Movie: Radha
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Sri Venkateshwara Cine Chitra
Cast: Sharwanand, Lavanya Tripathi, Aksha, Pragati, Tanikella Bharani, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Ravi Kishan, Brahmaji, Jaya Prakash Reddy, Shakalaka Shankar and others
Music: Radhan
Cinematography: Karthik Ghattamaneni
Editor: Kotagari Venkateshwara Rao
Producers: Bhogavalli Bapineedu
Screenplay and directed by: Chandramohan
Release date: May 12, 2017
Sharwanand has delivered a series of hits in the recent times. His films are now most-eagerly awaited as he picks up good stories.
The trailer of "Radha" has generated enough curiosity as it promised good entertainment. Although newcomer directs the film, "Radha" is carrying good expectations. How has the film fared up? Let's find out.
Story:
Even as a kid, Radhakrishna (Sharwanand) dreams of becoming a police officer. After seeing his knack in nabbing criminals, DGP recommends him to be S.I. On his first posting, he is sent to a village where crime rate is zero. Though he is disappointed to work in this village, he gets to meet Radha (Lavanya Tripathi), an engineering student studying in Hyderabad. He loves her and a teasing romance episode happens.
Few days later he is transferred to Dhoolpet in Hyderabad. An attack on minister Sujatha (Ravi Kishan), changes his life. His colleagues die saving Sujatha but Radhakrishna comes to know that the minister is the real villain.
How Radhakrishna sends the powerful minister to jail forms the rest of the story.
Artistes’ Performances:
For the first time, Sharwanand has done the role of police officer. Surprisingly, he fits well in that role though he has played the character with mischief. Sharwanand has made the routine story entertaining for most parts.
Lavanya Tripathi has played typical heroine role. After long time, we get to see Sapthagiri doing a good comedy role; his spoof is hilarious.
Ravi Kishan's role is extension of his character in "Racegurram". Among other actors, Shakalaka Shankar and Brahmji have got good roles.
Technical Excellence:
The film has decent technical production values. Cinematography and artwork is okay. Dialogues are good. Couple of Radhan's songs are catchy. Editing is totally bad. Slow pace is major a issue and run time is lengthy.
Highlights:
Sharwanand's performance as cop
Few Comedy Scenes
Drawback:
Regular story
Routine Treatment
Predictable narration
Analysis:
After having played as youthful hero in many movies, Sharwanand has attempted to play to the gallery. Hence, he selected this story of "Radha", which is a regular police story that we have seen umpteen times.
If a regular story is wrapped with entertainment with a star who hasn't done such similar stories earlier, it may seem okay. "Radha" has many okay moments but it doesn't go beyond that, which is a major issue.
All our leading Tollywood stars have played the character of a young guy dreaming to become cop and set the society right.
Hero acting innocent in front of the villain and secretly collapsing his entire empire has also been dealt in many movies. So, the hero's character as well as main chunk of scenes is not something new.
Yet, Sharwanand shows confidence that he can make it workable. To be fair to him, his playful act of a police officer is neat.
He is shown as a person who loves telling Bhagavad Gita to people, and refers real life persons with the characters from Gita, which is funny.
His romantic thread with Lavanya in the village is also entertaining. But these scattered moments doesn't make this movie riveting or interesting. When entire drama itself is routine, a hero's performance doesn't salvage it.
The director has taken logic to the backseat and has repeated the same scenes of old cop stories - heroine being stopped by his colleagues at a traffic, hero being present at villain's home and making him a bafoon, a comic character introduced to irritate villain, etc.
While the narration goes on predictable mode, the movie also serves some entertainment in the form of Shakalaka Shankar and Sapthagiri in the second half.
Sapthagiri who has done spoof of NTR's role from "Nannaku Prematho" makes us laugh. If not for this comedy track, the movie would have become more boring.
Regular storyline, weak narration, routine romantic thread outweighs the positives of Sharwanand's performance and comedy.
So, all in all, the movie ends up as a regular masala movie with a dose of comedy. Sharwanand is main highlight in this whole fare.
Bottom-line: Predictable Police!
