Overview:
“Janaka Aithe Ganaka” is a comedy-drama starring Suhas, crafted with a mix of humor and emotions. Directed by Sandeep Reddi Bandla and produced under Dil Raju Productions, the film was released in theaters on October 12 and is now streaming on Aha.

Plot Summary:
The story follows Prasad (Suhas), a middle-class man from a modest family, which includes his wife (Sangerthana), parents, and grandmother. Prasad’s life is marked by financial struggles, making him firmly believe that one should only have children if they can provide a comfortable life. This perspective intensifies when he sees his friend Kishore (played by Vennela Kishore), a struggling lawyer, grappling with raising his kids due to financial constraints.

When Prasad learns his wife is unexpectedly pregnant, he is startled, questioning how this could happen despite his strict family planning. Discovering a possible failure of the contraceptive he used, he decides to sue the company for compensation. The case takes them to court, where Prasad’s decision brings a series of challenges, ultimately leading him to a realization about family and responsibility.

Analysis:
The title, “Janaka Aithe Ganaka,” carries an embedded humor, suggesting the burdens of fatherhood. The movie starts by exploring the dynamics of a middle-class family and then transitions to a court drama with Rajendra Prasad as the judge and Murali Sharma as a prominent lawyer. The courtroom scenes blend humor with societal issues, particularly the challenges middle-class families face and the impact of these on parental emotions.

The film centers on the concept of family planning, which becomes both its strength and limitation. While individual viewers might find the storyline amusing, watching the film with family could be somewhat uncomfortable due to the focus on contraception. Nevertheless, the humor, especially from Vennela Kishore and the scenes with Prasad’s grandmother, adds a lively element.

The film’s twist ending, leaving audiences laughing even after the credits roll, is a high point, enhancing the overall narrative with an unexpected and comedic punch.

Performance:
Suhas delivers a natural performance that resonates with his character’s struggles. Debutant Sangerthana as his wife fits well in her role. Vennela Kishore, portraying a frustrated father, brings humor, while seasoned actors Rajendra Prasad and Murali Sharma add depth and authenticity to the court scenes.

Technical Aspects:
Director Sandeep Reddi’s narrative approach and character development are commendable, weaving humor and social commentary seamlessly. Vijay Bulganin’s music, Sai Sriram’s cinematography, and Kodati Pavan Kalyan’s editing contribute to a polished, engaging presentation.

Verdict:
“Janaka Aithe Ganaka” is a light-hearted comedy that addresses middle-class concerns with a humorous touch. While it may not resonate with everyone, it’s a decent watch for those looking for a blend of humor and relatable issues.

“Am I still capable of this?”

Jason Alexander has been asking himself this very question while preparing to star in “Fiddler on the Roof” at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts — his first stage musical role in decades.

“I’m 65 years old, playing a character that, if you crunch the math, should be about 40,” he told The Times of taking on Tevye, the show’s devout dairyman. “It’s exponentially harder for me now. I can’t dance the way I used to and my best scampering days may be behind me. I’ve had to assess whether or not I could realistically convey this character’s energy and vitality, and really do the role justice.”

Producers are counting on him to do so, and are pulling out all the stops in the meantime. Running through Dec. 1, the ambitious southeast Los Angeles County production features a rich three-dimensional set, a 34-actor cast performing re-creations of Jerome Robbins’ 1964 choreography and a 19-piece orchestra playing Don Walker’s original orchestrations. Already, it’s all paid off: Eleven days before the first performance, the show broke even, setting records for the theater’s season subscriptions and single-ticket sales — a rare return in today’s regional theater landscape.

La Mirada Theatre’s “Fiddler” is already in the black partly, of course, because of Alexander’s star power. Playing the protagonist of the beloved musical has been a lifelong dream for the actor, who’s spent his post-”Seinfeld” days directing and performing in stage shows. The closest he’d previously gotten to doing so were the brief talks to replace Danny Burstein in the fifth Broadway revival of the Joseph Stein/Jerry Bock/Sheldon Harnick musical, based on Sholem Aleichem stories about a Jewish milkman’s family, faith and community.

“It’s like it was written for him, and he’s bringing all kinds of colors that I don’t think any other Tevye has ever brought to the piece,” said director Lonny Price of Alexander. The two first met as part of the original Broadway cast of “Merrily We Roll Along” in 1981. “People will expect him to be funny in this, which he is, and he’s always been a great singer and dancer. But I think the thing people will take away from this is his range, and his real skill as a dramatic actor. In this role, he’s as equally moving as he is funny.”

This “Fiddler” staging is a return to its original form at Alexander’s request, albeit a costly one. “I love the piece so much, and I wanted the full flavor bouquet of what was intended, and I was concerned that anybody who said they wanted to do it was going to do it on the cheap,” he said.

For example, “It’s so hard these days with the economics of theater to get a large company of actors onstage, but I knew that if you tried to do this with less than, say, 30 people, you can’t fill out the stage enough to present a community. But our producers are wonderful, they’ve said yes to everything we’ve asked for.”

While the production is one of the most expensive shows ever staged at La Mirada Theatre, it is also the fastest in the theater’s history to break even and begin turning a profit. It boosted season subscriptions 22% to a new high, and set a new record for a single day’s ticket sales. Altogether, an estimated 29,000 people will attend the production, with 21% of ticket buyers being first-time patrons.

