Annavaram (film)

Annavaram is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao and stars Pawan Kalyan, Asin and Sandhya in the lead roles. Megaa Super Good Films produced the film. The film is a remake of Tamil film Thirupaachi. The film released on 29 December 2006. However, the soundtrack of the film was released on 14 December 2006. The film received mixed reviews and was an average at the box-office praising Kalyan's action role. It also marked Asin's last Telugu film, to date.

Plot
Annavaram is a blacksmith living in a remote village near Annavaram. He has a lovable sister, Varam. He runs into some hilarious incidents while searching locally for a groom for his sister. He confides to his friend Narasimha that he wants his sister to be in a good city after her marriage. Annavaram nods his acceptance when a city guy proposes to Varam. He accompanies the newlyweds to Hyderabad and falls in love with Aishwarya after initial mishaps.

On a trip to Hyderabad, Annavaram saves a court witness from Tappas Balu, a don dominating central Hyderabad. He also learns of a local don Gutkha Pandu, who controls northern Hyderabad and troubles Varam's husband's canteen business. In an altercation at the Golconda Fort, Narasimha gets murdered by a thug Puranapool Ganga, who dominates southern Hyderabad and is Gutkha Pandu's elder brother. Varam's husband tells Annavaram to leave Hyderabad if he wants his sister to be happy. After Narasimha's funeral, he leaves his hometown stating that he got a job in a cloth manufacturing company. In reality, he comes to Hyderabad with a mission.

Firstly, Annavaram kills 20 of Ganga's henchmen and a corrupt SI, who works for Ganga. Using the alias 'Pothuraju', Annavaram warns Ganga that the latter will be killed by him. He also calls ACP J. D. Yadav and warns him that he will kill all the dons of Hyderabad, as the police department fails in their duty. Later on, Annavaram's friend Sairam, who is a police inspector, learns about this. Annavaram challenges Sairam that he will give up his mission if the latter keeps any one thug of Hyderabad at least for the single day. Sairam fails in his mission and loses his son, as he was killed by Balu.

This harsh lesson makes Sairam help Annavaram. Sairam details Annavaram about the entire mafia network of Hyderabad by providing the specification of who leads the various areas. Annavaram writes their names in papers and randomly chooses Balu.

Balu receives a letter from Pothuraju that he'll kill Balu within 24 hours. He approaches ACP Yadav for protection, who refuses to give him protection, stating that they're being quiet whenever the goons are harassing the public and now. Balu kidnaps Yadav's daughter and threatens him to kill Pothuraju. Meanwhile, Annavaram disguises himself as a wounded guy and caught by Balu's henchmen. In front of Balu, Annavaram reveals his identity as Pothuraju and kills Balu and his henchmen, stating that he is not killing, instead 'Slaying of Demons', and saves the daughter of ACP. One day Aishwarya meets Annavaram at the temple and finds that he is not working in any cloth manufacturing company. Annavaram manages to make Aishwarya believe that he is working in a travels company. Thus, Aishwarya gets a promise from Annavaram that he should meet her and spend time with her frequently.

Next, Annavaram informs Ganga that he is going to kill Pandu and challenges to save him. After listening, Pandu hides himself in a politician's house to be away from the hands of Annavaram. The politician damages his own car and house and makes the police believe that someone has attacked his house. The police decides to provide security for the politician. This makes Pandu feel happy, considering that Annavaram can't come to his place by fooling all these inspectors and kill him. Sairam soon finds out that Pandu is hiding in the politician's place.

Annavaram orders Sairam to disband the police protection, but Sairam refuses because it is the responsibility of the police to protect the public. He can only inform Pothuraju in which room he is in. Later on, Annavaram brings a group of people who rally due to losing their money to a fraud financier by tricking them into believing that the financier was hiding in the politician's house. With the rally, Annavaram enters Pandu's room and kills him. Yadav inquires the people involved in the rally regarding Pothuraju's real identity. However, nobody wants to tell anything as they feel that Annavaram is doing the police's job while the police do nothing but wait for their salary. Yadav's daughter is willing to die rather than to reveal Pothuraju's identity because she was rescued by him from Balu.

Later on, Annavaram decides to kill Ganga in December 31 and warns him by posting Ganga's funeral posters and sending him the coffin at the same day. This makes Ganga angry and at that moment, and beats his wife in a fit of fury, and she asks about the posters. She tells that this can be done by only Pothuraju. She also challenges Ganga to stay alive for this one night, as she leaves with her daughter. This makes Ganga seek the protection of mass group of thugs from Hyderabad. Annavaram ignites a war between the police group led by Yadav and the mafia gang in a diplomatic manner. Annavaram disguises himself as a police inspector and enter's Ganga's fort. Sairam helps Annavaram in his mission by hurting himself. Yadav orders his squad to hit the thugs.

Annavaram enters the house in a police uniform, confronts a thug, and forces him to wear a police uniform. After that, Annavaram shoots and kills the thug and throws him out of the window. Thinking that one of his fellow officers is dead, Yadav orders for open fire. All the thugs were killed, but once they check the dead 'police officer', they realise that it is Annavaram's trick and move upstairs to find him. However, Annavaram already stabbed Ganga and threw him to the ground right before the midnight of the new year. However, instead of catching Annavaram, all the police officers celebrate the New Year. Aishwarya welcomes Annavaram, Varam and her husband once again after Annavaram finishes his sentence.

Cast

 * Pawan Kalyan as Annavaram alias Pothuraju
 * Asin as Aishwarya
 * Sandhya as Varalakshmi "Varam"
 * Lal as Puranapool Ganga
 * Ashish Vidyarthi as Tappas Balu
 * Siva Balaji as Varam's husband
 * Brahmanandam as Purohitudu
 * Sunil as Raju
 * Ali as Malayali Priest
 * Nagendra Babu as ACP Yadav
 * Suman Setty as Bujji
 * Venu Madhav as Narasimha
 * Bramhaji as Inspector Sairam
 * Bhargavi as Seetha
 * Tanikella Bharani as Lallu
 * Mallikarjuna Rao as Prasad
 * M. S. Narayana
 * Telangana Shakuntala as Narasimha's Mother
 * Hema as Puranapool Ganga's Wife
 * Ranganath
 * Dharmavarapu Subramanyam as Minister Gottam Sathyam
 * Raghu Babu as Ganga's Henchman
 * C. V. L. Narasimha Rao
 * L. B. Sriram
 * Chittajalu Lakshmipati as MLA Chenchu Ramaiah
 * Uttej
 * Narsing Yadav as Puranapool Ganga's Henchman
 * Besant Ravi

Music
Ramana Gogula composed music for the film. The album was launched in stores on 14 December 2006. The film has five songs composed by Ramana Gogula & a bit song (Aa Devudu Naakosam)- reused from the original film, but Chithra rendering the Telugu version :
 * "Raakshasa Raajyam" – Shankar Mahadevan
 * "Lucia" – Ramana Gogula
 * "Jarra Soodu" – Tippu
 * "Neevalle Neevalle" – Kalyani
 * "Annayya Annavante" – Mano & Ganga
 * "Aa Devudu Naakosam" – K. S. Chithra & Ramana Gogula

Release
Idlebrain opined that "The plus points of the film are Pawan Kalyan, sentimental scenes with sister and the killing strategies in the second half. On the flip side, the direction of the film is old-fashioned". Rediff called the film "watchable".