And the Oscar goes to… Leonardo DiCaprio!

The whole nation waited twenty-three long years to hear these words. It is obvious from the standing ovation Leonardo received, and the millions of messages that followed, that this is one award that is way overdue. For years I have watched Leonardo being nominated for several of his brilliant performances only to loose to other actors for reasons beyond my comprehension. I was afraid he would go down in history as the actor who was always nominated, but never won, and that would have really been a shame. Someone as brilliant and talented as Leo deserves all the awards in the world, and that is what he has been receiving this year for his brilliant portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant.

I have watched Leo since his days on the sitcom Growing Pains. Growing up in the nineties, one had to be living in a cave or the Antarctic, not to have known Leo. Like all girls in the  nineties, I fell head over heels for his Romeo in Romeo+Juliet and Jack Dawson in Titanic. But the movie that touched me the most was the one that came before all these movies, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”.  The whole world witnessed Leo’s brilliance as an actor for the first time in this movie.  Leo’s portrayal of Arnie Grape, is probably one of the finest performance by an actor.  I still cannot believe that he lost the Academy Award to Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) that year.

It took the academy a decade before it recognized Leo’s work again. But by now, Leo had established himself as a versatile actor, capable of giving a flawless performance every time. Sadly, when it comes to awards, this versatility is more of a curse than a boon, because the jury loves an underdog. So in spite of giving one brilliant performance after another, Leo kept loosing to other actors who performed roles that were least expected of them, like Mathew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland, and Jamie Fox in Ray.

But Leonardo is not the type of actor that can be ignored forever. So every time the Academy overlooked his performance, he came back with something bigger and better. Finally with his performance in “The Revenant” he won over the Academy!!

Now that the curse has been broken, we all know that this award is just the beginning!!

Krishnagadi Veera Prema Gaadha (KVPG)

Krishnagadi Veera Prema Gaadha – What an apt title for the movie!! A movie of this proportion deserves a grand title, and that is exactly what it has.  A month ago when I first heard the title, I was not very impressed. There was nothing fancy or catchy about it. In fact, after reading the title, I feared it would be a boring movie. Thankfully the promos caught my attention, and since it is a Nani movie, and he rarely disappoints, I decided to take a chance. After watching the movie, I now realize that there could not have been a better title for the movie.

KVPG is one of those movies whose story cannot be described in one line. You can say, that it is a movie of the town coward in love with the bad guy’s sister, who agrees to drive three children home, in exchange for marriage with the love of his life. As true as that sentence is, it does not do justice to the whole movie, which is a very well written web of events, involving numerous well-defined characters, interwoven beautifully, and tied up in a neat bow at the end. Almost every character in the movie is memorable and director Hanu did a great job of highlighting each and every one of them.

With its humorous dialogues, interesting story, and brilliant performances, there is never a dull moment in the movie. As brilliant as everyone is, Nani definitely steals the show as the anti-hero. His control over his expressions and body-language is really commendable. It is so easy to go overboard in a role like Krishna, but Nani being Nani, gave a performance that is nothing short of perfect, proving once again that he is one of a kind. Last but not the least, it is so good to have the old Nani back, with his disheveled hair and regular clothes. As much as I loved Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, I really did not care for his new look in that movie.

The music is another highlight of the movie, which fits in nicely with the narrative. Every song is unique and stays with you long after you leave the theater. With the exception of Ulikipadaku, every other song in the movie is a part of the narration that moves the story ahead. As much as I liked Ulikipadaku as a song, I felt it was a hindrance at that point in the story. They should have figured out a better way to introduce the song, or just used it for the closing titles.

Last but not the least are the three children. I liked the fact that the kids were not just props in the movie, but rather important characters to the plot, who enhance the movie with their presence and performance. Of the three, Naina is the one who makes a lasting impression with her super-cute looks and adorable dialogues. Nani’s chemistry with all the three children is a treat to watch.

Overall Krishnagadi Veera Prema Gaadha is an excellent ride that cannot be missed.