SWAG– Sree Vishnu has become well-known for his roles in a wide variety of films and his willingness to back up up-and-coming filmmakers with fresh ideas. A lot of people were looking forward to his return collaboration with Hasith Goli, the director they worked with on the smash hit Raja Raja Chora.

The story starts in 1551, during the reign of the matriarchs. A curse befalls their family as a consequence of Queen Rukhmini Devi’s (Ritu Varma) decision. This means that the Swaganika Vamsam family can look forward to affluence in the years to come.

Present day Bhavabhooti (Sree Vishnu) is a police officer who attempts every possible means to get his hands on the riches. Regrettably, he lacks the requisite ‘palaka’ to establish his genealogy.

Meanwhile, social media sensation Singa (Sree Vishnu) and actor Ritu Varma’s Anubhooti also lay claim to the family name.

Who becomes rich really? Who among us has the chance to take all that money?

Highlights of performances: Any actor would find playing four characters a formidable challenge. Michael Madana Kamaraju featured Kamal Haasan in four different characters, whereas Dasavatharam featured him in ten. With eight distinct appearances, Sree Vishnu has tried his hand at four roles.

His versatility as an actor is quite remarkable, and Sree Vishnu deserves a lot of credit for playing roles that other Telugu actors would be afraid to touch. He really shines as the ‘Vibhuti’ character and turns forth a superb performance. Everybody else does a merely adequate job.

Ritu Varma, who plays the queen convincingly, juggles two parts. The character of Meera Jasmine is substantial.

Everyone from Sunil to Saranya Pradeep to Ravi Babu to Getup Srinu to Gopa Raju Ramana has been excellent in their respective parts.

Technical: The producers have put a lot of money into sets and special effects in order to make it look like the time of the royals. Everyone involved, from the cinematographer to the production designers, has worked very hard. When it comes to musical selections, though, the picture is lacking.

Analysis: The comical introduction of Sree Vishnu as a docile monarch subject to Queen Ritu Varma sets the tone for the rest of Swag. In these hilarious sequences set in 1551, women make all the choices while males conceal their faces with veils. Next, we jump to the current day and meet a slew of new characters, such as Ritu Varma and Meera Jasmine, who appear in modern settings, and Sree Vishnu, who plays four more roles.

The narrative skims the surface of matrilineal and patrilineal communities before diving headfirst into the topic of gender inequality.

On paper, the film’s intriguing premise came from director Hasith Goli’s decision to begin the narrative in 1551 and link it to present protagonists battling for inheritance rights.

The story is original on paper, but the narration gets overly complicated and unclear towards the end of the film.

The plot grows excessively complicated due to Sree Vishnu’s portrayal of four primary roles, another role in a flashback, and appearances in many avatars. Meera Jasmine’s past is revealed, and there is another lengthy subplot involving a character named Vibhuti.

This causes the picture to lose its lighthearted tone and take on a more serious, confusing tone. With its amusing charm dwindling and its message about gender equality taking center stage, Sree Vishnu becomes increasingly concerned with claiming an inheritance for its many characters.

The excessive use of Sree Vishnu in numerous roles—he is present in nearly every scene—is one of the key complaints. Except for his portrayal of Vibhuti and, to a lesser degree, the police officer, none of his other roles are very interesting or compelling.

It seems like Sree Vishnu is trying too hard to mimic Kamal Haasan’s Dasavatharam, despite the fact that his performance and effort are praiseworthy. In addition to the songs, the subplot between Daksha Nagarkar and Sree Vishnu’s character Singa is not very interesting or useful.

Despite its intriguing premise and Sree Vishnu’s remarkable performance as four distinct personalities, Swag is ultimately a forgettable flick. The story is original, but the narration falls flat.

Movie: SWAG

ibomma Rating: 3/5
Cast: Sree Vishnu, Ritu Varma,Meera Jasmine, Daksha Nagarkar, Saranya Pradeep, Sunil, Ravi Babu, Getup Srinu, Gopa Raju Ramana and others
DOP: Vedaraman Sankaran
Music: Vivek Sagar
Editor: Viplav Nyshadam
Art Director: GM Shekar
Stunts: Nandu Master
Co-Producer: Vivek Kuchibotla
Produced by: T.G. Vishwa Prasad
Written and Directed by: Hasith Goli
Release Date: October 4, 2024

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