Starring: VaishnavTej, Rakul Preet Singh, Kota Srinivas Rao and Others
Director: Krish
Producers: Sai Babu J, Raajev Reddy
Music Director: MM Keeravani
D.O.P: Gnana Shekar V.S
Editor: Katikaneni Sravan

iQlikMovies Rating: 3/5

After scoring a blockbuster with his debut film Uppena, Panjaa Vaishnav Tej is now back with his second outing Konda Polam. Starring Rakul Preet as the female lead, this movie is directed by Krish Jagarlamudi. Konda Polam has hit the screens today and here is the review of it:

Story:
Ravi (Vaishnav Tej) is raised in a shepherd family. He completes engineering and tries various jobs in Hyderabad. After many failed attempts, Ravi, upon his family's suggestion, goes to Konda Polam to herd the sheep. What experiences did he face in that forest? Who is Obulamma (Rakul Preet) and what is her love story with Ravi? What did Ravi do after coming back home? All these factors form the main crux of the story.

Performances:
Vaishnav Tej should be appreciated for choosing off-beat roles in his first two films. He is making a statement that he will not be a regular commercial hero. He gave an earnest performance and improved a lot compared to his first film. The way he acts with his eyes is a treat to watch.

Rakul Preet is the main pillar of this movie. In fact, she dominates Vaishnav in many scenes. Such strong is her character in the movie. Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sai Chand gave honest performances as hero's family members. Rest of the cast performed within their characters' limitations.

Technical Aspects:
Director Krish is adapting a novel for the first time and it is a very good attempt. The setup and the narration are very realistic. You see the characters on screen but not the stars who are performing them. Krish wrote a few emotional scenes very well.

The music by Keeravani is good. The songs are decent and the background score elevated the emotional scenes. The cinematography by Gnanasekhar is beautiful. The landscapes of the forest were established in an aesthetic way. The production values are great as well. The editing is okay but a few portions of the second half could've been trimmed.

Review:
Krish remained very loyal to the novel and haven't tried to tamper with it, taking cinematic liberties. Rarely we see novels getting adapted into movies in Telugu these days. Krish has fairly succeeded in this attempt. However, the slow-paced narration may not appeal to wider sections of the viewers. The tiger fight was shot very well. It is one of the highlights of the movie.

The first half is quite engaging but the second half is very slow. Even the scenes are routine and don't have a fresh appeal. On the whole, Konda Polam is a decent film that engages only a certain section of the audience.

Plus Points:
Realistic approach
Background score
Performances of the lead actors

Minus Points:
Slow narration
Poorly-written comedy scenes

Final Verdict: Can give it a try