Srikanth Bolla is visually impaired and can 'practically only dream'. Therefore, he chooses to dream rather big, and chase those dreams by all means. He has quite a few mottos in life -- 'I can't run, so I must fight', 'There is nothing I cannot do', 'If others can, Sri also can'. He isn't asking for help. He needs guidance and mentoring. He doesn't want people to pity him for his limitations. He wants to gets things on merit. Director Tushar Hiranandani, along with writers Jagdeep Siddhu and Sumit Purohit, stitches all these aspects beautifully, and weaves them into a simplistic yet an impactful narrative in form of this biographical, Srikanth. 

Srikanth, played flawlessly by Rajkummar Rao, says, 'Main hero nahi ban raha, main hero hoon'. Well, that simply encapsulates his standing in the film. He is the heart and hero of Srikanth, and shines throughout without any low points as far as his performance is concerned. Even when the narrative, screenplay or the pace of the film dwindles, it's Rao's terrific performance that keeps the ship afloat. It's hard to not notice the time and effort that has gone into the prep of this character and that shows in every single frame. A scene where Srikanth falls on the ground and hits his forehead, and unconsolably cries in front of his teacher saying he doesn't want to beg, it doesn't evoke an emotion of pity but shows his resilience and strength. 

The plot

The story begins in July 1992, when Srikanth (Rajkummar Rao) is born to Damodar Bolla (Srivinas Beesetty) and Venkatamma Bolla (Anusha Nuthula) at Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. While the father is elated on the birth of his first child, that too a boy, which is considered auspicious, and he names him after his favourite cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth, his world comes crumbling down as the realisation dawns upon him that his son has been born blind. He cries, feels helpless and when neighbours tell him to kill their child, Damodar is about to bury him alive, but his wife stops him.

The film, very briefly though, shows us Srikanth's growing up years where he would get bullied by other kids who would tell him that he's good for nothing and will grow up to be a 'blind beggar'. Soon, Srikanth is admitted to a special school for visually impaired in Hyderabad where he finds teacher Devika (Jyothika), who not only takes it on herself to help him in studies but also teach him how to walk without assistance and be independent.

Till this point, even though watching Rao onscreen is pure joy, I couldn't understand the age group he was playing as makers clearly didn't pay too much attention to details to his appearance. For a school student, Rao looks a tad unconvincing. Nevertheless, the film at this point takes on the Indian education system that doesn't allow people with visual impairment to opt for science as a stream after class 10. Srikanth and Devika fight a legal battle with all their might, and end up getting him admission in the desired school. But even for higher studies, colleges have the same rule, and that's where we see Srikanth defying all odds, and despite being rejected by all colleges in India, ends up getting invited by top 4 schools in the world on full scholarship, and he goes to MIT, Boston, USA. For a village born child, life in the US seems a bit too fancy and he doesn't find any challenges as such. Life takes several turns and he is back in India to realise his dreams and turn businessman with Bollant Industries. And that's when we are shown Srikanth's ultimate rise and a temporary fall with some powerful and well-crafted sequences.

Srikanth effectively highlights our society's lack of empathy towards people with disabilities and their struggles. The film sheds light on the biases that exist in the educational infrastructure and job opportunities for them. It's shown in a scene when Srikanth is looking for investors for his business, and a one company, reluctant to pump money, tries to lure him to help with making candles for Diwali -- something that we have long associated with visually impaired people.

The Fault in our Second-Halves

At 132-minutes, Srikanth is well-timed, but it's clearly the first half that's superior. There's pace, intrigue and a curiosity factor that what will Srikanth do next to realise his dreams. The second half completely nosedives in terms of story that I felt digressed a bit too much, and went into a bit of character glorification, which it avoided for most part till interval. The scenes where Srikanth is shown to have gone bitter, jealous and insecure of the same people who enabled him to succeed are well written and strike an instant chord.

Even though Srikanth is no superman, he can do pretty much everything and that too with a heroic twist and Hiranandani has played that well by shooting some impressive scenes. Not just studies, he manages to excel in sports also and secures a spot in Indian National Cricket Team, but let's go of that to pursue his studies abroad. Another time when he leaves you totally awestruck is the portion at the airport when he is denied boarding because as per the airline's rules, a visually challenged needs someone accompanying them while flying. The sequence that follows and how Sri turns the situation around not just puts a smile on your face but also is a subtle reality check for the system in place that doesn't treat PwDs equal.

There are many such instances in the film that are focused on calling out the society's reluctance to accommodate the needs of the visually impaired. What's good is that it's not done in a manner to evoke pity but to root for an equal opportunity for them. There's a speech, or rather a monologue, towards the end of the film which, yes, has been intended to sum up what Srikanth wants to tell the world on behalf of the visually challenged community, but I felt the film had already done enough in the last two hours to say all that and more. But yes, the makers cleverly used Srikanth's wit and tried to break its preachy tone with some laughs here and there.

Other than Rao's flawless performance, Jyotika is also effective and delivers a restrained performance. She not only lets Srikanth tread his own path but also keeps him grounded when needed. With a pleasant screen presence and just the right blend of emotions, Jyotika has some of the best and endearing scenes with Rao. Sharad Kelkar as Ravi Mantha is a friend, elder brother and business partner who gives wings to Srikanth's dream project by investing in it. Kelkar remains a quiet pillar of strength who understands Srikanth's vision and even when the going gets tough, he maintains calm. There's Jameel Khan as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who has some really heartwarming moments with Srikanth, as his portrayal as Kalam just bowls you over.

In a bid to touch upon various key aspects of Srikanth's life, the film also shows his love life where Swathi (Alaya F) develops liking for him through social media after reading all his achievements. They instantly bond and love blossoms, but you see Alaya coming and going as and when conveinient. Her character could definitely have had more depth, and maybe the whole love story angle could have been better incorporated in the screenplay. Even though Alaya F gets limited screen time, she manages to leave an impact.

This review will be incomplete without mentioning about the second hero of the film besides Rao. Papa Kehte Hain, with music rendered by Aditya Dev, adds soul to Srikanth's journey. Each time the track is played, whether its opening credits or the background during some high points in the storyline, you are charged and instantly drawn back into the film.

Srikanth is not preachy; it's just stating facts. It does stress on the fact that while others have sight, the visually challenged have a vision, but it never tries to show them as less privileged. With tons of humour laced carefully to not take away the seriousness of the subject, Srikanth is a heartwarming tale that leaves you feeling inspired and instils a feeling of self-belief. If Sri can, so can you.

Read Also: murder in mahim review - vijay raaz and ashutosh rana's teamwork pays off in this exhausting whodunnit