Pokiri
Tags: revenge, neo noir, murder, violence, romantic

Plot synopsis:
In Hyderabad, two rival mafia gangs headed by Dubai-based don Ali Bhai, and Narayana resort to criminal activities such as extortion, murder, and coercion for various reasons. The new commissioner of police, Sayyad Mohammad Pasha Qadri, focuses on making the city a better place by working at arresting all of them. Pandu, a remorseless gangster living in Hyderabad along with his friends, is hired by Narayana and attacks Ali Bhai's henchmen. He later joins Ali Bhai's gang for monetary reasons. He falls in love with Shruti, an aerobics teacher, who rejects his advances.
Shruti lives with her widowed mother and brother and her neighbour Brahmi, a software engineer, who pesters her to marry him. A corrupt police officer named Pasupathy, who works for Ali Bhai, is attracted to Shruti. He is determined to make her his mistress, undeterred by Shruti's multiple rejections. After Pandu kills a henchman of Narayana, he is confronted by Pasupathy and is able to prevent Shruti from being molested. She meets him the next day to thank him, and Pandu introduces himself as a self-employed person who undertakes any activity for money. They develop unspoken romantic feelings for each other angering Pasupathy.
Shruti's employer, Suryanarayana, suggests that she marry the man she loves. To repel Pasupathy's advances, she meets Pandu and proposes to him. After an attack by Narayana's henchmen, who are murdered by Pandu, he reveals that he is a gangster and suggests that she might want to rethink her proposal. After Shruti distances herself from Pandu, Pasupathy frames her with a mock sexual assault by a few gangsters unbeknownst to her family and the other villagers. He intends this act to ruin her life and subsequently force her to be his mistress. Learning this, Pandu confronts Pasupathy and warns him that he will face dire consequences if he is found guilty of being involved.
Ali Bhai visits Hyderabad and assassinates Narayana. He meets Pandu to discuss the murder of a minister by blowing up a balloon. Pandu rejects this as it would involve killing innocents. At the same time as they are arguing, Qadri arrests Ali Bhai and tortures him. Ali Bhai's henchmen retaliate by filming Qadri's daughter as she is enticed into sexual activity by the minister's son, and release it to the media. They also kidnap her, forcing the police to release Ali Bhai. At the same time, Pandu manages to catch the gangsters who pretended to rape Shruti and she reconciles with him.
Qadri's daughter is sedated and reveals that an undercover police officer, whose father's name is Suryanarayana, had infiltrated the gang for some time. Ali Bhai kills Suryanarayana's son Ajay, assuming he is the informant. However, Suryanarayana reveals that Ajay was his adopted son, and that Pandu is actually Krishna Manohar I. P. S., his biological son, who had infiltrated his gang at Qadri's direction. Suryanarayana is killed and Manohar forces Pasupathy to kill Ali Bhai before he initiates his plan to set off bombs across Hyderabad.
Manohar kills Ali Bhai's henchmen one by one at Binny Mills. Ali Bhai offers Pasupathy a hefty sum to kill Manohar but his attempt fails. In a final confrontation, Manohar kills Ali Bhai by slitting his throat. Qadri's daughter is saved and when Pasupathy tries to backstab Manohar, he is shot dead by the latter who then says, "Okkasari commit ayitte, naa maata nene vinanu" (English: Once I commit myself, I'll never back off).

Review: An excellent movie.
Wow, when I first watched this movie, I was blown-away!
It's a very good thriller/comedy/romance/action etc Telugu film.Mahesh's performance is amazing and he is made for this role.
His new haircut is hot and he is so, so Hot in Pokiri!
Prakash Raj should win a award for Pokiri and Ileana is so,so beautiful and pretty.
My new favorite actress!
The comedy track was OK and I love the chemistry between Ileana and Mahesh especially the elevator and up-ma scenes.Puri did remarkably good for directing and the story!
The songs are breath-taking.
I actually like them all and I bought the soundtrack!
This is a brilliant movie and it deserves to break the Telugu movie records!
Pokiri is nowing running for 400 Days!I can't wait for the Hindi pokiri and also I didn't like the Tamil one!
So, I say that every Telugu people have to watch this movie!.
Perfect blend.
Pokiri has the perfect blend of everything an entertaining movie should have.
Powerful dialogs, foot-tapping numbers, cheeky romance, great action sequences, fantastic characterization and a mix of a perfect dose of humor interlaced throughout.
The director has also reserved some space of suspense with the plot!
All these ingredients make Pokiri a must see for the entire family and not just fans of Mahesh.
The cast matches the characters to the tee and every one contributes.
You'll probably want to watch the movie more than once just to hear Mahesh's dialogs again.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
Hats off to Mr. Puri Jagannath!.
One great movie!.
