Final Report:

Daaku Maharaaj makes for a decent one-time watch. It’s a stylishly made film through and through, but the key characters are written routinely. Technical departments (Thaman and DOP) significantly enhance the appeal. Solid writing that complements the stylish production would have made this film a memorable one. Watch it for Balayya in a style-packed production. Stay tuned for the full review and rating soon.

First Half Report:

First half of Daaku Maharaaj is decent, with solid visuals and an action-packed interval episode. We need to see if the style meets substance in the second half. Thaman and Vijay Kannan (DOP) together make it technically good. The second half needs to show if Bobby has written something solid.

— Director Bobby briefly dances in “Dabidi Dibidi” song with nice styling and a stylish costume for his fun moment.

— Daaku Maharaaj begins with a brief action sequence where BalaKrishna declares that he is the ‘God of Death’ leading into a flashback. Stay tuned for the first half report.

Stay tuned for Daaku Maharaaj review, USA Premiere report. Show begins at 2.30 PM EST (1 AM IST).

Daaku Maharaaj comes after a goodwill film like Bhagavanth Kesari for Nandamuri Balakrishna, and for director Bobby, it’s a follow-up to the commercial blockbuster Waltair Veerayya. Stay tuned for the Daaku Maharaaj review to find out if the Balayya-Bobby combo hits the bullseye or not.

Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Bobby Deol, Pragya Jaiswal, Shraddha Srinath, Chandhini Chowdary.

Written and Directed by Bobby Kolli

Banners: Sithara Entertainments & Fortune Four Cinemas
Presenter: Srikara Studios
Producers: Suryadevara Naga Vamsi & Sai Soujanya
Music: Thaman S
DOP: Vijay Kartik Kannan
Editors: Niranjan Devaramane, Ruben
Screenplay: K Chakravarthy Reddy
VFX Supervisor: Yugandhar T
Stunts: V Venkat

U.S. Distributor: Shloka Entertainments

Daaku Maharaaj Movie Review by M9

Sam Moore, who as half of the 1960s R&B duo Sam & Dave sang gritty but hook-filled hits including “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Coming,” died Friday in Coral Gables, Fla. He was 89.

His death was confirmed by his publicist, Jeremy Westby, who said the cause was complications from an unspecified surgery. Dave Prater, Moore’s partner in Sam & Dave, died in a car accident at age 50 in 1988.

With Moore as the tenor and Prater as the baritone, Sam & Dave were one of the signature acts at Memphis’ Stax Records, which offered a tougher, sweatier alternative to the more polished R&B sound that Detroit’s Motown had turned into pop gold.

Yet Sam & Dave were no strangers to the charts: In 1965, they kicked off a four-year run in which they reached the top 40 of Billboard’s R&B chart a dozen times and hit No. 2 on the all-genre Hot 100 with “Soul Man,” which was written and produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter and featured backing by Stax’s crackerjack house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s. “Soul Man” won a Grammy Award in 1968, beating Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “I Second That Emotion” to be named best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals.

Among Sam & Dave’s other hits were “I Thank You,” “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody,” “Something Is Wrong with My Baby” and “You Got Me Hummin’,” which a teenage Billy Joel went on to cover with his group the Hassles.

“Most bands … could get away with doing a lousy version of a Sam & Dave record and still get an incredible reaction to it,” Joel said when he inducted the duo into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. “But they all suffer when you compare them to the original.”

For all they accomplished in the studio, Sam & Dave were perhaps most highly regarded as an explosive live act, one known as both Double Dynamite and the Sultans of Sweat.

Samuel David Moore was born in Miami on Oct. 12, 1935, and grew up singing in the church. He met Prater at Miami’s King of Hearts nightclub in the early ’60s when Prater performed at an amateur night that Moore was hosting. The two formed Sam & Dave and toiled mostly in obscurity until Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd — the creative braintrust behind Atlantic Records — caught their show and signed the duo to a deal that had them recording for Stax, which Atlantic was distributing.

