Rating: 7.5/10 (Supremely Entertaining)

Cast: Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna, Rahul Ramakrishna, Abhay Bethiganti, Vennela Kishore, Subbaraju, Annapurna, Nagababu, Giribabu, Ravi Prakash, Anu Emmanuel (Special Appearance) and Nithya Menon (Special Appearance) 

Story-Screenplay-Dialogues-Direction: Parasuram 

Music: Gopi Sundar

Producer: Allu Aravind and Bunny Vas

Banner: GA2 Arts 

After the path breaking film that was Arjun Reddy, Vijay Deverakonda is back after almost a year with his latest film, Geetha Govindam. Also co-starring Rashmika Mandanna who made her debut in Telugu earlier this year in Chalo, this film is directed by Anjaneyulu fame Parasuram and produced by Geetha Arts. With Vijay Deverakonda's popularity at peaks post Arjun Reddy, can this film live upto the expectations and take him to the next level? Let's find out in this review

Plot: An unfortunate incident in a bus causes Geetha (Rashmika Mandanna) to misunderstand a well mannered boy named Govind (Vijay Deverakonda). The rest of the film deals with the how Geetha eventually realizes what Govind's real character is and whether they get together in the end or not.

Performances: Vijay Deverakonda has arrived. He is simply phenomenal as Vijay Govind. If Arjun Reddy proved that he could play a destructive lover with intensity and passion, then Geetha Govindam shows that he is equally at ease in a boy next door role. His comic timing is outstanding and the way he plays a well mannered boy by uttering madam at least 20 times in every scene shows you how well he's played the character. He is outstanding once again in the pre-climax episodes and this film shows that he can equally carry both class and mass films at ease. Geetha Govindam shows that he can not only carry a film on his shoulders, but also brings out some qualities needed for a superstar. Lastly, he has magnificent screen presence and overshadows anyone in the frame. And his styling is really good in this film.

Of course the film wouldn't be anything without a strong female lead and Rashmika Mandanna is excellent as Geetha. The character requires someone who is cute and can act and Rashmika nails it with perfection. If she can choose her next few scripts well, she has all the makings to be the next top heroine in Telugu cinema. Her expressions in Yenti Yenti song are adorable and her expressions throughout the film are fabulous as well.

Rahul Ramakrishna is making himself a force to be reckoned with and he and Vijay Deverakonda could be the next Raviteja-Brahmanadham combo. The chemistry they possess is just too good and Rahul Ramakrishna is hilarious as the friend who gives the worst relationship advice to Vijay the entire film. His Telangana slang only make the dialogues funnier and do me a favor and never follow his advice in the movie.

Vennela Kishore brings the house down once again with a cameo towards the climax as the bridegroom. The thread on dowry between him and Annapurna is hysterical. And he Rahul Ramakrishna are an outright laugh riot in the climax with a translation scene. Abhay Bethiganti of Pellichoopulu 2nd sidekick also provides some laughs.

Subbaraju does well in a role he has done n number of times before. It's a nice welcome change to his stereotypical character towards the end of the film.

After the comedians, it's veteran actress Annapurna who provides some laughs as Geetha's grandmother.

Ravi Prakash is brief and adequate and Nagababu sounds awkward since his voice was dubbed by RCM Raju in this film.

Direction: This is Parasuram's 6th film and it's safe to say it's probably his best film to date. This man was a assistant to Puri Jagan for a long time but after this film it's safe to say he hasn't followed in his guru's path except for 2nd film Anjaneyulu with Raviteja. Romantic comedies only work when you have scintillating chemistry between the lead pair, good music, and good comedy. Parasuram has always had a good knack for dialogues and this was evident in all his films. But he also a knack for good comedy and it finally comes full circle in Geetha Govindam. Most of his films usually have a single line narrative and not scope for anything else. In this film, the subplot of finding the culprit of the bus incident is nicely interwoven into the story and while it may seem like a full on action filled subplot, it's anything but. The story may seem routine but it's the entertaining screenplay and dialogues throughout the film that keep you entertained. Simply put, the film is hilarious. You will laugh from start to finish and this is due to the comedy situations written by Parasuram. Besides having an arresting lead pair, the characters of Rahul Ramakrishna and Annapurna keep you entertained the whole time. And Vennela Kishore's cameo is the icing on the top. He extracts superb performances from his cast and delivers a thoroughly entertaining film and probably the most entertaining film of 2018.