I think that is the best movie made so far in Tollywood.the actor and actress are very talented,the songs are excellent,the story is good and the fights are very realistic.It has won many awards.It has also rewrote 70 years of Telugu film history.It is basically about a cop Krishna Manohar (Mahesh Babu) undercover as a criminal(as Pandu),who pretends as he is a part of the mafia to catch the villains.The leader of the mafia is Ali Bhai (Prakash Raj).Meanwhile he falls in love with Shruti(Ileana D'Cruz) who is being tortured by a corrupt police officer (Ashish Vidyarthi) who happens to be a part of the mafia.If you haven't watched it yet,I would definitely recommend that you watch it as soon as possible.It is a really good movie.
Mahesh Babu's best performance till date.
A fantastic movie.
Mahesh Babu was simply brilliant.
The director Puri Jagannath has obviously put in a lot of hard work into the script of the movie.
And how he succeeded!!!!!The movie VCD/DVD is worth a buy.
All the songs of the movie, especially the title track (Jagadame) and "Deva Devuda" are good.
The action part was slightly exaggerated but thats accepatable.
Another highlight of the movie was Prakash Raj performance.
Sayaji Shinde as the DCP was also very lively and the scenes of the press conferences are very good.
The movie is slightly boring in the middle but that is made up by a thrilling finish.
The comedy track was average.Overall a must watch movie especially for PRINCE MAHESH FANS!!!!!!.
Pokiri has blown up the whole spectrum of commercial cinema once again.
This is an outright commercial film with lot of action and one liners.
Mahesh babu proved himself as future of telugu cinema with this film.The story is simple without many twists, which has helped sustain a good screenplay, followed by straight direction.
Puri Jagan completely relied on the action genre, judiciously mixing it with commercial elements.
His treatment of the dialogues too is neat and response-targeted.Suspense keeps the tempo of the film till the end.very grippy scripting by Puri Jagan.What was Shiva for Nagarjuna is going to be Pokiri for Mahesh.
After a long gap I strongly feel telugu directors are coming on top compared to their kollywood counterparts who have dominated the younger minds for a decade almost.
young directors like Nagesh Kokinoor,Shekar Kammula,Puri Jagan,VV Vinayak have brought fresh ideas to the screen irrespective of the so called mass or class elements.over all a very entertaining film.Illenia is simply sexy..
great movie but not original :(.
One great movie with wonderful dialogues, great performances, superb songs and nice screenplay but still can't digest the fact that it has been copied from some French movie.I just happened to browse through some videos in youtube and realized that the hit song devudaa is copied from Ricky Martin's song and when I was browsing related videos I found that this is a straight lift from Banlieue 13.Still all credit to director and Mahesh for such a great display.
It has raised Mahesh to next level and people see him as the only guy who can reach to the heights of Chiru.
Characterization of the lead actor is good.
Well, this is the typical Telugu movie for mass.
The highlight of the film is Mahesh's brilliant performance.
Apart from this, Prakash raj also has put in a fine effort.The director Puri tried to mix lot of bollywood movies like Abtak 56, Company...
The comedy track is horrible.
His only forte is writing the screenplay keeping hero character in his mind.Some of the dialog like "Once i am committed, i don't even listen to myself", " I don't know how much an idiot i am" are very good.Ileana looks beautiful.
This is Mahesh's another hit after Athadu.
Nothing to talk about the music..
Puri Jagganath punches the lights out.
To quote Anupam Kher "When a movie becomes a hit, everything about it is appealing".
Pokiri should be used as a reference point for utilising all the possible movie-making formula's, however in precise-doses.
If you play devil's advocate you will realise that there is no earth-shattering storyline here.
In true sense, Pokiri is an ode to the cinema of 70's & 80's.
Mahesh Babu:: Gets into the skin of the role.
His fan-following would have increased in leaps-and-bounds after Pokiri.Ilena:: Her presence was restricted to songs and providing relief moments in the storyline.Mumait Khan:: Did full justice to the item number.Can't get enough of one Prakash Raj?
Pokiri does a new BOGOF (buy-one-get-one-free).
Yes, Sayaji Shinde seems to have found his face/off.
Hold on – I almost forgot...
for a brief moment, our Prakash Raj dearest gets spawned yet again and this time its Nassar.
But thankfully the possessed moments are confined to his last breath (and the audience is spared!).Comedy track:: Innovative, but at times really hampers the narrative.
Songs are catchy and stay on with you.
Background score is impressive and elevates the screenplay.Action sequences:: Deserves a special mention.
Gruesome, gory – the split-second editing is used effectively to create high-impact shock!
Tarantino-meets-Spielberg influences are apparent.Puri Jagganath:: If Pokiri has satiated your appetite to make your mark and make your presence felt...
Needless to say, the movie bears streaks of powerhouse of talent that lie within you.