But the production — and its profits — are possible only because of the theater’s unique business model: La Mirada Theatre is the rare regional theater that’s municipally owned and operated, with the city of La Mirada commissioning the initial transformation of an obsolete movie house and continuing to pay its ongoing production costs, thanks to taxes, ticket sales and additional revenue streams like venue rentals.

Jason Alexander, far right, and the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

(Jason Niedle)

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“In addition to paying for the venue itself and the entire staff, the city also provides funding for everything in the theater — the actors, the royalties, the musicians in the pit, the props they’re carrying, the microphones on their heads, down to the flowers in the lobby and the ticket stock you’re holding,” explained producing artistic director BT McNicholl.

“Of course, we do have people who donate, but that’s not the bulk of the support,” he continued. With no board of directors to please or annual donor gala to host, it allows you to really focus on the patrons, McNicholl said. “Ultimately, this is the city saying the arts is a public service, and it’s enriching not just the city of La Mirada and its residents but all those in the surrounding Southern California cities that we’re serving as well.”

McCoy Rigby Entertainment — which repeatedly brought Cathy Rigby and “Peter Pan” to Broadway and on the road, and is transferring a “Mystic Pizza” musical to New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse next year — has been hired to stage La Mirada Theatre’s seasons for 31 years and counting. “There’s no having to raise 50% or 60% of our nut through donations and corporate sponsorships,” said executive producer Tom McCoy, “which, in the world of regional theater, is quite remarkable.”

“It’s such a gift to those of us who love the theater — my God, it’s the difference between life and death,” said Alexander of the theater’s operations. His own former theater company, Reprise, operated on a subscriber model, and the base of financial support to sustain it dried up, he said. But at La Mirada Theatre, the community is willing to sign the deficit check.

“They’re saying, ‘We don’t expect you to end the season in profit, just serve the community and make sure they feel like their tax dollars have gone to something worthwhile,’” Alexander said. “I wish that communities everywhere had the benefit of this kind of a funding model. I’m sure it would pay benefits back to the community in triplicate, especially in the areas around the country that are generally underserved in the arts.”

Jason Alexander and Alanna J. Smith in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

(Jason Niedle)

This star-led “Fiddler” came to be because Alexander mentioned his interest in Tevye in a 2022 interview — an article McNicholl shared with producers McCoy and Rigby, the latter of whom worked with him in a 2008 production of “Li’l Abner.” To be turning a profit well before opening night “is encouraging,” said Price, “especially when you ask for something you need, you know that you’re not going to be hurting the theater to get it for you in order to put on the show you want their audiences to see.”

McCoy told The Times that he’s requested production rights to “Fiddler” for a possible sixth Broadway revival. But that transfer is not necessarily Alexander’s goal. In fact, he hopes his turn as Tevye is a reminder to other actors to prioritize productions beyond the Great White Way, or even the immediate city of L.A.

“I will tell you: My manager was not excited about the idea of me doing this role in La Mirada,” he said. “She went, ‘Why are you doing this in La Mirada?’ And I said, ‘Why wouldn’t I do it in La Mirada?’

“To be on Broadway and have a Broadway audience, that’s very exciting — as far as the commercial theater in America goes, that’s our heaven, that’s mecca,” he continued. “But there are audiences that can never get to New York; there are audiences that can’t get to Los Angeles. The idea that they are any less deserving than any other audience? An audience is an audience, and if there’s an audience who wants to see it, and there’s a theater that will invest in it and do it well, it’s worth doing.”

“Fiddler on the Roof” at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

(Jason Niedle)

Saturday Night provides an engagingly tense and often humorous window into what the birth of Saturday Night Live might have felt like behind the scenes. Director and co-writer Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Juno, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), who reportedly spent nearly two decades refining the screenplay, crafts a lively portrayal of the frenzied energy and creativity that shaped this iconic moment in television history.

While I wouldn’t call myself an avid follower of SNL, I’ve seen enough episodes and sketches over the years to appreciate its cultural impact, even if I lack a deep familiarity with its 1975 roots. This distance from the show’s origins didn’t diminish my enjoyment; in fact, it allowed me to experience the film without feeling the need to fact-check every moment. For those well-versed in the SNL mythology, this retelling might inspire a closer examination of how accurately it represents the tumultuous launch. But for the rest of us, Saturday Night offers an enjoyable look at the high-wire act of live comedy, capturing the essence of a TV milestone.

Reitman’s screenplay, co-written with Ghostbusters collaborator Gill Kenan, uses a mostly real-time format to strong effect. The pacing is brisk, with dialogue that’s often as cutting as it is funny, keeping it all flowing at an almost relentless clip.

If there are flaws, they might lay with the film’s broad look at the night and the sheer volume of characters. While the core cast keeps the main story moving, the inclusion of so many additional figures sometimes leaves scenes feeling scattered, lacking a clear purpose beyond a “spot the famous face” game. A more streamlined focus on a select few characters or a narrower angle on SNL’s first broadcast could have strengthened the film’s emotional and narrative impact.

Despite this detraction, Saturday Night is still an entertaining, witty exploration of this iconic show’s origins. Yes, it’s often hard to care strong one way or another without a stronger emotional core and a focus that to serve the drama, but the film does well to capture the spirit and chaos of SNL’s early days; it’s frequently as lively and unpredictable as the show itself.