Story

A moving high-voltage, sentimental drama that caters to family audiences in general. This intense love story tests a single aspect of human relationship. The first one is: who is more loved - an orphan boy, picked from an orphanage and brought up by the couple, or the grand-daughter of the same couple, but born to a man with whom their daughter eloped, almost 15 years ago. The entire drama hangs around this point. Krishnam Raju and Sujatha play this elderly couple impressively, while Uday Kiran plays the orphan.

Krishnamraju plays the crucial role of Raghavayya, a highly-respected industrialist. Raghavayya makes all arrangements for the wedding of his only daughter (Meenakumari). But she elopes with Suman. He finds it difficult to accept this situation. He soon adopts a young boy from an orphanage who grows up to be Anand (Uday Kiran). From this point the drama moves encasing all the emotions. Anand is not interested in girls. Prasad (Suman), who loved and married Raghavayya's daughterloses his wife who dies in childbirth. He names her Sitalakshmi, after her maternal grandmother, as wished by his wife. Sita and Anand are now in the same college. On knowing that Anand maintains a distance from girls, mischievous Sita decides to win his heart. Eventually the two fall in love.

Prasad's identity is revealed in a small flashback. He is educated by Raghavayya when his father, an employee of the industrialist, dies.

With the entrance of Prasad's daughter Sita, the story picks up in tempo.

Shriya simply corners the show. She offers her best performance till date. She matches up to Krishnamraju in the common scenes especially after she reveals the truth of her birth.

Even Prasad, realises his mistake of separating such a loveable Raghavayya from his daughter. The only solution to the drama is to make Raghavayya feel that blood is thicker. How that happens forms the rest of the film.

For Krishnam Raju, now a central minister, this is a great comeback with a resounding performance, maintaining that dignity the character deserves. Quite a number of tear-jerking scenes are quite moving. Brahmanandam's character provides that badly needed relief. Suman gets a role befitting his age. But he need not have been made to look that stubborn as is shown, when he faces his benefactor. Sujatha is as cool as ever contributing greatly to the sentimental impact.

Rajasekhar directs for the first time in Telugu.And he does so carefully and dexterously. He will surely win appreciation especially in handling the drawing room drama to utter perfection. Dialogues are by the seasoned writers - Paruchuri Brothers. Music by R.P.Patnaik has familiar tunes, but the background score is quite invigorating.

courtesy: The Hindu