'Ek Mini Katha' review: Great comedic plot that stays under-utilized
Telugu adult comedy Ek Mini Katha, starring Santosh Shoban and Kavya Thapar in the lead, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The premise is based around the infamous adage, "Does size matter?" and has the potential to turn into a laughter riot, while giving a message. But debutant Karthik Rapolu's directorial doesn't really succeed in making most of it. Here, we review.
Plot brimming with potential; execution lets it down
The premise revolves around our protagonist Santosh, who's a successful, good-looking man, but suffers from something called a micro-penis syndrome. He loathes himself because of the "size," mostly due to societal prejudices. The plot is promising and even delivers some laughs, as the script is genuinely funny at points, but sadly that's where it ends. The execution fails to support this funny-but-important topic.
Actors do a decent job but can't salvage the script
Shobhan as the self-conscious, self-loathing man does a decent job, but with a 130-minute-long run, with no substantial insight into his character, there is only so much he can do, while delivering jokes. Thapar, as the wife Amrutha, sadly could have been given a lot to do, but she is reduced to furniture. Shraddha Das's character is just an unnecessary eye candy.
Scripting needed to be better; music used more mindfully
The most disappointing part of the movie is that you see the potential, which is botched up by bad scripting. Rapolu and writer Merlapaka Gandhi put so much slapstick in a taboo-but-compelling subject that after a point it is just a mockery. The songs just come out of nowhere and very unnecessarily lengthen this already very long and dragged-out movie even further.
Makers fail in making this compelling topic take-off; gets 2/5
The film becomes dragged out, chaotic, and ultimately just a string of jokes around penile size. The relationship between the lead pair could have been explored more, but the makers decide to stay on the surface, instead of delving into psyches. If you're looking for something mindlessly funny, you can turn to it, but it won't have much else to offer. Verdict: 2/5 stars.
