srilekhar Reviews

Rangasthalam 1985 (2018)

HUGELY overrated

[3/10 · 28 April 2018]

A man with a God complex (played by Jagpathi Babu), addressed only as president by people, rules a small village, Rangasthalam, in the 1980s Andhra Pradesh. The people of the village are uneducated and completely under the thumb of president and his cohorts. Caught in the vicious cycle of poverty and high rate of interest charged by minions of the president, the villagers are waiting to be liberated. This, as Sukumar's film tells us soon enough, will be done by two brothers Chitti Babu (Ram Charan) and Kumar Babu (Aadhi Pinisetty).

However, before the oppressed overthrow the oppressor, we will be shown how lack of education leaves villagers open to exploitation, how president's men take advantage of simple village folk to levy high interest rates and how any voice that is raised in opposition is silenced without mercy. So far, Rangasthalam keeps it to the formula and the clichéd good vs evil story.

Read: Ram Charan and Samantha Akkineni's Rangasthalam: 5 reasons why it is a must watch

Even in this trope, Sukumar adds his own flourishes. The villain's God complex makes him larger than life, allowing Ram Charan's hero to equally grow in stature too. The anticipation of the final kill, that confrontation between good and evil also keeps on building throughout Rangasthalam.

Some shots underline this further - the president's entry shot has him being carried on a chair, with the holy thread visible clearly, sharply in contrast to the surrounding is quite similar to visarjan of any God in our country. Even the dead are expected to respect him and his residence is treated like a temple by the villagers.

The fight is not easy. The oppressor has superstition, loyalty, political power and fear on his side. Villagers have been ruled by one man for 30 years and that has resulted in blind belief that the president is above everyone else.

Kumar Babu, who has returned from Dubai, cannot stand what is happening to his village and hence stands up to the president and files nomination for the upcoming election. He has the support of his brother Chitti, giving him strength to do what others have not attempted so far. But going against the grain, Chitti is worried about his brother, in fact scared enough to doubt everyone. Usually, the lead hero, in this case Ram Charan, is the one who leads such fights. They are fearless and go against anyone who stands in their way. In Rangasthalam, however, we have Ram Charan stand arm-in-arm with onscreen brother Aadhi but at the same time fearful of his safety. This equation adds a refreshing twist to the character of the hero.

Bharath Ane Nenu (2018)

Bharat Ane Nenu Delivers

[10/10 · 28 April 2018]

Bharath Ane Nenu is one film which has been eagerly awaited all over. This film marks the collaboration of Koratala Shiva and Mahesh Babu after the blockbuster hit Srimanthudu. Amid massive craze, this film has hit the screens today. Let's see whether the film lives up to its expectations or not.

Story:

Bharath(Mahesh Babu), who graduates in the UK hears about the sudden death of his father(Sarath Kumar) who is the chief minister of the state. Leaving things behind, he rushes back to India. Upon his arrival, he is forced by his uncle(Prakash Raj) to fill his father's shoes as the chief minister of the state. Bharath takes up this deadly challenge only to find out several loopholes in the system. Rest of the story is as to how Bharath operates in his own style as a CM and brings a good change in the society.

Plus Points:

The first thing that hits you right away in Bharath Ane Nenu is the scale and premise of the film. It has been quite some time that we have seen a political thriller which had a mainstream hero playing a CM. The manner in which the story unfolds by covering major social issues has been conceived in a spectacular manner.

Mahesh has given his career best performance which is truly award winning. The honesty, dedication and the command that Mahesh generates as CM takes the film to another level altogether. Mahesh not only looks super handsome as the young CM but also mouths terrific mass and political dialogues with aplomb.

Kiara Advani makes a staggering debut and fits her role perfectly. Not only does she look gorgeous but performance wise too, she has done a superb job. She is surely a star in the making and will go a long way in Tollywood. Seasoned actors, Prakash Raj and Rao Ramesh bring a lot of depth to the film with their terrific supporting act.

