THREE-3 (2008) Telugu Movie Review By Kalcha

FILM: Three 3
LANGUAGE: Telugu
RELEASE DATE: 17-10-2008
STAR CAST: Rishi, Urvashi Sharma, Rajeev Kanakala, Harshavardhan, Shanti Chandra, Benarji, Giri and Others
DIALOGUES: Harshavardhan
LYRICS: Vanamali
MUSIC: Vijay Kurakula
EDITING: Tirupathi Reddy
STUNTS: Ram Lakshman
CINEMATOGRAPHY: K K Senthil Kumar & Bhaskar Shyamala
ART: Venkat Sannidhi
STORY, SCREENPLAY & DIRECTION: Shekhar Suri
PRODUCER: Shanthi Chandra
BANNER: Raj (India) Entertainments

THREE has SHEKHAR SURI, one of the very few film makers in Telugu, who is hell bent on making a thriller. But that doesn’t mean he is one of the finest… In fact, his below ordinary A FILM BY ARVIND hit the jackpot as it was one of the few thrillers that come out in our Telugu film industry. His second thriller THREE is in the making for more than 2 years. My sources informed me… the actual PLOT of the movie was entirely different when it started out. But then it got mired in many internal issues… and turned out to be a completely different movie in the end. To give you an insight in to this mess… The POSTERS designed well in advance… state boldly the tag line of the movie: “13 Play The Game… Only 3 Complete It.” But I knew well before watching this movie that there is no GAME in the movie that the posters speak off. So, obviously my expectations were extremely low.

• As usual, RAJEEV KANAKALA gives his best. He is the only holding element in the movie which is mostly superfluous and stupid. But I won’t elaborate on his performance as there is nothing new or spectacular. He is an actor who can just sleep walk through these roles.
• RISHI looks cool and made for these intriguing and urban roles. Although his tattoos have been overdone, he carries them off with much aplomb. Other than this, he has nothing much to emote or dazzle us as the screenplay does not give him that leeway.
• URVASHI SHARMA looks and feels classy and so best suited for thrillers but not these kind of UN-BAKED thrillers. All she has are 3 expressions in the movie… and she carries them off very well.

• SHANTI CHANDRA is the primary reason that this movie got released in the first place. So, the primary culprit is none other than himself. In his bid to self promote, he has an elaborate and disjointed fight sequence too. He is at best a piece of junk wood that has neither expressions nor the charisma to carry any onscreen job on his shoulders…
• CINEMATOGRAPHY, which should have been one of the highlights of the movie, is surprisingly the weakest points of the movie. Camera movement should never be about how many angles you can put it at… and pull it from… It should firstly suit the theme of the movie and then the scene. It should never elevate an unnecessary scene (like walking & napping an N number of times) as doing so would dilute the shock factor of the actual shocking scene. I never understand these Telugu thrillers that try in vain to startle us in every scene and frame of the movie.
• BACKGROUND SCORE by VIJAY KURAKULA too has the same problem that Cinematography has in this movie. Every scene is accompanied by slightly boomy and creaking sounds which are quite unnecessary as we start to get comfortable to the sounds so much so that no sound from then on startles us. I hope you understand what I mean to say.
• Finally, the STORY, SCREENPLAY & DIRECTION by SHEKHAR SURI is also one of the most misleading works in recent times. Let me recall some of the misleading features and some bloopers out of innumerable… 1) Posters speak one thing while the story speaks something else. I already made the point that there is NO GAME in the movie. 2) The titles of the movie are intriguing with the NGC cinematography as a backdrop. But they have nothing to do with the movie. 3) RISHI has a lover (supposedly 1 of 13 players) with whom he has an argument over coffee and that’s it. She never comes back on screen. 4) There is a friend (supposedly 1 of 13 players) of RISHI whose belongings include a car… are being used by Rishi. He goes to out of station and never comes back on screen. 5) The psychiatrist portrayed by HARSHAVARDHAN also completes the game (if at all there is any)… I mean he stays alive taking the number of players completing the game to 4. 6) In fact, except the villain no one dies in the game. 7) In just 1 night… so many things happen that you begin to wonder whether it is being shot in NORWAY or some similar place with 6 month nights. 8) The SUV that the main characters travel in… is crashed deep in to the forest by URVASHI SHARMA in a scene where she is rescued by RISHI. Surprisingly, they all get back to the villa that they stay in… along with the unscathed SUV. What a blooper…! 9) RAJEEV KANAKALA behaves abnormally from the beginning itself… In the end… it doesn’t make any sense. 10) By the climax of the movie… having no direction where to lead the movie… Shekhar Suri turns the movie THREE in to a Super-Natural, Regression Therapy & Re-Incarnation based bull shit movie with an elaborate flashback episode that evoked LOUD LAUGHTER through out the theater. That’s why I said that it is the FUNNIEST THRILLER of the year.

THREE is undoubtedly UNWATCHABLE, FOOLISH, HEADACHE INDUCING, BACK BREAKING and yet funniest thriller of the year. ENJOY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!