Moore and Prater, whose relationship was always more professional than friendly, broke up in 1970 but reunited after each man’s solo career fizzled. In 1978, the Blues Brothers — comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd — released a cover of “Soul Man” that went to No. 14 on the Hot 100; the renewed attention propelled Sam & Dave for a few more years until they played their final gig together in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve in 1981. (To Moore’s chagrin, Prater later toured as Sam & Dave with a different singer, Sam Daniels.)

In 1982, Moore married Joyce McRae, who also began managing his career and helped him overcome an addiction to heroin. He went on to sing on albums by Don Henley and Bruce Springsteen and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2019. Moore’s survivors include his wife, their daughter and two grandchildren.

Miss You, a romantic comedy film starring Siddharth and Ashika Ranganath, is directed by Rajasekhar. The movie, released in theaters on December 13 last year, is now streaming on Amazon Prime from January 10. It weaves a mix of humor, emotions, and romance, appealing to family audiences.

Plot Summary:
The tale begins in Chennai, where Vasu (Siddharth) resides with his family. Aspiring to become a film director, Vasu is determined and passionate about his goals. However, his honesty and short temper often land him in trouble. One such incident involves him filing a police complaint against the son of a powerful minister, Chinarayudu (Sharath Lohithaswa), in connection with a murder case. Enraged, the minister orchestrates an accident to harm Vasu.

The accident leaves Vasu with amnesia, erasing all memories of the past two years. Since Vasu no longer remembers the incident, Chinarayudu decides to leave him alone. As Vasu recovers, he befriends Bobby (Karunakaran), who later takes him to Bangalore. Bobby owns a large coffee shop there, where Vasu starts working casually. During this time, he meets Subbalakshmi (Ashika Ranganath).

The moment Vasu sees Subbalakshmi, he falls deeply in love with her. When he confesses his feelings, she bluntly rejects him. Undeterred, Vasu decides to win her over with the help of his parents and returns to Chennai. He shows her photo to his family and expresses his love for her. However, his parents and friends are taken aback and strongly oppose the idea of their marriage, stating that it is impossible.

Why do they oppose the match? Who is Subbalakshmi, and what is her connection to Vasu’s forgotten past? The answers to these questions form the crux of the story.

Analysis:
Director Rajasekhar blends love, comedy, and family emotions into Miss You. The narrative is divided into two distinct halves: the first half builds the premise and mystery, while the second half focuses on uncovering the truth. The story’s unpredictability keeps the audience engaged.

The interactions between the hero and heroine, particularly a few key scenes, are impactful and relatable. The antagonist’s character is well-written and only appears when essential, maintaining the suspense. The emotional depth between the heroine and her father is another standout element.

While the narrative starts slowly, the screenplay gains momentum with each scene, making it compelling. The film offers fresh storytelling elements and relatable content for family audiences. However, the title, Miss You, may have failed to resonate with theatregoers, potentially impacting its box office performance.

Performances:

• Siddharth: Delivers a commendable performance, portraying Vasu’s emotional struggles with finesse. His depiction of a character caught between a confusing past and a chaotic present is impressive.
• Ashika Ranganath: Captivates with her glamorous appearance and expressive performance. Her emotional depth and chemistry with Siddharth are noteworthy.
• Karunakaran: Provides comic relief and serves as a reliable support to Siddharth’s character.

Technical Aspects:

• Direction: Rajasekhar’s ability to blend humour, romance, and drama works well for the narrative, making it appealing for a wide audience.
• Cinematography: Venkatesh’s visuals are striking, especially in key emotional and romantic scenes. The use of traditional attire, particularly Ashika’s saree sequences, adds elegance.
• Music: Ghibran’s songs are average, but his background score elevates the emotional impact of the film.
• Editing: Dinesh ensures a neat and concise narrative flow, keeping the film engaging despite its slow start.