?

Firstly, I must say that this movie was a major disappointment. The trailers and teasers showed a completely different film, and I was expecting something much better. Secondly, I've reached a point where I'm skeptical of movies featuring Vijay Deverakonda as the lead actor. His acting has become monotonous and unengaging, and I find myself ignoring his films more often than not. The only reason I decided to watch this movie was because of Mrunal Thakur's presence. Unfortunately, even her talent wasn't enough to save the film from Vijay's subpar performance. His acting throughout the movie was average at best, and his expressions lacked depth and emotion. All I could see was a low-budget version of Arjun Reddy, with Vijay rehashing the same alpha-male character that he's become known for. Upon researching his filmography, I noticed that 99% of his films feature similar roles, with little to no range or versatility in his acting. My honest opinion is that he needs to be more selective with the scripts he chooses and work on improving his acting skills. I desperately waited to watch Mrunal Thakur, though that also left me disappointed. After appearing in some of the best films, like Sita Ramam and Hi Nanna, this one is a completely bad script selection. I don't know whom to blame, whether Mrunal or the director of this film. Her acting and chemistry with VD was good, but her character has nothing much to showcase. But I must say that she was a saving grace of the film. I desperately waited to watch Mrunal Thakur in this film, but unfortunately, it left me disappointed. After appearing in some of the best films, like Sita Ramam and Hi Nanna, I thought this one would be a great choice. However, the script selection was completely off. I'm unsure who to blame - Mrunal or the director of this film. Despite her acting and chemistry with VD being good, her character lacked depth and didn't have much to showcase. However, I must say that she was a saving grace of the film, making it somewhat bearable. My first impression of Rohini Hattangadi was a remarkable one. Although I hadn't seen her films before, she left me speechless with her performance, despite having a small role. Her impact on me was more profound than Vijay's, and she looked absolutely adorable throughout the film. She gave her best to elevate this mediocre movie, which was a commendable effort. Jagapathi Babu and Vennela Kishore were also excellent in their roles.

The first half of the film seemed promising, but everything changed when a twist was introduced during the interval. The second half took a completely opposite direction, becoming illogical and nonsensical until the climax. The storyline became increasingly senseless and lacked any connection to reality. It's hard to fathom why a middle-class boy would harass a high-class girl simply because she wrote a thesis about him, and it's equally puzzling that a high-class girl would tolerate such behavior and even hire him at her company. Such toxic films have no place in the cinema. It's difficult to believe that the writer wasn't under the influence of something while crafting this storyline. The majority of the film revolves around Govardhan's relentless tormenting of Indhu, simply because she wrote a thesis about him and his family without their permission. The dialogue is equally appalling, with cringe-worthy and toxic lines that are hard to bear. For example, Govardhan beats up a man who had tortured his sister-in-law, yet he brutally mistreats Indhu, his lover, who wrote a thesis about him and his family in a positive light. On a slightly positive note, the climax was somewhat engaging and heartwarming.

The cinematography of the film is impressive, featuring some enchanting visuals of the United States. While the song choreographies are decent, none of them are particularly memorable. The action scenes in the first half are illogical and defy the laws of physics, reminiscent of a 2000s Tamil film. However, the fight scenes in the climax are somewhat intense and engaging.

The soundtrack by Gopi Sundar is another saving grace of the film. While it may not be an extraordinary or chart-topping album like some of Sundar's other works, all the songs are still enjoyable. However, "Madhuramu Kadha" by Shreya Ghoshal and "Nandanandanaa" by Sid Sriram are particularly noteworthy and worth listening to. The background score is equally impressive, with a soothing quality that is hard to ignore. Unfortunately, the score's beauty is somewhat undermined by the fact that it doesn't quite match the tone of the film, which is unfortunately subpar.

In conclusion, 'The Family Star' is an average masala film with a few notable strengths, including its good music and cinematography. Watch this film only when you don't have any other films to watch.

South Indian movies are typically made to entertain low IQ viewers only. Almost all such movies at some point become illogical and nonsensical. This movie although started very well and continued to be entertaining but the climax totally ruined it. About 30 or more people carrying sharp weapons wait for their turn to get beaten up while others don't even move. As usual, the hero has only minor injuries and whenever he starts talking to others, all the goons suddenly freeze and start listening.

The storyline is almost ruined towards the end. It could have been a simple non-violent story and would have made complete sense. But I think every south indian movie must show stupid violence where people start flying as if the gravity is missing. If you have normal or above average IQ, don't waste your time. And this will most likely be my last south indian movie.

Yes, A failed try to Glorifying Middle class Men, Middle class people are 90% of indian Population. Their is a family star in every family but this try to glorify middle class men or family star didnt justify. The hero's elder brother sequence didnt quite make sense and middle class people dont get happy with money is a ideology but the theory represents all the sequence that proves otherwise in most scene. Not a joy ride but series of various scene put togather to prove what director wanted. Better luck next time guys. Please dont make people call this typical telugu film, Next time add some quality and sence.

One of the most brain dead idiotic movies with the most crazy and psychotic characters as protagonists of 2024.

Gowardhan is a gaslighting egotistical misogynist who emotionally tortures everyone around him.

Indu is even more weird, she lets all this happen with 0 self respect and dignity.

He blames everything on everyone around him, while acting like he's always right and infallible.

The cringe and frankly disgusting ways in which he bahaves and the fact that she just watches on tolerating everything and apparently unconditionally loves him is so baffling, I just cringed throughout the movie.

What a waste of time and energy. There are 0 characters in this movie that are remotely normal.