SITA RAMAM – INFUSES A FRESH BREEZE IN TELUGU FILM INDUSTRY

                                                           

 

In the midst all hype about mega budget movies from Telugu and Tamil Industry, last month two small budget Telugu movies `Kartikeya 2’ and `Sita Ramam’ have released simultaneously and both turned out to be huge hits, Kartikeya-2 (starring a very small star Nikhil) making around Rs. 120 crores (including over 25 crores in Hindi) and Sita Ramam close to Rs. 100 crores.

Sita Ramam starring Malayali superstar Dulqer Salman in a straight Telugu movie and ably supported by  Mrunal Thakur and Rashmika Mandana may turn out to be a path breaker.    It’s a simple love story in a very complex back drop of India Pakistan hostility, infiltration of terrorists in Kashmir to destabilise India, treatment of prisoners of war and the supreme sacrifice made by soldiers going on secret mission with a full knowledge of their details being erased from records, being disowned by the country when caught by enemy country, living rest of life in Pakistan Prisons for rest of the life and dying a silent death without honour, award, rewards and recognition.  

Hats off to Writer & Director Hanu Raghavapudi, for handling such complex issues without over dramatizing, not indulging in over the top patriotic dramatics and presenting it in the form of a love story flowing so smoothly.   Dulquer always impresses with every outing and he was absolutely brilliant in Sita Ramam.   He was so charming and natural both in romantic scenes and emotional scenes as a war prisoner.   It is because of his brilliant acting one would believe in hero standing for humanity, sense of duty and at the end making ultimate sacrifice.    At the end of this spellbound movie one would come out with a unanimous feeling that no one else could have done justice to this role, and you cannot imagine any other actor in Dulquer place.   The way the movie starts with Rashimi character a Pakistani hating everything about India setting a car on fire coming back to Pakistan to collect 10 lakhs penalty she has to pay to only find her grandfather dying and putting a condition that she goes to India and delivers a letter from Indian war prisoner Ramam to Sita as pre condition to get what her grandfather has bequeathed for her, is such a surprise element and the suspense is maintained throughout the movie to be shocked at the end when she knows the reality and why her grandfather was so keen that the letter should be delivered at any cost.    Sumanth, who is almost forgotten, turned out to be the surprise package in the role of co-prisoner of war who compromises with very sensitive military information to save himself and lives with guilty for rest of his life.

Malayali film industry is known for superb content driven movies and all top stars including their icons of present generation Mohan Lal and Mumutty don’t mind working in movies made on shoe string budgets and pulling super hits.   That has been followed by the next generation super star like Dulquer.   But the surprising thing which comes as a fresh breeze of air in Telugu industry, is Ashwani Dutt, owner of Vyjayanti Movies, who produced some of the biggest budget movies with NTR and at present also producing a multi-starrer PAN India movie `Project K’ with Prabhas, Amitabh and Deepika with over Rs. 500 crores budget has backed such small budget movie of Rs. 30 crores with fantastic content.  

It’s good for film industry in general and Telugu industry in particular that it is not all about Bahubali, RRR and Pushpa and superstars like Mahesh Babu, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, but there is a level playing field for Kartikeya-2 and Sita Ramam and small stars like Nikhil and Dulqer (as far as Telugu industry is concerned).

 

You can catch up the movie on Prime in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam with sub title in English.

 

S. Prabhakar

13.9.22

 

This `BRAHMASTRA’ is an ordinary `Astra' and may back fire

(review of Brahmastra)

 

 

Brahmastra, the first of the trilogy is very high on VFX effects and undoubtedly one of the best in Hindi till date on this account.  Though lot of time, efforts and money has been spent on VFX to make it a visual splendor there is not much of imagination in that too, they are more and more like fire balls, too many and too repetitive and at the end of the show gets on to your nerves and discomfort to eyes.

Unlike Hollywood movies, Indian movies need lot of ingredients apart from VFX viz., good story line, emotions, and bit of comedy and loads of action scenes to keep audience engaged and glued.   That is the reason why movies like Krish series and Bahubali series have clicked.   Brahmastra has a wafer thin story line that too incoherent.   Action and special effects start within 10 minutes into the movie and go on and on till climax.   The dreams which the hero has and flash backs confuse more than revealing any story

Any fantasy movie has to have a `macho hero’ to make us believe convincingly that he has the so called super powers.    Ranbir Kapoor has been a failure on that account though he acted well.   He has a chocolate boy image and the movie does not have a proper romantic track though it features the reel and real life romantic pair Ranbir and Alia.    For most part of the movie he remains confused and tries to find what is happening and what powers he has and why?   Alia looks cute but sounded stupid trying to create some humour moments.

Sharukh is fine in his cameo but both Amitabh and Nagarguna are looking much older to their age and hardly have anything to contribute.   Now a days these stars are paid a bomb to use them in promoting the movie specially the dubbed versions in south Indian languages.   Mouni Roy is biggest let down as a villain, she does not have anything to do except keep on chasing the hero along with her henchmen and unleash special effects.   Such a mega budget movie should have a villain with an authored back role and powerful dialogues and scenes something like Amjad Khan in Sholay, Kulbushan in Shaan, even Vivek Oberioi in Krish3.   

Music has been disaster and back ground score has been very loud.    Not even a single song is hummable.    These days in Hindi movie music has been biggest causality

Ayan had everything at his disposal - a huge budget, huge technical team and star cast.   The only thing he needed was an interesting story, tight screen play and engaging story telling in which he failed somehow.     Though I do not say that it is a total wash out but surely not a `Brahmastra’ but an ordinary Astra which may back fire.    Surely it is not going to put box office on fire and if it recovers its investment Karan and Team may count themselves to be lucky.   I have my doubt if other parts see the light of day.   

If you enjoy watching a movie with over the top VFX effect you may go.   But chose a multiplex, and  preferably IMAX version if available in your city. 

 

S. Prabhakar

9.9.2022