On its first day of release, Srikanth, directed by Tushar Hiranandani, performed moderately well at the domestic box office, garnering over ₹2 crore in India, according to Sacnilk.com.
The film debuted in theatres on May 10th. According to early estimates, Srikanth amassed ₹2.25 crore net in India on its opening day. The film also secured a 12.14% occupancy rate for its Hindi version on Friday.
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Srikanth: Rajkummar Rao’s Remarkable Role
In the film “Srikanth,” Rajkummar Rao takes on the role of Srikanth Bolla, an industrious individual who overcame visual impairment to establish Bollant Industries. Joining him in this inspiring narrative are Alaya F, Jyotika, and Sharad Kelkar. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishna Kumar, and Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani.
Rajkummar Rao’s Perspective on His Role
During an interview with news agency PTI, Rajkummar shared his approach to portraying Srikanth: “I don’t really plan. Whatever character, film I’m doing at that moment, that’s (becomes) my dream role. I’m only focused on that character and that story. I’m sure there’s much more ahead for me. Like, two-three years ago I didn’t know that I would be able to do Srikanth, but it happened. (Today) There’s more hunger in me as an actor, and there’s more fire. There’ll be way more challenging characters (coming) my way.”
Talking about taking up the role, the actor had added, “I love challenges. And, something that scares me excites me even more. And Srikanth did that to me. I’ve never played a visually impaired man before. I didn’t know if I would be able to do it. But that’s the fun where you push yourself out of your comfort zone. There was so much research that had to be done. Whenever I get an opportunity like that, I totally cherish it.”
Srikanth – A Refreshing Take on Disability and Success
Director Tushar Hiranandani’s biopic of visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla breaks away from traditional narratives of disability, offering an inspirational yet witty portrayal. Instead of dwelling on clichéd melodrama, the film delves into the mental landscape of its protagonist, challenging societal perceptions and advocating for equality. However, it occasionally veers into didactic territory, aiming to educate audiences on ableism.
Based on the dictum that every idea is blind as long as it is not put into practice, writers Jagdip Siddhu and Sumit Purohit delineate the difference between sight and vision with a blunt knife as they take us into the heartwarming struggle of Srikanth (played by Rajkummar Rao) with social stereotypes to become a role model for every Indian.
Pushed by his mentor Divya (Jyothika), inspired by APJ Abdul Kalam (Jameel Khan), trusted by entrepreneur Ravi (Sharad Kelkar), and embraced by Swathi (Alaya F), Srikanth’s success story from a modest upbringing to the owner of Bollant Industries is shaped by not just his fortitude but also by people with empathy for him and faith in his talent. However, after a point, he starts taking his support system for granted and suffers.
The screenplays of biopics always run the danger of getting reduced to a collection of bullet points of the sterling resume of the subject. Here, too, the writers have marked Srikanth’s struggle with the education system, his degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his skill with the baseball bat with a highlighter but it doesn’t brag and drag.
Moreover, the film attempts to provide a glimpse into Srikanth’s state of mind when success blurs the line between right and wrong. When prejudices against those who pushed him down threaten to turn the hero’s feet into clay. It also documents the period when he starts using his handicap to get over the obstacles – the time when taking the straight path starts looking tiresome to him. That none is bereft of bias adds a little nuance to the inspirational tale.
It helps that Rajkummar is the driving force of the film. He keeps you invested in the story even when the screenplay gets predictable. The tonality of the film demands a little exaggeration without going to the zone of caricaturisation, and Raj walks that fine line. He has imbibed the spirit of a visually challenged person.
The assurance with which he snaps his fingers to find his path, and the seamlessness with which he makes his eyebrows dance during conversations and moments of silence reflects that Raj has registered the character in his muscle memory. With eyes half-shut, he opens the door to the soul of Srikanth for us. In the list of actors playing a physically challenged person, his performance is in league with Naseeruddin Shah in Sparsh (1980) and Kalki Koechlin in Margarita With A Straw (2014), though Srikanth is less nuanced than the mentioned works.
As an idea, the film doesn’t help Srikanth cross the road but walks along to understand him and his dreams. However, there are passages, particularly related to the romance and the physical needs of Srikanth, where the moments feel a little too sanitised. Moreover, as the story is structured like a moral science lesson, filled with light-hearted anecdotes and wisecracks, the film demands favour from the audience to ignore the flatness and focus on the feats of the subject. A little more craft and a few more drafts would have turned it into an absolute winner.
Overall, “Srikanth” is a commendable effort that sheds light on an important social issue, albeit with room for improvement in its execution.