Technicalities: Music and BGM by Gopi SUnder is fantastic. One does the feel the BGM could have been a little better tho. The already blockbuster album is well shot on screen and they are well placed in the film. Cinematography by Manikandan is good but nothing outstanding. Most of the film is shot in close quartered locations and feature close up shots. The visuals for the family episodes are rich and feature a nice color palette with a mix of colors. Editing by Marthand K Venkatesh is fine. Prodution Design is adequate. The decorations for the family episodes is nice to see. Costumes are excellent. Vijay and Rashmika's styling in this film is just too good. The half fight in the film is ok. Dialogues by Parasuram are fantastic and very entertaining. Production Values by GA2 Arts are extravagant. The money spent of the film is clear and gives a very rich and grandeur type of look.

Positives: 

+ Vijay Deverakonda

+ Rashmika 

+ Comedy

+ Dialogues

+ Music 

Negatives: 

- Linear Story

- Dragged portions towards end 

Analysis and Final Take: As mentioned before, romantic comedies only work if the film has a good lead pair, good music, and good comedy. Geetha Govindam checks all three of those boxes. With all of the situations that occur in the film and how the leads deal with it, Geetha Govindam is a laugh riot. The film is carried by the scintillating chemistry of Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna. They have pulled off their characters so well that it shows on screen.

On paper, it is a very routine story and to be honest, the film doesn;t have much of a story in the first place. These types of films rely on the situations and entertainment and it rises above and beyond. Parasuram decides to start the film in an unconventional way and uses a multiple flashback type of narrative throughout the film. It actually works out in the films favor. The character is Vijay Govind is introduced right away and it's quickly explained what type of man he is. He is by the book and well mannered and treats women with the utmost respect. He watches Bharateeyudu every night and sees something that others can't. In all, his character is essentially goody two shoes who can do no wrong.

Listening to the asinine advice given by his friend in Rahul Ramakrishna, he commits a mistake on a bus with Geetha's character and the entire film runs on the redemption or misunderstanding between the two characters. But this is where the film shines. Every chance Govind gets to change Geetha's perception of him some incident or the other happens, and screws him over leading to a hilarious turn of events every single time.

The first half is absolutely a breeze and will get over within no time. Vijay Deverakonda shows his fabulous acting chops in the interval sequence. The 2nd half is even better with a crucial scene that is excellently handled by the director and leads to a change in Geetha's character. The subplot that involves nabbing the culprit in the bus incident is well handled in the end by Parasuram. The only negative about this film is that the pace does drop a slight bit toward the latter portions the pre-climax and climax sequences are a bit prolonged. But that is when Vennela Kishore is introduced and his cameo salvages whatever sluggish pace the film had upto that point and he brings the house down with his usual hilarious expressions and dialogue delivery.

It would be unjust to say that this is Vijay Deverakonda's film. It's as much his film as it is Rashmika's. Because without an actress like her at the front, the film probably wouldn't have come out so well. You will laugh from start to finish and this movie is a universal entertainer in the end. Vijay Deverakonda's magnificent screen presence and brilliant comic timing is perhaps the biggest USP for the film. And Parasuram has done a fantastic job throughout.

Overall, Geetha Govindam is a supremely entertaining family film that is a laugh riot from start to finish. Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika's scintillating chemistry, excellent music, and hilarious comedy make Geetha Govindam a universally appealing film and the most entertaining film of 2018 and one of the funniest films in recent times. Go and watch it.