Harsha Vardhans Story

Synopsis: The film opens with Shanker, a notorious person returning back to a village to take
revenge on Rayudus family which murdered his wife and kids. The hero, Ram, dropped out of
law collage, works with Rayudus family and secretly loves a lady doctor who visits the village
now and then. In the same village lives Nayudu, rams friend and a film freak who runs an old
VCR rental shop and who also dreams of becoming a film director. When shankar lands up in
the village, he gets into Rams house and makes a deal to help him in his quest by threatening
Ram. The hero having no other choice, cleverly fools Rayudus family and makes sure that
Rayudu doesnt suspect him hiding Shankar in his house. While Shankar is awaiting the
opportunity to strike at Rayudus family, Ram learns that he has a terminal disease and his days
are numbered unless he is operated immediately which also costs lots of money. Unable to find
the money, Ram becomes gloomy and loses hope until he strikes upon a brilliant idea. Learning
that Shankar wants to surrender to the police and wants to be hanged after he kills the
Rayudus family, Ram explains Shankar his plan in which he volunteers to go to jail in shankars
place after the murders and get operated with governments money and and when he would be
taken to be hung again, Shankar would show up and reveal that he is the one who actually
killed the Rayudus family and die for his crime. After listening to this plan, Shankar hesitates a
little but agrees in the end thinking he would save Rams life anyway and he also agrees to
Nayudu videotaping the murder so that they will have the evidence to convince the police later.
As planned, Shankar kills Rayudus family and Ram goes to jail in Shankars place, when he is
about to be hanged, his health condition is checked and he is sent to the hospital to be operated
for his heart condition. The operation is done and Ram recovers quickly and awaits Shankars
show up but surprisingly, the lady doctor visits the jail and feels sad for Ram. Having found Ram
in jail, she confronts Nayudu who explains the whole plan to her. Then having learned about the
good heart of Shankar and also later saved by him in some accident, she meets him personally
and thanks him for everything. Shankar misunderstands her gesture as interest and thinks that
she is in love with him. Then tempted by her beauty, he changes his mind to reveal to the police
that he is the actual killer and he also destroys the only evidence, the video tape, which was
given to him by nayudu and waits Ram to be hanged in his place.
While the lady doctor romances with the Hero in jail, Nayudu comes to know Shankars plan and
tries to inform the hero but he is not allowed into the jail. Not being aware of Shankars real
intentions, the hero and the girl assume that Shankar is a real good guy and they dont want him
hanged. The lady doctor visits Shankar and tries to convince him not to die but to her surprise,
Shankar reveals his true intentions about her. Having cornered, she tries to hatch a plan on the
spot and promises Shankar that she will marry him if he gives her the Video cassette about the
murders. Now Shankar scolds himself for burning the cassette and tries to hatch a plan.
Meanwhile Nayudu finds out that the original video cassette is intact and the one he gave
Shankar was fake which was caused by his father. He finds the original one and when he starts
to leave to meet the hero happily, Shankar comes for a fake video cassette and takes the
original from Nayudu thinking it is a fake one which he thinks will convince the heroine.
Concerned for Rams life, The heroine kidnaps him from the jail and hides him in some place.
After much confusion between the three friends, the hero, heroine, and Nayudu, they agree that

the heroine will meet Shankar at the temple and they somehow get the cassette from him. As
planned the heroine goes to the temple and while the Cassette changes hands, everything goes
wrong and Shankar comes to know their plan and he reveals to Nayudu and the heroine that he
wants to give the cassette in the police station. The hero who has been following them secretly
understands that Shankar might be going to the police station to steal their jeep and run away
with the girl. In the police station, thinking that it is a fake Cassette, Shankar forces the Police to
watch the video. When they play the cassette, to everybodys shock, it shows the video of
Shankar killing Rayudus family. Furious, Shankar tries to take the Heroine and run but Ram
shows up and in a duel, he hits Shankars on his wounds causing him to collapse and surrender.
The film ends as Ram expressing his love to the lady doctor and Shankar leaving for jail to be
hanged and Nayudu deciding to make a movie out of his friends life story.

