‘Double iSmart’, released on Independence Day in 2024, is a Telugu language science-fiction action film directed and written by Puri Jagannadh. The film is considered a spiritual sequel to the 2019 hit film ‘iSmart Shankar’. The film stars Ram Pothineni once again in the role of Shankar, and this time alongside him is Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt playing the villain in his Telugu debut.
The 162-minute-long film presents a high-octane, visual effects-packed story where a notorious killer ‘Big Bull’ wants to transfer his memory into Shankar’s brain – who is already struggling with someone else’s memories – to achieve immortality. This conflict forms the core of the film.
Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film came with an expensive budget (approximately ₹90 crores) but received negative response from critics and failed at the box office. Though the film tried to showcase a mix of style, action and science-fiction, it failed to impress the audience due to weak screenplay and lack of emotional connection.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Double iSmart |
| Language | Telugu |
| Genre | Science Fiction, Action |
| Directed by | Puri Jagannadh |
| Written by | Puri Jagannadh |
| Produced by | Puri Jagannadh, Charmy Kaur |
| Cinematography | Shyam K. Naidu, Gianni Giannelli |
| Edited by | Karthika Srinivas |
| Music by | Mani Sharma |
| Production Company | Puri Connects |
| Distributed by | Primeshow Entertainment, Mythri Movie Makers (Telugu), Sakthi Film Factory (Tamil Nadu) |
| Release Date | 15 August 2024 |
| Running Time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹90 crore (estimated) |
| Box Office Collection | ₹25 crore (estimated) |
| Main Cast | Ram Pothineni, Sanjay Dutt, Ali, Kavya Thapar, Sayaji Shinde, Bani J |
| Sequel to | iSmart Shankar (2019) (Spiritual Sequel) |
Double iSmart Story
Double iSmart is a science-fiction action thriller that sees Ram Pothineni once again in his ‘iSmart Shankar’ avatar. The story begins with international mafia don Big Bull (Sanjay Dutt) who is diagnosed with a brain tumor (glioma). To escape the fear of death, he searches for a way to become immortal. A scientist suggests that if his memories are transferred to someone else’s brain, he can continue to live — in a new body.
While looking for a suitable person for the procedure, they come across Shankar (Ram Pothineni) from Hyderabad. Shankar is a fierce, carefree and full of energy guy. After the memory transfer, Shankar gets the memories and desires of the Big Bull mixed in him, leading to new conflicts and events in his life.
The highlight of the film is Ram Pothineni’s energetic performance. Whereas Sanjay Dutt’s character as a mafia don seems a bit weak and incomplete. The story of the film is interesting, but the lack of screenplay and emotional depth makes it weak.
The film drags a lot in the second half and it becomes difficult to keep the audience’s interest. The love story, comedy, and the villain’s conflict do not leave much of an impact.
The technical quality of the film is average and the music also fails to leave the same impact as the previous film. Overall, Double iSmart is a film full of potential but remains unfulfilled.
Movie Review
Double iSmart – A Disappointing Reaction to a Missed Chance (Hindi Review in 500 Words)
Watching films like Double iSmart makes one wonder what direction director Puri Jagannadh (PJ) is headed in. There was a time when films like Pokiri had the earthy flavour and realism of his. Today, when projects like Double iSmart come out, it feels like the same old film has been reheated in a “microwave oven” and served again – but the flavour is completely missing.
The trailer and promotion of the film did raise expectations, but when I saw the actual film, it felt like everything was superficial. The story is strong, but the lack of direction brought the entire project down. This film could have been a great science-fiction action drama, but the way it has been brought to the screen is disappointing.
Puri Jagannadh and Charmme Kaur (CK), both producers, were in full creative control of the film, but it seems that the burden of “own production” was so much that the audience’s perspective was completely ignored. When you are both the producer and the director, the responsibility increases even more. But that seriousness is not visible in this film.
Stars like Ram Pothineni (Raapo), who has a huge talent and a huge fan base, should understand how high the audience’s expectations are from him. Without a good script, acting or style alone cannot make a film successful. This film seems a little interesting due to their efforts, but even that is lost due to the weak story and clumsy direction.
Some scenes in the film are indeed magical, but they are like momentary relief, which immediately gets lost in the boring screenplay and meaningless dialogues. The depth of the characters is negligible and there is no emotional connection anywhere. It seems that many characters are kept only to fill the screen.
The comedy, which is the soul of any masala film, has failed completely. A veteran actor like Ali’s character has been wasted to such an extent that his comedy becomes irritating.
The audience’s response is clear – this film was an opportunity wasted. If Puri Jagannadh makes films again with his old temperament and that distinctive “soil smell”, maybe he can create the same magic again.
In conclusion, Double iSmart is a disappointment for the millions of fans who have expectations from PJ. There is a lot of scope for improvement – the only need is to change the approach.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
Double iSmart is an example of a movie experience that had great potential, but weak direction and lifeless screenplay made it a disappointment. Ram Pothineni’s hard work is commendable, but the weakness of the script could not save even his performance. Even the presence of Sanjay Dutt and an interesting plot could not save the film. Technically some aspects are fine, but the lack of emotional connection and entertainment is clearly visible. Puri Jagannadh now needs to rediscover his old style. Overall, the film does not live up to expectations.