A godfather-esque figure, a defiant family member, a gang of obedient followers, hundreds of people coming for help and enemies looking for a way to end this reign, and an heir apparent. Not a new story for sure, and yet, Janatha Garage manages to make a mark with a bit ov novelty. With several pages taken from The Godfather, this film takes you into the world of two spirited men - Anand (NTR) and Satyam (Mohanlal) - who'd give away all they have just for the cause they believe in. A man who loves the earth's environment joins a man who loves the beings on earth in a mission, and the result leaves us with mixed feelings.
The most impressive aspect about the film is that director Koratala Siva never deviates from the narrative and like in most contemporary commercial cinemas, there are no forced comic sequences nor is there the an unnecessary loudness and brazenness in the action. But that's not all, this is one story which is never dominated by a star despite the presence of two of them!
Director Koratala Siva starts off with a parallel narration of the duo's stories but it is the point of culmination, and intersection of them both that is a bit of a setback. It seems all of a sudden that NTR's new duty has overshadowed his love of nature. And it is here that we begin to wonder if Siva is just going on a different direction from where he began. The second half proves to be a bit slow and you just notice how glimpses from the first half begin to repeat again.
( 3.5 / 5 )