Yet again, noted actor Balakrishna has hugely disappointed his fans in "Allari Pidugu" by choosing a contrived plot about an irresponsible son turning responsible.

Even the failure of "Palnati Brahmanaidu" and "Vijayendra Varma" has not taught Balakrishna about the need for valid plots.

There is nothing to write home about his dual role, since both Balakrishnas look similar and share similar views.

As a cop, one takes on arm smugglers, while the other burns down a pesticide factory for producing sub-standard pesticides. He sticks to stock expressions, and his odd wig makes it worse.

Katrina Kaif had a better role in her debut film "Malliswari" than here. Charmi appears to be hell-bent upon erasing the image created by "Anukokunda Oka Roju".

Puneet Issar plays a strict father who hates one of his sons for no good reason. Baddies Mukesh Rishi, Bharani and Rahul Dev try to salvage poorly etched roles.

Director Jayanth, who came back with a moderate hit "Lakshmi Narasimha", fails to exploit the larger-than-life image of Balakrishna.

Though he makes Balakrishna an "encounter specialist", he lets the star down by canning poor shootouts. Even his song picturisation is unimpressive.

The storyline is said to have developed from a character suggested by Balakrishna himself. This is a surprise since both the roles are pretty ordinary.

Even Mani Sharma, who has helped Balakrishna score umpteen musical hits, disappoints this time.