Film: Rudrangi
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Jagapathi Babu, Mamta Mohandas, Vimala Raman, Ashish Gandhi, Ganavi Laxman etc
Editor: Nageshwar Reddy B
Camera: Santhosh Shanamoni
Music: Nawfal Raja AIS
Producer: Rasamayi Balakishan
Director: Ajay Samrat
Release Date: 7th July 2023
The trailer of the film revealed that it is set in the period backdrop of Telangana. The title sounds unique, and the content in the trailer looked impressive and pinned some expectations.
Let's see what the film has in store.
Story:
The village of Rudrangi is under the rule of Bheemrao Deshmukh (Jagapathi Babu). He has a wife named Meerabai (Vimala Raman) and brings Jwalamukhi Deshmukh (Mamata Mohandas) as his second wife. Jwala is a strong and warrior-like woman. However, Bheemrao is not attracted to her as he fails to see her femininity. Don't know why he married and brought her in the first place.
Meanwhile, Jwala, who is deprived of intimacy, becomes attracted to a slave named Mallesh (Asish Gandhi), who works under Bheemrao.
On the other hand, Bheemrao is attracted to a village girl named Rudrangi (Ganavi Laxman). Who is she? What happens next forms the main story. The film also introduces the backstory of Bhujangarao (Prabhakar) at the beginning.
Artists' Performances:
Asish Gandhi plays the protagonist but lacks acting skills. Although he has a muscular physique, his facial expressions are almost nonexistent. He maintains a static and stoic expression for most of the film. It's unclear whether this is due to his lack of talent or the director's inability to bring out the actor in him.
Ganavi Laxman plays the female lead and the title role. She delivers a decent performance but overall feels ordinary. She fails to embody the grace expected of her character.
Jagapathi Babu is too loud and appears artificial. His attempt at a typical Telangana accent comes across as a mockery. He portrays his character as a sex maniac throughout the film.
Mamata Mohandas plays another character who desires intimacy with the protagonist. She, too, is loud and at times overacts.
Vimala Raman plays a docile character, and her performance is reasonable and understated.
Prabhakar's performance in the initial part of the film is exaggerated and unbearable. His portrayal of cruelty feels forced and disgusting.
The actor who plays the role of Karanam comes across as an outdated sidekick with weak dialogues and average screen presence.
Technical Excellence:
Technically, the movie is brilliant in some aspects. Art direction and costumes are good.
The editing is fine, although some dialogues sound repetitive, which is a fault of the script.
The dialogues are weak and delivered loudly. There is a lack of intelligence and sharpness in the writing. Everything feels loud and exaggerated, imitating popular films.
The cinematography is adequate, and the background score is satisfactory. However, the songs, except for "Ee kshaname oopiragina samburame...," are dull.
Highlights:
Art and costumes
Drawbacks:
Weak story
Poor dialogue
Second half
Climax
Analysis:
Here Rudrangi is the name of a village as well as that of the female lead. Generally spoofs are made to generate comedy, but here it is a serious thing.
The film appears to be a medley of movies like Bahubali, Rangasthalam, Magadheera and RX100 with scenes directly inspired by them. There is a lack of originality in the filmmaking style. The writing seems amateurish, making it feel like a grandly made stage drama with outdated standards. Certain scenes remind us of iconic moments from other films, but the emotional impact is nowhere near comparable. The film tries to imitate successful movies, including RGV's Bhairavageetha, but falls short.
In summary, there is a lack of originality in the plot, ambience, and filmmaking style. It is a poorly made film that draws inspiration from contemporary films without offering anything new. There is an excessive buildup in certain scenes, but the content is weak. The inclusion of a madwoman who later appears normal lacks purpose and emotional depth.
The first half shows some progression, but the second half revolves entirely around Rudrangi Vs Dora context. The biggest flaw lies in the script, which portrays the protagonist as a dull character with no heroism.
The film fails to deliver poetic justice at any point. The villagers choose not to leave the village in spite of poor living conditions but succumb to the Dora's sexual desires which lack common sense and intelligence, taking the audience for granted.
Overall, the film is a forgettable and tedious experience, with forced scenes and contrived narratives.
Bottomline: Ignorable
