''Pakka Commercial'' () is a 2022 Indian
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
-language
legal
Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...
action comedy film
Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre.
Film
The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of acti ...
written and directed by
Maruthi
Maruthi Dasari, known mononymously as Maruthi, is an Indian director, screenwriter, producer who works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing low budget films like ''Ee Rojullo'' and ''Bus Stop''. Maruthi is associated with M ...
and produced by UV Creations and
GA2 Pictures
Geetha Arts is an Indian film production and distribution company known for its works in Telugu cinema. It is established in 1972 by Allu Aravind. The company is based out of Hyderabad. It has produced around 60 films majority of them in Telu ...
. The film stars
Gopichand and
Raashii Khanna
Raashii Khanna (born 30 November 1990) is an Indian actress and playback singer who predominantly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She made her acting debut in a supporting role with the Hindi film ''Madras Cafe'' (2013) and subsequ ...
. It was released on 1 July 2022, and received mixed reviews from critics and audience.
Plot
Suryanarayana is a dutiful
lawyer, who resigns after being unable to deliver justice to Amulya, who was threatened and blackmailed by the rich man named Vivek and ultimately committed suicide. While he works hard at his shop to provide for his family, his son Ramchand "Lucky" finds his law books and coat, sparking an inspiration to become a lawyer. Years later, Lucky becomes an advocate, who embodies the opposite principles of his father, settling cases outside of the court for his personal profits, which Suryanarayana is unaware. One day, Jhansi an actress whose character, a lawyer in a
serial, was killed off to save money requests Lucky so that she can sue the studio. Although their case is rejected, Lucky is impressed by Jhansi's knowledge and qualifications in real-life law and they fall in love with each other.
Afterwards, Lucky defends a gangster, who killed a lawyer despite extensive evidence against him while Suryanayarana helps a couple file a case against a corrupt developer and politician who is actually Vivek. When Suryanarayana refers the case to him, he instead meets Vivek and agrees to work with him for substantial rewards. Vivek also kidnaps the husband, who exposed his corruption. On the second hearing for the gangster's murder case, Jhansi, who has gotten closer to the family, unexpectedly brings Suryanarayana to the courtroom, forcing Lucky to honestly argue and leading to a guilty verdict for the gangster. Watching through a secret camera, Vivek is impressed by his performances and reaches the court. Vivek's arrival brings all the truths to light, and Suryanaryana is ashamed by Lucky's actions, where he decides to fight for the couple himself.
Jhansi decides to join Suryanarayana after seeing his drive for justice. At home, they work on the case, splitting the house into halves which they title themselves as ''Commercial'' (Lucky) and ''Non-Commercial'' (Suryanaryana and Jhansi). Lucky uses various tricks to hamper Suryanaryana and Jhansi, slanders the couple's names, claiming that he had actually gone to
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
and had affairs, and nearly gets Suryanaryana disbarred. Meanwhile, Lucky keeps getting gifts from Vivek. Lucky's search for the disappeared husband, ends to no avail and Vivek plans to kill him by putting him in a pillar and casting concrete inside. Lucky also meets a mysterious woman also named Amulya, who is Vivek's wife. Ultimately, Lucky gets a seat as an
MLA in Vivek's political party.
As Vivek prepares to be sworn, the news breaks about the body of a cab driver that Vivek had murdered earlier being found at his
farmhouse. It is revealed that Amulya is actually Saira Banu, the cab driver's wife. In retaliation, Vivek kidnaps Suryanarayana and asks Lucky to cover his bail. However, Lucky instead saves Suryanarayana from Vivek's goons and reveals that he had planned everything all along to seek vengeance on Vivek, ever since he saw Suryanarayana's sufferings as a child following his resignation, and had enlisted Saira Banu to seduce and distract Vivek. Vivek attempts to appeal, but his lawyer deserts him after revealing that Lucky used his gifts and conversations to collect his evidence and biometric traits. Finally, Vivek becomes insane and requests the court to provide him a death penalty.