Plus Points:

The line and the hook: As a line, the story generates interest to see whether the hero would
succeed in his absurd plan, though the disease and operation ideas seem outdated. When
Shankar changes and refuses to accept the murder, it becomes interesting to see how the hero
escapes from his fate. It also provides a chance to the hero to hatch another master plan which
can out plan his own plan and win over Shankar and the to-be-hanged situation.
Different Setup/Genre: The story is set up in a village and it doesnt fall into any conventional
already-seen settings. The Genre also is relatively new here as thriller comedy/Black comedy
hasnt been done before in Telugu.
Comedy: Most of the film is setup around comedic situations. There are many deaths (at least
the talk of it) in the film and yet it forces itself into a comic tone. This kind of comedy mainly
depends on performances and timing. Done rightly, it can work.
Characters: Characters having some hidden motives serves the story and brings in believability
and interest to some extent. But too many characters leading the story again is a problem. If the
heros character is played well in the second half, it will elevate the story.
Love story: There is a scope for developing a nice love story around the whole plot. As of now,
it looks very convincing or predictable.
Treatment: Most of the story is treatment based character Drama. The story stays in the
moment and tries to create drama through uncertainty of the coming events. This might engage
audience if the characters are set up properly.
Strong secondary characters: Though they help the story, in many places, they are controlling
the main plot. And this needs to be taken care of.

Minus Points:

No Clear Protagonist: Though the hero plays a major role in the beginning and end of the film,
most of the film is lead by secondary characters and confuses us to know whose story we are
following.
Weak Love story: The only progressive relationship in the whole film is the love story between
Ram and the lady doctor and sadly, it doesnt develop much throughout the film. It lacks
freshness and conflict, apart from Shankar wanting the girl, there is no real danger to it. It is also
very predictable and doesnt connect to us emotionally.
The beginning: If the whole film starts because of the enmity between Rayudus family and
Shankars family, it should either happen as a back story or it should be over quickly to start the
main story. But it is taking almost the first half an hour to set up. It also gives us a wrong set up
as what is in store for us. If this is a comedy, the mood should set up quickly.
The 1998 setup: Though it is a must for the film, this set up needs a very strong beginning to
connect the audience to the 1998 era.
Flawed second half: The whole second half focuses on Shankars lust for the girl which also
looks embarrassing at some places. This leads the main plot off track as the Hero and his plan
become sidelined. What does the hero do when Shankar destroys the cassette is a very big
question. and this big question needs a very satisfying answer.
Emotions: Though it sounds clever, the story is lacking emotion. Either from the Heros point of
view or the girls point of view. Even the love story looks very forced.
Video Cassette: Much of the second half hangs on the Video cassette. And it also weakens the
main plot because it controls the whole characters in the second half. And Naidu handing it over
to Shankar is too convincing and Nayudu again finding the original also very convincing. Much
of the time has been spent on this sub plot and it doesnt much add to the plight of the hero
except to drag the story.
Logics: Logic is missing in places in the story. Why would Shankar accept for Heros plan? And
the love angle in him? And why would he agree to return the video cassette? etc.
Ending: Solving the ending with a video cassette gives us a feeling that the movie should have
ended an hour before. It also gives us the proof that it is like this. The characters decisions and
realisations or master strokes by the main characters that is needed in the ending, not Video
cassette.

Observations: Though it starts with an interesting point (shedding the first portion), the story
loses its charm in between. The hero going to jail with a plan, and what happens if the plan fails
is interesting. But What happens if the plan fails hasnt been dealt properly. Instead, the story
takes up an issue of what happens to the Heroine if a lustful guy sees her. Yes, that tension is
good in the second half, but it cannot take over the whole main plot. The whole second half
leaves the hero nothing to do but taken out of jail, romanced, kidnapped and hidden some
where. In Heros obscene, the secondary characters assume that it is their story and playing the
game as they wish.
The Hero having some disease and needing money for that matter also looks weak and
outdated. He doesnt have to keep his whole life in danger just to be treated for some operation.
And the hero having some kind of heart disease itself might weaken his character. So this has to
be taken care of very carefully. Either it should be downplayed or changed to something else.
The villain keeping his eyes on the heroine in small movies is not good sign. This kind of
corrupts the main love story. And she accepting to marry the villain for the cassette is might
work in Bollywood but should be rethought in here. If the villain is kind of guy in Oohalu
Gusagusalade, and very gentleman like, that is different but wanting her for lust is another thing.
And in fact Shankar doesnt want to have lust over the girl to change his might not to turn up. he
might becomes a good guy by witnessing some incident and he might feel regret for what he
has done and he might be even get scared of hanging in video. All these provide much more
drama than he wanting the heroine so much.
The Hero goes to jail because he wanted to gives makes us wonder but if he thought about it
and someone sent him to jail will make it believable. And if the story brings another plot which
complicates the Heros situation in jail when Shankar refuses to replace him will give us chance
for more drama. may be it is the heroine herself who unknowingly helped to send the hero to
jail? Whatever it is it surely needs another angle.
Much of the story works in sequences and bits but as a whole it seems to fall apart. The
characters have scope to develop and the the line has the potential to strengthen but it needs a
clear plot and clean narration. The story deveates too much hence weaken the whole story.