Your product has created a milestone by numbers but on a creative level I am sure you would like to add lot more feathers on your cap.
Avoid the pitfall of turning into Y2K version of K.
Raghavendra Rao-cum-Dasari Narayan Rao-cum-B Gopal..
Mahesh Babu's Best.
Pokiri is like a saving grace for Mahesh Babu.
If you want to see one film which will define an actor, Pokiri is the film for Mahesh.
It's got action, humor and emotions that all count.
His stunts, style and enigma sprinkle magic on the viewers.
But, Puri Jagannath also gives us a good lineup of stars that include Prakash Raj, Nasser, Ashish Vidyarthi and Ileana.
In films like these, the female lead is supposed to be a stupid female who has nothing else to do other than romance the hero.
But, Ileana's character has a story for herself and she plays her role suavely.
The film also offers extensive story lines to several other characters.
Prakash Raj explains how famous he is; Ashish Vidyarthi sees a connection between his wife and concubine; Nasser has a will of his own, and Mahesh incredibly fits in as the guy for the job.
With Mani Sharma's crackling soundtrack, Pokiri is a fine action flick which you can watch over and over.
Dole Dole anybody?.
Puri Jaganaths Best Movie and Best Movie in 2006.
puri jagantah direction is very beautiful in this movie and i can say that the way the story goes and ends is very amazing....i can say that this is the best action and thriller movie.
Mahesh Babu acting is good and comedy in the movie is superb.ilaians is a new girl and her acting in movie is good.i think any one watches this movie feels great and no waste of money in the end.the rating i give to this movie is8 out of 10 mahesh babus best film ever he has been acted from so many movies.Every body can be watch this movie.Please watch this in telugu only don't watch it tamil remake wont be good.
Kiraak.
Mindblowing movie, as usual babu always lands with a blockbuster performance.
Don't judge a movie by its records!.
One might get the feeling that the movie is once in a lifetime event after seeing the hype and hoopla surrounding the release and the subsequent record-breaking run it had at the box office.
But the movie sadly fails to deliver on many counts - tight story line, memorable music and, for me the essential ingredient of any entertaining movie, a good comedy track.Though it's all too well known that we are not sticklers for realism in our movies, we don't complain a spoonful of it!
I mean, an undercover cop going berserk, in his imitation of a Mongol barbarian, with the poor rowdy folks was a bit over the top, to put it mildly.
Probably Mahesh Babu was stretching the macho-ism thread little too thin.
I still feel his 'Okkadu' is way better than 'Athadu' or 'Pokiri'.
Ileana's is a fresh face on the horizon with a neatly chiseled body to boot!
Acting is probably not her forte, but who cares, in an out and out hero-focused movie.
It's probably due to the sheer number of films he does, but Prakash Raj is getting too predictable, either in a mean, calculating villain's character or in a caring, compassionate father's character.The movie has its positives too - slick photography and exaggerating fight sequences that appeal to the large masses.
And it also tries to shock the prudes by showing glimpses of BDSM and snorting!
An entertaining three hours but falls short of the status of a legend, its records notwithstanding..
Slick action.
Being bad has never been better.
And suddenly gangster and mafia movies are the flavor.
In a sense, even Mahesh Babu's previous movie Athadu was one.In Pokiri, the hero is introduced to us a ruthless baddie, part of the huge underbelly of mafia.
By the time we come to the denouement, there is much twist and turn.
If you like some racy action, fun, glamor and love, then Pokiri would be your kind of film.Pandu (Mahesh) is a remorseless mafia man.
He is part of a gang that is headed by Ali Bhai (Prakash Raj), the Dubai-based don.
Pandu falls in love with the aerobics teacher Sruthi (Ileana).
She also falls for him but he is put off by his bad ways.
Pandu has a fall- out with Ali Bhai while Sruthi is harassed by a venal cop (Asish Vidyarthi).
The finale is about how Pandu (there is a suspense to his role) outwits Ali and how he gets the hand of Sruthi.The tale is a mixture of Hollywood and Desi hits.Mahesh revels in an author-backed role.
His insouciance and cultivated elegance add to the polish of the character.
He is decidedly first rate in the role of a patented baddie.
The director seems to have created his character with lot of care.
Even his looks are very cool and comfy.
Ileana, looking gorgeous, is also very cute and likable.
She has moved up in acting to after Devadasu.
Her exchanges with Mahesh and the natural chemistry that flow between them is a highlight of the movie.Prakash Raj as Ali is typical.
But some of his mannerisms are predictable.
So too is Asish Vidyarthi.
But it is Shayaji Shinde, as a honest cop, who is the standout.
Nasser is also convincing.
The same cannot be said of the comedy track.Mani Sharma's music is also another plus.
His re-recording gives the right backdrop.
Shyam K Naidu's camera work is another asset to the movie.Puri Jagannadh has got it right as a scriptwriter.
