Guna 369
Guna 369 is a 2019 Telugu-language film written and directed by Arjun Jandyala starring Kartikeya Gummakonda and Anagha LK.[1][2] It is produced by Anil Kadiyala and Tirumal Reddy under the banner SG Movie Makers. The music is composed by Chaitan Bharadwaj who earlier composed for Karthikeya's RX 100. This film marks their second collaboration.[3] The movie is inspired by true incidents and was released on 2 August 2019.[4][5]
| Guna 369 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Arjun Jandyala |
| Produced by | Anil Kadiyala, Tirumal Reddy |
| Written by | Arjun Jandyala |
| Starring | Kartikeya Gummakonda Anagha LK |
| Music by | Chaitan Bharadwaj |
| Cinematography | Raam |
Production company |
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Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Plot
The 2 hour 22 minute movie opens in the Ongole Municipal Corporation where the mother of Gaddala Gunta Radha is told about a fight in the village of Chirrikurapadu that resulted in one of Radha’s men dying. But Radha – an intimidatingly massive 6’4” (195 cm) vengeful boss man played by Aditya Menon – is already on this way to the village for revenge. After hitting several villagers, knocking the parents of the wrongdoer to the ground and nearly beating the wrongdoer to death, Radha warns the villagers that his wrath will be felt on anyone who disrespects him or his followers.
In the next scene, a couple on a scooter visits a medical shop and the man purchases contraceptives. The owner of the medical shop clicks pictures of the couple. He shares the photos with his gang who follows the couple and rapes the young lady.
For the most part, the first fifty minutes of the movie focuses on family, friends and love interests. Guna (Kartikeya Gummakonda) works with his closest and loyal friend, Butta (played by Mahesh Achanta of Jabardasth fame), at a granite factory. Guna is a middle-class young man with middle-class values of strong ethics and upright principles instilled by his loving patriarch played by Naresh and his pampered matriarch played by Hema. He is a happy-go-lucky, do-gooder guy who avoids confrontation and violence.
On his way to take B.Tech exams, Guna bumps his scooter into Geetha (pronounced Geeta) – his new neighbour played by newcomer Anagha. Having failed his previous B.Tech exam, Geetha gives him her pen and tells him he will certainly pass the exam with her pen. And Guna immediately falls in love.
Geetha, who works at a local mobile phone store, is constantly visited by Guna because he keeps purposefully breaking his phone just to see her. Although the love-struck Guna persistently showers Geetha with courtly compliments, she artfully repels his advances. But the boy-next-door’s boyish character, attractive appearance, and continuous pursuit pays-off with Geetha reciprocating Guna’s love. She tells him: “Until now, the best part of my life was my family. From now on, it’s you, too.”
Whilst courting Geetha, Guna searches online for a match for his sister. He finds a photo of handsome fellow named Sashi – who, coincidentally, happened to attend school with Guna’s best mate, Butta. Together, they visit with Sashi at the small medical shop he owns outside of town. On the way back to Ongole; Guna tells Butta that he believes Sashi to be a good man and a good match for his sister.
About half way through the movie, Sashi and his friends are drinking at a local Dhaba when Radha enters and sits a few tables down. Sashi and friends run out of beer and become restless. When one of them throws a bottle at the waiter, it knocks the waiter’s tray full of food on Radha. A fight promptly ensues and another friend tackles Radha to the ground. Previously unaware it is Radha and his men, Sashi and friends instantly become aware it is Radha and immediately flee the scene.
Knowing that Radha responds to disrespect with violence and even death, Sashi is scared and in desperate need for help. When Sashi leans that Guna and Radha have known each other since childhood, he pleads for Guna’s help. On behalf of the safety of his family, he begs and begs until Guna agrees.
Guna visits Radha’s home and arranges a meeting for Sashi to personally apologise to Radha. Guna and Sashi are at the granite quarry when Radha arrives, alone. After exiting his jeep, Radha slaps Sashi across the face that knocks him to the ground. Several kicks and foot stomps later, with Guna appealing for Radha to stop the beating, Radha is suddenly smashed in the head with a bottle tossed from behind a barricade. Unbeknownst to Guna or Radha, Sashi and six of his friends had planned an ambush.
Together they attack Radha with bottles and weapons; when, all of a sudden, Sashi slashes Radha in the gut over and over again. And Guna can’t stop them. Then, with two attackers holding Guna down and preventing him from interfering, Sashi gruesomely beheads Radha.
The police arrive to see Radha’s headless body and only Guna at the scene. And, in a twist of tales, it’s not Sashi who will sit in jail. It’s Guna. The nonviolent mediator and do-gooder gets framed and sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
Upon release, Guna is shunned by his neighbors. He goes to Geetha’s house and her father (Saakshi Siva) falsely tells Guna that Geetha didn’t want to marry a felon. Stunned and standing at the doorway, Guna realizes why Geetha did not come to the door. She’s dead.
Enraged, Guna tells his beloved father that he will go after those that have demonically destroyed his and his family’s good standing. But, before he can take any action, Guna and his family are attacked by Radha’s henchmen. With his father in the hospital, Radha's men follow the family and a brutal fight breaks out Guna prevails and loads the injured Radha-men to take them back to Radha's family home. When Guna tells Radha’s mother that he did not kill her son, she gives him one week to bring Sashi and his friends to her.
The reaming 25-30 minutes of the movie, show how Guna transforms from an innocent victim to an understandingly vengeful person seeking justice. .
Without giving up the ending, Guna's boss advises him to meet a Sub-Inspector (SI) played by Sivaji Raja. But Guna figures out that the SI is the one who has been sheltering Sashi and friends. Guna also learns that his best mate, Butta, was the one who encouraged Sashi’s crew to kill Radha in the first place. Guna and Butta have a dramatic scene at the beach where Butta reveals that it was his brother that was beaten up by Radha and his parents smacked to the ground in the opening scene. But the most traumatizing scene is in the final few minutes when Guna learns the real reason behind Geetha’s suicide.
Cast
- Kartikeya Gummakonda as Guna
- Anagha LK as Gita
- Naresh as Karthikeya's father
- Hema as Karthikeya's mother
- Kaumudi Nemani as Karthikeya's sister
- Saakshi Siva as Gita's father
- Adhitya as Radha
- Manju Bhargavi as Radha's mother
- Mahesh Achanta as Guna's friend
- Sivaji Raja as SI
Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bujji Bangaram" | Nakash Aziz, Deepthi Parthasarathy | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Tholi Parichayama Idhi" | Haricharan | |
| 3. | "Manasukidi Garalam" | Vijay Yesudas, Shweta Mohan | |
| 4. | "Dheveri" | Gowtham Bharadwaj, Ramya Behara | |
| 5. | "Dhamaruka" | Kaala Bhairava | |
| 6. | "Usuremo" | Mohana Bhogaraju |
Reception
The Hans India described the film as average, noting problems with the story, describing it as a "routine commercial formula."[6]
References
- "Kartikeya's next Guna 369 is with debut director Arjun Jandyala".
- Nyayapati, Neeshita (28 June 2019). "Actress Anagha to make her debut with Kartikeya in Guna 369". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- "Guna 369: Kartikeya Gummakonda's film to hit the screens on August 2". The Times of India.
- "Kartikeya's Guna 369 to release on August 2nd".
- "Guna 369 to release on August 2nd".
- "Guna 369 Movie Review & Rating {3.5/5 }". The Hans India.