The interval bang is terrific and sets the tone for the second half in a stunning manner. The emotions showcased during the second half work well. Also, the manner in which certain key social issues like education, traffic and village administration have been showcased, looks quite good. Production values of the film are terrific and Devi's background score makes things even more gripping. The film has enough mass elements in the second half which will make the fans quite happy.

Minus Points: When compared to the first half the second half gets a tad slow during the end. The last ten minutes of the film is quite routine and predictable with nothing much great happening during this time.

The length of the film is also a tad long and all those who expect fun and comedy will get disappointed as the film is a serious political drama.

Technical Aspects:

DVV Danayya has gone all out for this film and every penny spent looks amazing on screen. Special mention should go to the assembly set which looks spectacular on screen. The way it has been lit gives a rousing effect to the proceedings. Camerawork by Thiru is too good as he has showcased the political set up in quite a realistic manner. The film looks quite rich in every frame and the manner in which the proceedings are showcased give an earthy feel to the film.

Devi Sri Prasad is a huge asset to the film. The way the theme song is composed and goes with the proceedings of the film speaks volumes of Devi's talent. But more than his music, it is his background score which takes away the cake as it thrills you completely and keeps you hooked to the proceedings. Dialogues need a special mention and especially those written for Mahesh have a lot of value and are clap worthy. Mahesh's look has been designed quite well.

Coming to the director Koratala Shiva, he always saves the best for Mahesh. Credit should completely go to him for penning a story like this and showcasing Mahesh in a never before seen manner. The way he handles the social issues and keeps all the mass elements intact for fans showcases his worth as a director. His grip on emotions and the way he shows Mahesh as the young CM looks quite convincing. One can easily say that there is no better director who can handle social subjects and once again Koratala proves his class with his film.

Verdict:

On the whole, Bharath Ane Nenu is a highly captivating political drama which clicks from the word go. Credit should go to Mahesh for not only accepting such a script but leading from the front with his career-best performance. Mahesh's fans will have a blast as the film will do exceptionally well in both the domestic and overseas markets. If you ignore the slightly predictable nature of the film, Bharath Ane Nenu ends up as a terrific summer watch which will break many records at the box office. Must watch.

Bharath Ane Nenu (2018)

bharat ane nenu delivers

[10/10 · 28 April 2018]

There is a tipping point which actors often fail to reach time and again. But once they reach that, they find a pandora's box that's filled with unfulfilled promises, expectations, and hope. It's at this juncture, that you desperately wish that actor will rise above his own shortcomings to unleash some sort of a magic spell, which heals your scars from the past.

With Bharat Ane Nenu, Mahesh Babu not only crosses the tipping point but also breaks open the pandora's box and burns the unfulfilled promises to ashes, to show why he's such a fine actor. You can't take your eyes off when he's on screen pulling off his role with utmost sincerity and conviction. You might go gaga over his looks, but the most charming thing about Mahesh Babu in this film, in particular, is that there's an air of confidence he exudes. He's in full control of what he's doing.



Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kiara Advani, Prakash Raj, Posani, Brahmaji, and Others Director and Writer: Koratala Siva Producers: DVV Dannayya DOP: Ravi K Chandran and Thirru Music: Devi Sri Prasad Editor: A Sreekar Prasad Banner: DVV Entertainments Rating:3.0/5.0 Release Date: 20th April 2018 Story



Bharat Ram(Mahesh Babu) is an Oxford graduate with 5 degrees to his name. He returns to India after the demise of his father Raghava Raju(Sharath Kumar) and takes charge as the Chief Minister of the then united Andhra Pradesh owing to pressure from his father's friend Varada Raju (Prakash Raj) without knowing ABCDs of Indian politics. Just like any educated person, he starts ruling the state on his own terms right from the day 1. This creates a ruckus in his own party members and as the head of the party, it starts worrying Varada Raju. Bharat starts changing all the rules and regulations in the state to bring in a positive change in the never growing society. In the process, he falls for Vasumathi (Kiara Advani) who is a girl from a middle-class family preparing for her civils. How will Bharat cope with the political pressure and what are the consequences he will have to face? Will his good deeds do him any good?