He has worked around the story with dexterity.
He has also got the feel of the movie right.
Though there are elements that may put you off (too much action and extra glamor), Puri Jagannadh surely knows the pulse of the audience.
And in Mahesh he has got an able ally.Pokiri looks like it will work at the box office..
One of the better action films of Mahesh Babu and best direction of Puri Jagannadh.
Superstar Mahesh Babu who made his promising debut in Raja Kumarudu (1999), which was a super hit at the box office.
However after his debut film, Mahesh's career turned out to be a big failure.
Through he is a big actor in Telugu film industry.
He gives few flops, averages and disasters after hits till 2000-2004 including the flops Yuvaraju (2000), Vamsi (2000), Takkari Donga (2002) the disasters Bobby (2002), Nijam (2003), Naani (2004) and the average Arjun (2004).
Except Murari (2001), Okkadu (2003) and Athadu (2005), which all are blockbusters in Mahesh's career.
Mahesh Babu is back in another big action film Pokiri, which was released in 2006.
It was a blockbuster at the box office.
This movie gave Mahesh Babu in an action hero image, the film also creating new records and changed the definition of action heroes and action films in Telugu cinema in 2000's except in the 80's and 90's action movies which was badly handled, neither had cheesy stunts in there.Pokiri (2006) is a typical action film which revolves around the story of a ruthless and fearless gangster Pandu, who works anything for his money.
He lives in Hyderabad with his friends, they are also gangsters like Pandu.
In Hyderabad, they are two mafia gangs headed by Dubai-based don Ali Bhai, and Narayana resort to criminal activities such as extortion, murder, and coercion for various reasons.
The new commissioner of police, Sayyad Mohammad Pasha Qadri, focuses on making the city a better place by working at arresting all of them.
Pandu later joins Ali Bhai's gang for monetary reasons.
He falls in love with Shruti, an aerobics teacher.
After Pandu falls in love with her, Shruti starting to fall in love with him at first sight.
Shruti proposes to Pandu and thereafter Ali Bhai's gang arrived, the fight begins.
After the fight sequence, It has some violence and Shruti shocked to see Pandu beating all these people, she was scared to Pandu, he reveals his identity.
And at the end of the film, there is a big twist.
Watch the movie to find out, is Pandu taking revenge to his father's death because Mani Bhai killed him or is Shruti reunite with Pandu?
Is what follows the rest of the story.
Mahesh Babu as Pandu delivers a stellar performance after Nijam and Athadu.
He carried out his role with his shoulders, his acting was excellent.
His fights, his dances, his intensity to his eyes, his body languages and his anger (despite he's aggressive when he's shouting), he looks good in action and his serious character was good.
Mahesh looks different compared to his previous films, in 1999-2004 he has a short hair and in 2006- 2007 he has a long hair.
His long hairstyle suits him perfect.
Ileana D'Cruz as Shruti did a very good job in her innocent role.
He is the eye candy heroine of the film.
Her chemistry and her romance with Mahesh was convincing and sizzling.
Her smile, her innocence and her acting was good.
Prakash Raj repeats his villain act, he excels his villainous character as Mani Bhai in the film.
His dialogues, his mannerism, his menacing, his acting in his own part was awesome.
He was perfect in his negative role.
The rest of the actors did a good job and provide good support.
One of the big highlight of the film is the action sequences.
When it comes to action, Mahesh nailed it.
Despite the violence, the action scenes was very well choreographed and very well executed.
Especially with the sound effects, Mahesh beats some bad guys is so brutal and violent.
But it looks realistic and not over the top as the other Telugu action movies in 80's and 90's.
Direction by Puri Jagannadh was very well shot, this is his best work till date.
Not only did he redefined the action films but he even change the style of action films and action sequences.
The other highlight of the film is the dialogue delivery of Mahesh Babu, his punch dialogues was very powerful and strong.
They are many famous dialogues in this film, but my favorite line of Mahesh is " OKKASARI COMMIT AYITHE, NAA MAATA NENE VINANU" which was superb and its already becomes popular and famous dialogues in Tollywood.
The cinematography was very well shot and captured with beautiful locations.
The music by Mani Sharma was good.
The songs "Gala Gala, Dole Dole, Choddodhantuna are my personal favorite.
Mahesh Intro's song Jagadame was catchy and the item song Ippatikinka is also good and catchy.
Devuda song was also good, Mahesh Babu dance very well and Ileana dances too well.
Overall, Pokiri is a typical mass Masala Entertainer film with a good story, good screenplay with great direction and great action (despite the violence, I don't mind if it's violent).
To all the Mahesh Babu fans, I would recommend to you all, watch this movie only if you truly a big Mahesh Babu fans or action lovers.
Mahesh-Ileana-Puri Jagannadh combination works very well.