‘Purushothamudu’ was released in theatres today (July 26th). It is the first Raj Tarun release in a long time. He is going to have another theatrical release next week (‘Thiragabadara Saami’ on August 2nd). Does ‘Purushothamudu’ have the potential to tide over his current rough patch? Let’s find out!
Story:
Rachit Ram (Raj Tarun) is the heir apparent to the Parasuramaiah Group of Companies. Just when he is about to inherit the empire, his disgruntled aunt, Vasundhara (Ramya Krishna), plots to derail his ascent in favor of her own son. A twist of fate intervenes: a will by the patriarch Parasuramaiah mandates that the next leader must spend 100 days as an ordinary man, stripped of wealth and power. Ram now finds himself in the heart of Kadiyam, a village grappling with agrarian distress. How will this unexpected journey transform him?
Telugu Funda’s Take On The Performances:
- Raj Tarun: He has been relaunched as ‘Jovial Star’. The character required him to be a version of Mahesh Babu. But it didn’t suit him at all.
- Hasini Sudhir: The new heroine looks okay as a Telugu village belle, but her acting chops need improvement.
- Ramya Krishna: She wants to be a dumbed down version of Nilambari but, no!
- The guys in negative roles: From Raja Ravindra to those who are not familiar, they are all boring.
- The comedians: Praveen plays the heroine’s sidekick. Brahmanandam plays a constable on the verge of retirement. Brahmaji plays a lawyer.
Telugu Funda’s Take On The Technical Output:
Writer-director Ram Bhimana gets to work with some noted technicians. Gopi Sundar of ‘Geetha Govindam’ and ‘Ninnu Kori’ fame delivers songs that feel like a rehash. One of the songs takes a clear-cut inspiration from ‘Naa Inti Mundunna’ from Shankar’s 1993 flick ‘Gentleman’.
PG Vinda’s cinematography is good. As someone who has previously worked on decent films made by Mohankrishna Indraganti, he gets his basics right. Marthand K Venkatesh’s editing is so-so.
Telugu Funda’s Take On The Hits:
It is difficult to search for plus points in a warped story that feels so pre-pandemic. Yet, if we have to hand out something to the makers, it is here: the lyrics are profound. The reference to the Ramayana parallels is a case in point.
In one of the serious scenes, Raj Tarun’s Ram compares and contrasts Bheeshma and Jatayu from the epic. These little touches don’t make much of a difference in a film whose writing is TV serial-ish. But then, at least, there is some attempt to appeal to the aged audience.
Telugu Funda’s Take On The Drawbacks:
The most glaring minus is the film’s constant itch to feel like a low-budgeted ‘Maharshi’ (2019) and ‘Srimanthudu’ (2015).
Since the story takes place in a village, the villains pass vulgar comments on women, especially the heroine. And that one cop is a puppet in the hands of the rich. These routine tropes aside, the film shows farmers as hapless creatures waiting to be bailed out by the male lead, who transforms their lives by coming up with ready-made solutions like drip irrigation.
The second half is watered down by loads of predictability.
Telugu Funda’s Verdict:
If you have patience to watch Raj Tarun in a Mahesh Babu-esque, pro-farmer script, give ‘Purushotthamudu’ a try.
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