Unstoppable review: Diamond Ratna Babu’s generic crime comedy feels like an extended Jabardasth skit

1.5/5

Story:

Kohinoor Kalyan, Jilani Ramdas and their common friend run a film-based Youtube channel titled Unstoppable, where they garner opinions from spectators at theatres for a living. Kalyan and Ramdas lose Rs 10 lakh each owing to a cricket bet and are under pressure to settle their dues. When they seek help from a Dubai based friend, the latter accidentally transfers the money to a dreaded gangster Gnanavel Raja. How far can the trio go to get back their money?

Review:

Unstoppable, the latest outing by comedy-specialist Diamond Ratna Babu, is like a low-priced thali at a small-time mess. The meal may not be refined or high-end, but it tries to ensure something for everyone. Within a staple crime comedy, the director tries to package a dose of dialogue-driven comedy, romance, low-stakes action, fast-paced music, double-entendre.

As someone who has written dialogues for films like Eedo Rakam Aado Rakam, Seema Sastri, Pandavulu Pandavulu Thummeda, the filmmaker has a fair idea of what works for the genre, but the absence of any focus in the storytelling makes this a tiresome ride. Though the intent is to please various sections of audiences with a khichdi-like narrative, it results in a overcooked mess that loses control quickly.

Madcap comedies like Unstoppable are never about the story - EVV Satyanarayana, Sreenu Vaitla, G Nageswara Reddy managed to make a meal out of feeble plots with their clever writing. Diamond Ratna Babu follows their footsteps but fails to understand the needs of his target audience that already has many cheaper/convenient small-screen alternatives for comedy - precisely Jabardasth.

On most occasions, Unstoppable never rises above a Jabardasth skit with a bigger budget. Much like its title, there’s no respite for the viewer with newer characters introduced in every sequence and the gags keep coming at you one after the other. There’s no breathing space in the narrative and the sexualised comedy, expectedly, is in poor taste.

There are fake godmen, seductive, domineering women, dummy villains, eccentric henchmen, joker cops, dons who behave like street goons. The film takes digs at popular cinema trends, parodies Trivikram’s writing style, makes way for an item number too and the screenplay lacks any coherence. It’s as if the team had the dates of all the leading comedians in the industry and needed an excuse of a plot to bring them together.

Among the comedians, it’s Shakalaka Shankar and Bithiri Sathi who ensure a few momentary laughs in the first hour. Unstoppable loses its momentum post intermission and it’s jarring to notice how every second male character takes pride in lusting after multiple women in the story. Rohini and Roopa Lakshmi’s tomboyish characterisation salvage a few sequences.

VJ Sunny, Sapthagiri aren’t bad at all but they lose their way in a hapless script. Both the leading ladies - Aqsa Khan and Nakshatra - don’t get meaty parts, though they pack a punch in a couple of action sequences. You get to notice Muralidhar Goud, Ananda Chakrapani in a new light in the second hour. Raja Ravindra as Thilakam makes an impression while Chammak Chandra, Raghu Babu, Thotapalli Madhu hardly get any scope to tickle your funny bones.

Verdict:

Unstoppable would’ve been tolerable if Diamond Ratna Babu stuck to his strengths alone - writing - and handed over the script to a more capable filmmaker. He has a reasonably good cast, decent premise but fails to display any control over the proceedings.