Martin Luther King (film) explained

Martin Luther King is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language political satire film directed by Puja Kolluru in her directorial debut. It was jointly produced by YNOT Studios, Reliance Entertainment, and Mahayana Motion Pictures.^[1] This film's story is a remake of the Tamil movie Mandela, in which Yogi Babu played the lead role. Titled after the prominent American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, the film stars Sampoornesh Babu in the titular role, with Naresh, Sharanya Pradeep, and Venkatesh Maha playing supporting roles.^[2]

The music for the film was composed by Smaran, and the cinematography was handled by Deepak Yaragera. In addition to directing, Puja Kolluru also took on the role of editor for the film.^[3]

Plot

A man without a name or identity is suddenly courted by two warring groups when he receives a voter ID. Will he reap the benefits of his newfound privilege, or will he use it as a tool for social change?

Cast

• Sampoornesh Babu as Smile aka Martin Luther King
• Naresh as Jogi
• Sharanya Pradeep as Vasantha
• Venkatesh Maha as Loki
• Goparaju Ramana
• HMT Hanmantu

Production

YNOT Studios came up with the idea of adapting the Tamil film Mandela into Telugu, and as Baradwaj Rangan suggested, they approached Venkatesh Maha. However, Venkatesh Maha declined to do another remake, as he had already remade the Malayalam film Maheshinte Prathikaaram in Telugu as Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya. Subsequently, they chose Venkatesh's associate director, Puja Kolluru, to direct the film. Venkatesh wrote the screenplay and dialogue for the film, which is set in the town of Markapur. Sampoornesh Babu was later selected for the lead role. To prepare for the role of Smile, Sampoornesh underwent a forty-day workshop.^[4]

Music

The film's music was composed by Smaran.^{[5] [6]}

Release

Theatrical

The film was released on 27 October 2023.^[7]

Home media

The film premiered on SonyLIV on 28 November 2023, in Telugu, as well as dubbed versions in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.

Reception

A critic from Sakshi gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote a mixed review.^[8] Srivathsan Nadadhur of OTTPlay gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Director Puja Kolluru’s Martin Luther King is a sharp social commentary with a good dose of drama and humour."^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Bold move by the makers of Martin Luther King . 123telugu.com . 20 October 2023 . en . 9 October 2023 . 20 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020103456/https://www.123telugu.com/mnews/bold-move-by-the-makers-of-martin-luther-king.html . live .
2. Web site: Sistu . Suhas . Sampu becomes kingmaker in 'Martin Luther King' teaser . The Hans India . 20 October 2023 . en . 7 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231007232446/https://www.thehansindia.com/amp/cinema/sampu-becomes-kingmaker-in-martin-luther-king-teaser-826937 . live .
3. Web site: Sampoornesh Babu to headline Mandela Telugu remake . . 20 October 2023 . 20 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020103459/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/telugu/news/2023/sep/19/sampoornesh-babu-to-headline-mandela-telugu-remake-47788.amp . live .
4. Web site: Dundoo . Sangeetha Devi . Director Puja Kolluru: 'Martin Luther King' is 'Mandela' on steroids and the politics is relevant; Sampoornesh Babu is an actor without baggage and is perfect for the film . The Hindu . 20 October 2023 . en-IN . 17 October 2023 . 18 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231018045229/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/director-puja-kolluru-martin-luther-king-is-mandela-on-steroids-and-the-politics-is-relevant/article67429847.ece . live .
5. Web site: Makers Of Telugu Film Martin Luther King Drop New Song . News18 . 20 October 2023 . en . 14 October 2023 . 17 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231017202542/https://www.news18.com/movies/makers-of-telugu-film-martin-luther-king-drop-new-song-8617542.html . live .
6. Web site: Martin Luther King Songs: Martin Luther King MP3 Telugu Songs by Smaran Sai Online Free on Gaana.com . . 20 October 2023 . en . 20 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020103457/https://gaana.com/album/martin-luther-king-telugu . live .
7. Web site: 'Martin Luther King' Trailer: Sampoornesh Babu starrer is a satirical comedy . The Times of India . 20 October 2023 . 19 October 2023 . 20 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231020103536/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/martin-luther-king-trailer-sampoornesh-babu-starrer-is-a-satirical-comedy/articleshow/104546568.cms . live .
8. Web site: Martin Luther King Movie Review:'మార్టిన్‌ లూథర్‌ కింగ్‌' మూవీ రివ్యూ . Sakshi . 27 October 2023 . te . 27 October 2023 . 27 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231027051230/https://www.sakshi.com/amp/telugu-news/movies/martin-luther-king-movie-review-and-rating-telugu-1826023 . live .
9. Web site: Martin Luther King review: Sampoornesh Babu excels in a stinging satire on modern-day politics . www.ottplay.com . 27 October 2023 . 27 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231027051232/https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/martin-luther-king-review-sampoornesh-babu-excels-in-a-stinging-satire-on-modern-day-politics/c5614d0dc1960 . live .