Performances:

After that four disasters in his last five films, the character of Bharat and Mahesh's performance in it are truly game-changer for the Superstar. It is amazing to note the tremendous transformation he went through in the film. He set aside the subtleness and delivered an energetic performance in the film. His dialogue delivery suiting the political theme is also good.

As an Oxford graduate, he had to have a foreign touch in his dialogue delivery and he has absolutely nailed every scene of it. His screen presence is terrific throughout the movie as usual.

Kiara Advani as Vasumathi is a delight to watch and is so expressive. For a slow-paced first half, her presence was so refreshing. Not for a single scene, you feel like it is her first movie in TFI.

Prakash Raj gets another important role after a long time and he was at his usual best.Posani as MLA managed few laughs here and there.

Rao Ramesh as Vasumathi's father gets a small role and he made his presence felt. Brahmaji was good as well. Aamani had a short role and she was okay. Arjun Reddy fame Rahul Rama Krishna gets another good role. All other roles did not have much importance.



Technical:

Koratala Siva is successful as soon as he selects a time-tested political theme and redesigned Mahesh Babu to fit in it. Some of the blocks which he has written are terrific but then due to run-time issues, he struggled to justify them. But they are still enough to pump the adrenaline of fans. The movie has some major highlight every now and then. Contentwise we see they are not adequately addressed but they still deliver. Some excellent dialogues are also on offer. The good thing is the director stayed loyal to the script and did not embed comedy forcefully. The love track is also in sync with the story. A couple of fights, the Pressmeet scene stand tall for Koratala's ability and Mahesh's redemption.

Devi Sri Prasad excelled with the background score and the songs are good as well.

Ravi K Chandran and Tirru's visuals are excellent. A Sreekar Prasad's editing could have been better. The Production Values are immaculate.



Analysis:

To start with, the movie opened with "I don't know" song which reminds you of Venkatesh's movies where he has an opening song with foreign chicks. The director brings Bharat back to India, shows him the current situation of AP and makes him a Chief Minister. But you would get an impression that the narration is a bit slow paced. As the movie was going slow, Vasumathi characterization brings a freshness to the screen.

When dealing with sensitive scripts like this, it is important that the director doesn't deviate from the storyline to bring in unnecessary comedy and the director was spot on. One has to commend him for that. The only quotient of entertainment was the chemistry between Mahesh and Kiara augmented by Brahmaji's comedy once in a while. The internal politics in a state where one party has to support another party in tough times is a known thing in Indian politics and Siva koratala narrated this brilliantly marking the end of first half. The Durga mahal fight and the assembly scenes are the highlights until then.

Mahesh Babu has always been a director's delight throughout his career and he proves it time and again. A director and his story might fail but Mahesh Babu as an actor has never failed to perform. His dialogues and fights are a treat to watch. Especially in the second half on how Bharat is coping with the political pressures and the measures he took to save Rahul Ramakrishna and the way the pace in the movie picks up was impressive. Mahesh babu's speech in the press conference is one of the highlights of the movie. As a fan, you would want to get up and clap after that scene. The movie again drags a bit in the climax. The runtime needs a little trimming.

Except for the irregular pace in the narration, the director had done nothing wrong in the movie. His ideology in changing the current Education system, especially in government schools having English medium and the ways to make traffic better and how Media is making money with sensationalizing news was very well shot. The DOP Thiru was equally good with the visuals. All the songs looked so pleasant and DSP again proves that he gives the best background score in TFI, especially for big hero movies where it plays a crucial role. The movie might not please all the kinds of the audience but it is a much-needed movie for bringing a change in the current society.



Verdict

At the end of the day, watching a Koratala Siva's film feels like reading a book. He has consistently proven to be a good storyteller, and with Bharat Ane Nenu, he has shown yet again that there's plenty of drama when a normal guy takes an uncommon path. Bharat might have become the messiah of the state in the story, but it's Mahesh Babu who leaves a long lasting impression in the end. Two big thumbs up for the film. It delivers more than what it promises.