Pawan Kalyan-Venkatesh starrer "Gopala Gopala" has fetched positive reviews from critics and audience alike.
Directed by Kishore Pardasany, "Gopala Gopala" is a satirical drama that deals with God and the religious beliefs of people. The film, a remake of 2012-Hindi flick "Oh My god," has 'power star' Pawan Kalyan playing the role of a God and 'victory' Venkatesh appearing as a shop owner who is a non-believer in God.
Plot: Gopal Rao (Venkatesh) owns a shop selling religious idols and leads a simple life. He is a non-believer of God, while his wife (Shriya Saran) believes in the presence of the almighty. In an unfortunate incident, Gopal's shop gets completely demolished due to an earthquake. An upset Gopal goes to the insurance company to claim money for the devastation. However, the company rejects his claim stating that his shop was demolished by the act of God.
Gopal decides to sue God in the court and decides to argue his own case. Meanwhile, God (Pawan Kalyan) appears as a common man named Krishna in Gopal's life and what happens next forms the crux of the story.
Critics Review
Gopala Gopala" is an interesting entertainer despite not being a commercial drama. Pawan Kalyan and Venkatesh's performance are the major assets of the film, according to the critics.
"Gopala Gopala is a film which is made straight from the heart. It has an underlying message which is narrated in quite an entertaining way. Icing on the cake are the stunning performances by Venkatesh and Pawan Kalyan, which make this film a thought provoking entertainer during this festive season," reports 123telugu.
Venkatesh fits in playing a mature role and does his part well. His rapport with Pawan Kalyan is said to be one of the plus points of the film. Pawan Kalyan dominates the second half with an impressive performance. Posani Krishna Murali's role evokes laughter, while Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty and Shriya do not have much scope to perform, according to critics.
On performances of the lead actors, AP Today states that Pawan Kalyan is "the pillar of strength for 'Gopala Gopala' and lifts the film to the next level with his amazing screen presence."
Venkatesh: "In a role of atheist, he used all his years of experience in the courtroom episodes. Emotional scenes were a cakewalk for this family hero after all, the website added.
"Gopala Gopala" story, dialogues, background score by composer Anup Rubens and cinematography are also said to be the plus points of the film. While the first half has entertaining moments, the second half seems to travel on a serious note.
On the flip side, the film's length is stretched in the second half, according to critics.
Talking about the technical aspects, Mahesh S Koneru of releaseday.com says, "The film has good production values. Cinematography is pretty decent. Anoop Rubens has done a good job with the background score and the 'Bhaje Bhaje' song has been shot well. Dialogues are a big asset for this movie. Editing is a bit of a let down. There is a lot of lag in the second half and the editor should have taken care of it."
Overall, "Gopala Gopala" is a must watch for its interesting narrative and the performances of two of the biggest stars of the Telugu cinema.
Verdict: Family Entertainer, Pawan-Venkatesh's Treat for Fans
"Box Office Prediction: "Gopala Gopala" has got positive reports from early shows and is expected to take big openings on the first day at the box office. It remains to be seen if the Pawan-Venky starrer will be able to take a place in the list of all-time highest opening day grosser (Telugu films) of all time.
