Rajanna Movie Review
First of all tell us what period is the film set in?
The film spans from pre-independence days to post independence days but its set in Nizam hence people are still under the rule of Nawabs and fight for their rights.
So is the film is full of jingoistic over the top dialogues like many old such type of movies?
Yes partly.
What do you mean by ‘partly’?
The film also has a heart touching child story running along with this freedom struggle.
Who has the maximum part Rajanna or the child?
Rajanna is basically a film about child’s quests to fulfill the dreams of her father and the struggle she has to undergo during that process.
Is the film a sorry tale from the beginning to the end?
No, the film ends on a fairly pleasant note.
How is the film overall?
On the whole the film is predictable fare in the genre it has attempted i.e. a patriotic film. It uses all the clichés of the genre and only few of them have worked well. It was the child episode that was to bring freshness to the film but that episode is so soaked in naivety that it gives a feeling of fakness in spite of everyone trying their melodramatic best. Second half is slightly better compared to the first which is pretty slow.
How are the performances?
Rajanna mainly rests on few main characters the most important among them being the child artist Baby Annie and Nagarjuna. Both of them do well however it takes a bit of time to get used to the pure Telugu/Telangana accent of Nagarjuna. Sneha strikes a chord in the few scenes she gets to perform. Another very important character is that of “Dorasani” played by Swetha Menon but sadly she overdoes her part. Nazar plays his part well. The old man who protects the child and takes care of her does well.
Others like Mukesh Rushi, Ajay, Supreeth, Pradeep Rawat etc look and act like they are part of Sardar Paparayudu.
Special mention must be made for Akkineni Nageshwar Rao for his Voice over.
How is the direction?
One can clearly differentiate between the portions directed by Vijayendra Prasad and SS Rajamouli. The film goes to a peak during an action sequence but the effect doesn’t last long enough and is nullified by the immediately proceeding scenes.
Other technical departments?
MM Keeravani is head and shoulders above all the technicians in the film. He has put his life into the film and has given a soul to the film that is sadly not utilized well by the team. Cinematography is good. Production values are rich but more care should have been taken on the graphics part. Fights are very gory,violent and over the top suiting the nature of the film.
What are the positives?
Music and background score in the film are fantastic. Some fight sequences have come out really well. Especially the fight sequence for the song “Veyyira Veyyi”.
And negatives?
The tacky sets and graphics that pop out from the screen screaming fakeness. Over the top jingoistic action and drama that evokes unintentional response sometimes.
Bottom-line:
Must watch once for the sincere effort.
Rating: 3.5/5
