Movie: Shivam Bhaje
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Ganga Entertainments
Cast: Ashwin Babu, Arbaaz Khan, Digangana Suryavanshi, Hyper Aadi, Murali Sharma, Sai Dheena, Brahmaji, Tulasi, Devi Prasad, Ayyappa Sharma, Shakalaka Shankar, Kashi Vishwanath, Inaya Sultana and others.
Music: Vikas Badisa
DOP: Dasaradhi Shivendra
Editor: Chota K Prasad
Action: Prithvi, Ramakrishna
Production Designer: Sahi Suresh
Producer: Maheswara Reddy Mooli
Written and Directed by: Apsar
Release Date: August 01, 2024
After recently scoring a hit with “Hidimbha,” Ashwin Babu has signed on for several new films. One of these, “Shivam Bhaje,” was released in theaters today.
Let's discuss its strengths and weaknesses.
Story:
Chandu (Ashwin Babu), a debt collector, meets Shailaja, an employee at Binary Chemicals, and instantly falls for her. As their relationship progresses, Chandu suddenly loses his vision. He regains his sight following the surgical procedure, but his perception of reality is changed
He has frequent visions of an incident that occurred at Binary Chemical Laboratory. Three people associated with the lab are also dead.
Who is behind these murders? How can Chandu's new vision help him catch the real culprit?
Artistes’ Performances:
Ashwin Babu delivers a standard performance, with not much to highlight. His role mostly involves fighting villains and showing off his muscles.
Similarly, Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan, heroine Digangana Suryavanshi, and Murali Sharma also play their parts in a typical fashion, portraying clichéd characters.
Hyper Aadhi repeats his usual comedic antics.
Technical Excellence:
While the film's cinematography and overall visual appeal are rich, the technical aspects are mostly average. Vikas Badia's background score is a notable asset.
Highlights:
Couple of scenes in middle portion
Drawback:
Boring narration
Cheap comedy track
Weak climax
No gripping moments
Analysis
"Shivam Bhaje" is a recent example of filmmakers attempting to replicate the success of other films by copying popular elements. Movies with plots involving spiritual components, such as "Hanu Man," "Karthikeya 2," and "Akhanda," have become blockbusters. Following this trend, the makers of "Shivam Bhaje" have also tried to add a devotional angle to a standard murder mystery.
The film explores the concept of Xenotransplantation (the transplantation of animal organs into humans). The idea of a person gaining the eyesight of a dog after eye surgery is intriguing on paper. However, new director Apsar has tried to combine this concept with a devotional element in the murder investigation. Unfortunately, neither the mystery nor the religious aspects are compelling.
The film doesn't stop at these two themes; it also touches on geopolitical tensions involving China and Pakistan's machinations against India. These ideas feel ineffective due to the unengaging narration.
The film starts as a murder mystery, shifts to a love story, becomes a medical thriller, and finally tries to be a religious film, but it fails to succeed in any of these genres. The screenplay is rather bland.
Ashwin Babu seems to equate heroism with frequently beating up villainous gangs. Another weak point is the crude comedy between Ashwin Babu and Hyper Aadhi. The scene where Aadhi talks about unzipping Ashwin Babu's pants to urinate is particularly inappropriate. It's time for Hyper Aadhi to move away from these juvenile jokes.
By the time the film reaches its conclusion, viewers may find themselves losing interest.
Overall, "Shivam Bhaje" is a mediocre action thriller with a monotonous narration. Ashwin Babu's attempts at a devotional approach fail to resonate.
Bottom line: Band Baje
