“Family Star” follows Govardhan’s challenges in a joint family. Vijay Deverakonda shines, while plot and supporting roles falter.
| Movie Name | Family Star |
| Release Date | 5 April 2024 |
| Languages | Telugu |
| Introducing | Vijay Deverakonda, Mrunal Thakur, Jagapathi Babu, Vasuki, Abhinaya, Vennela Kishore |
| Director | Parasuram Petla |
| Producers | Dil Raju |
| Music Directors | Gopi Sundar |
| Cinematographer | KU Mohanan |
| Editor | Marthand KVenkatesh |
What’s the Story of the Movie?
In “Family Star,” Vijay Deverakonda’s character Govardhan uses the responsibility of managing the joint family. The story explores how and why his family suffers as a result of his older brother and how and why he meets Indu, a wealthy businessman played by Murunal Thakur. “Family Star”‘s story is shaped by the struggle that results from her presence.
Performances
Govardhan can be seen clearly by Vijay Deverakonda, who is renowned for his aggressiveness on and off screen. Despite the fact that the character calls for a specific behavior, we never get the impression that he is overacting. This demonstrates his skill as an actor and his capacity to play straightforward, relatable roles with conviction.
Vijay’s appearance on screen elevates the unremarkable plot that Parasuram presents, and his simple style stays in line with the middle-class role he plays.
Indu, played by Mrunal Thakur, has a lovely appearance at first, but her role is presented in a boring way that gets worse over time, especially in the second half when she is largely silent and only has to look depressed if she wants to speak. Surprisingly, her styling lacks the appeal that made her previous Telugu projects stand out. In a number of ways, the project team did not fully utilize the new dynamic between Vijay and Mrunal.
Analysis
For “Family Star,” Parasuram, who previously helmed Vijay Deverakonda in “Geetha Govindam,” reunites with the actor. This time, though, he uses an outdated plot and two flimsy conflicts—the Brother and the Heroine—to propel the story. We wish the story had been properly asked of him prior to the start of filming.
Following the viewing of “Family Star,” we now know that Govardhan (Vijay D) is responsible for the upbringing of his brother, who has turned into a drunkard. Has anyone on the team expressed doubts about this important brother conflict and the reason why alcoholism has been shown, which is essential for the functioning of the family dynamic? Whether it’s on paper or in a movie, whatever Parasuram came up with is ridiculous.
Vijay’s onscreen persona and the mood he creates as Govardhan, however, are what elevate the first half to a passable level. Along with some well written dialogue, Mrunal’s addition to the mix helps add a feel-good factor.
The story is set in the United States, where the entire second half is filmed. Once more, we wish a team member had questioned director Parasuram directly regarding the central plot that unfolds in the second part. God knows how Vijay, who was trying to get away from white women in New York City’s downtown, made it to the closing cut. In the movie’s final cut, one needs guts to make it through the entire episode.
Putting this aside, the concepts used to demonstrate Govardhan’s (Vijay) success in his work in the United States, etc., demonstrate how incredibly simplistic the writing department’s effort was. Unfortunately, the movie presents ideas with confidence that should be rejected on paper, like the Middle-Class Thesis and the idea of building homes in America that resemble those in India.
Strangely enough, there is also no attempt to utilize a new pair such as Vijay and Mrunal. There are a few well-written dialogues that introduce the man of every family star when the story returns to India, but the extended action episode that follows appears to be a very shoddy wrap-up.
Performances by Others Actors
There are many supporting cast members on “Family Star,” some of whom are well-known, but none of them are particularly noteworthy. Jagapathi Babu, an established actor, has a brief, standard role. Once again cast as a half-baked sidekick comedian, Vennela Kishore does what he does best: what he always does.
Though they are all in the cast, none of the other actors—Divyansha Kaushik, Ajay Ghosh, Prabhas Sreenu, and Jabardasth Ramprasad—come through. While veteran Marathi actress Rohini Hattangadi is partially used, Vasuki—who is renowned for having a lovely on-screen presence—is completely underutilized.
Music and Other Departments?
Gopisundar’s soundtrack is utterly unimpressive, and this is not the kind of movie that can be made up for with just your background music. While the occasional scene is made better by the background music, Gopisundar’s overall body of work is not worth talking about. This department falls short in every way, even though it ought to be the foundation of the movie.
The film appears ordinary, and there are no particularly striking visuals in KU Mohanan’s work. Marthand K. Venkatesh’s editing is quite inconsistent. The movie drags and has a lot of unnecessary scenes, some of which would surprise a general audience to learn how they made it into the final cut.