Geethanjali Malli Vachindi review: It neither rises from the dead nor has a superior comedy

When the first part of the horror comedy Geethanjali came in 2014, it was a sleeper hit. Its sequel Geethanjali Malli Vachindi has been made with relatively the same cast.

The trailer of Geethanjali Malli Vachindi garnered mixed talk.

The movie was released in theatres on Thursday, 11 April. Let us see if it has any thrills.

Synopsis

Seenu (Srinivas Reddy) and his friends Ayaan (Sathya), Arudra (Shakalaka Shankar), and Athreya (Satyam Rajesh), who tasted success with the movie “Geethanjali“, become jobless after delivering a series of flops.

The gang receives an unexpected call from an Ooty businessman named Vishnu (Rahul Madhav). He extends them an offer to direct a horror movie with actor Anjali as the lead.

Excited, they start shooting at an old mansion — Sangeet Mahal. However, mysterious things start unfolding when they shift to the bungalow.

What’s their fate? Are they trapped? You should watch Geethanjali Malli Vachindi in theatres to know the answers.

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Analysis

Crafting a horror comedy is not everyone’s skill. Geethanjali Malli Vachindi was released with the hype that its predecessor got earlier. But the attempt with which it has been made is not so promising.

Though Geethanjali Malli Vachindi is a sequel to the earlier hit “Geethanjali‘, interestingly, the sequel finds itself mired in outdated storytelling and a few sparks with a few silly jokes, and comedy elements.

Despite featuring four comedians as the primary leads, Sunil joining in the latter half, none of them manage to evoke laughter.

Director Shiva Turlapati uses the same old techniques commonly used in horror comedies — blue-coloured devils with free-flowing hair and repetitive background scores.

And there is the clichéd haunted mahal, the set you are most probably tired of seeing in horror films.

Unfortunately, Geethanjali Malli Vachindi falls prey to the tried-and-tested tropes you came across in many horror dramas in the past.

It has a few remnants of Chandramukhi (2005), too.

The movie also has the possessed female lead we see in all traditional dramas.

The subplot involving a possessed doll and the parallel drama with comedian Ali makes you feel tiresome.

While Sunil and Sathya manage to deliver a few decent laughs with their expressions, they don’t showcase their best performances.

Additionally, the attempt to inject humour through a parody of a cine journalist falls flat.

Overall, the film fails to break free from the stale narrative of other Telugu horror films.

Performances

Geethanjali Malli Vachindi relies solely on a classic revenge theme but lacks a compelling element.

The absence of a well-developed character arc hinders Anjali’s performance.

The efforts of Srinivasa Reddy and other comedians are not impressive.

Apart from a few punchlines, no major episode evokes any genuine laughter. Some of the comedy is cringe.

In the latter half, Sathya and Sunil outshine the rest of the cast with slightly stronger performances.

Rahul Madhav’s portrayal is passable.

Ravishankar’s depiction of Sastry is insipid.

Additionally, no genuine effort is made to tap the potential of comedian Ali.

Music

Geethanjali Malli Vachindi fails to impress on multiple fronts.

Its weak storyline and lacklustre narration offer very little to engage the audience.

The attempts at comedy fall flat and the repetitive jump-scare horror scenes feel like staged exercises.

The background score lacks impact, while the screenplay and graphics have nothing to do but a namesake.

Additionally, the songs simply fill the space.

Punchline

Geethanjali Malli Vachindi has lesser thrills than the hype it garnered on social media.

With a few comedy punchlines, the movie tries its best to tickle the funny bones. But the cringe episodes are a letdown and the story nosedives.

(Views expressed here are personal.)