Hey! Ram not this

Ramgopal Varma returns to Tollywood roots. And how! With a satire on the Telugu film industry — wisecracks, warts and all. Revolving around comical yet pitiful plight of Appal Raju, incidentally the film’s title, aspiring to bring onto celluloid his dream script Nayiki, he is taken on proverbial grind and gets the works with suggestions pouring in torrents to tweak the screenplay to suit the commercial cauldron.

Integrity and honest intentions are tossed out of window as Appal Raju, who travels from Amalapuram to Hyderabad chasing cinema chimera, and a money bag to produce his pet project.

With not much working for it, Appalraju, with similar themes made by the dozen, is insufferable as it totters towards its tame finish. Loud and listless, Appalraju, despite comic moments is not one’s cup of tea on a dog day afternoon. Sunil shines, while Sakshi Gulati oozes sex appeal. With Ramgopal having lost his Midas touch, Appalraju is not Varma’s class.