Cast
Production
In January 2021, sources claimed that director
Maruthi
Maruthi Dasari, known mononymously as Maruthi, is an Indian director, screenwriter, producer who works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing low budget films like ''Ee Rojullo'' and ''Bus Stop''. Maruthi is associated with M ...
will collaborate with
Gopichand for a new film. The official announcement of the film and its title were announced in February 2021.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
of the film began in March 2021.
In January 2021,
Sai Pallavi
Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan (born 9 May 1992), known by her stage name Sai Pallavi, is an Indian actress and dancer who works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema. She has won several awards including four Filmfare Awards South, and was ...
was in talks to play the female lead, however,
Raashi Khanna
Raashii Khanna (born 30 November 1990) is an Indian actress and playback singer who predominantly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She made her acting debut in a supporting role with the Hindi film ''Madras Cafe'' (2013) and subseq ...
, who paired up with Gopichand in ''
Jil'' (2015), and ''
Oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...
'' (2017), was cast in the female lead in February 2021. The film marks the third collaboration between Gopichand and Khanna, and also second collaboration between Maruthi and Khanna after ''
Prati Roju Pandage
''Prati Roju Pandage'' () is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Maruthi. The film was produced by Bunny Vasu and Sreenivasa Kumar Naidu (SKN) under GA2 Pictures and UV Creations with Sai Tej, Raashii Khan ...
'' (2019).
Eesha Rebba
Eesha Rebba (born 19 April 1990) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu films. She is known for her roles in ''Anthaka Mundu Aa Tarvatha'' (2013), '' Bandipotu'' (2015), ''Oyee'' (2016), '' Ami Thumi'' (2017), ''Darsakudu'' (20 ...
was rumored to be playing second female lead.
Anasuya Bharadwaj
Anasuya Bharadwaj (born 15 May 1985) is an Indian television presenter and actress who works in Telugu films and television. She has received two South Indian International Movie Awards, an IIFA Utsavam Award and South filmfare Awards for her ...
was roped in for a role. The film shooting has started in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
in March 2021. In April, due to the second wave of
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the film shooting is postponed. Filming was resumed in August 2021.
Music
The music rights of the film are sold to
Aditya Music. The music of the film is composed by
Jakes Bejoy
Jakes Bejoy (born 27 May 1984) is an Indian film score composer, music producer, and singer. He predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, but has also worked in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages.
He started his film musical career as a singer, i ...
.
Release
Theatrical
The film was initially planned for a theatrical release on 1 October 2021, but due to the second wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the filming was delayed, and the film's release was initially planned to 24 February 2022, and pushed to 20 May 2022, but eventually postponed and then finally released on 1 July 2022. The total worldwide theatrical distribution rights of the film were sold at a cost of ₹19.20 crore.
Home media
Digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
and
Aha, whereas the satellite rights were acquired by
Star Maa. Digital streaming and satellite rights of the film were sold at a cost of ₹31 crore.
The film was premiered on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
and
Aha on 5 August 2022.
Reception
''Pakka Commercial'' received mixed reviews from critics.
Neeshita Nyayapati of ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Maruthi has delivered better films, characters and stories in the past; ''Pakka Commercial'' is really not his best work". Arvind V of ''
Pinkvilla'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Amid a sea of mundane ideas, Pakka Commercial manages to offer a few good ideas". Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' gave the film a mixed review and said the film is commercial but far from entertaining. Balakrishna Ganeshan of ''
The News Minute
''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Dhanya Rajendran, Chitra Subramaniam and Vignesh Vellore in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, An ...
'' criticized the film and gave a rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars while stating that "The performances of actors Gopichand, Sathyaraj and Rao Ramesh are convincing. Raashii Khanna however deserves much of the appreciation for experimenting with comedy and succeeding with it".
''NTV'''s Kota opined that forced comedy, routine screenplay and film duration are the negatives whereas performances by lead actors are positives of the film.
References
External links
*
{{Maruthi
Films scored by Jakes Bejoy
2022 films
Indian legal films
2022 action comedy films
Indian courtroom films
Films about corruption in India
Indian comedy-drama films
Indian black comedy films
Indian satirical films
Fictional portrayals of the Telangana Police
Films about social issues in India
Indian action comedy films
2020s Telugu-language films
Films shot in Hyderabad, India
UV Creations films
Films directed by Maruthi