Rudramadevi Review: Before the movie commences, Gunasekhar reads a disclaimer in which he says that this a part in the history that has to be told and they have done some changes to the story for a better screenplay purpose. He also asks to forgive if he hurts anyone with this changes. Well, he manufactured a movie for which he shall not be forgiven, not for changes to the story but how he utterly failed to elevate the eminence and distinction of the great Rani Rudrama Devi.
The movie is set in the Kakatiya Kingdom , where the king Ganpati Deva (Krishnam Raju) has no kids and hence no successor. The king is growing old, and some important people in the ministry are eyeing the throne. There is also an enemy kingdom called Devagiri whose king has an age old rivalry with Ganpati Deva. Ganapati Deva is blessed with a girl and thus cannot become the heir. On the suggestion of the king’s wise kingpin Rudradevayya (Prakash Raj), the girl is faked as a boy and addressed as Rudradeva to the world. She is dressed and trained like a prince. The rest of the movie is scenes comprising of her self-discovery, her commitment to the kingdom and her valor.
Gunasekhar picked up a very interesting part of a history, and that too belonging to the Telugu land. For the money put in and the character he picked, the final product could be kick-ass, but he ended up making it a sequence of street play scenes coupled with some pathetic graphics. Clearly one can see a lack of vision, which you found in abundance in Bahubali. The locations picked were terrible. It reminded the early 90s in Doordarshan where we had some folklore shows shot in some random jungles with rocks. Coming to the graphics, the less said, the better. It may be unfair to expect the perfection seen in Bahubali, but they are expected to be serious instead of turning out to be unintentionally funny. Visually, the film is hardly appealing.
The story hardly elevates the valor of Rudrama Devi. She gets a horribly under-valued introduction scene in the film. In the rest of the film too, there is hardly any build-up for that character which Rudramadevi fully deserves. Anushka, obviously had a lot of screen time but couldn’t even create half impact of Jejamma. Not sure, who is to blame. Probably Gunasekhar and Ilayaraja shall share it equally. Gunasekhar for a lackluster portrayal and Ilayaraja for his unfitting, inappropriate and incongruous music. The background score is so ill-suited and the songs were indecorous. Added to that, Mr. Guna embedded songs which spoil the flow which already went out of track. There is an abrupt song where Catherine, Nitya Menon and Anushka dance for a song which seemed like an advertisement to say, Babu Rao drama costumes now available in M,L and XL sizes (respectively).
Instead, the importance was given to Gona Ganna Reddy played by Allu Arjun. No doubt, Allu Arjun had a terrific screen presence in the movie, and the only character which creates interest in the film. Though initially the Telangana dialogues didn’t suit him, he made it up with his body-language and confidence. Strangely, the conflict between Ganan Reddy and Rudrama Devi is dominant in the story. There is hardly any importance given to the initially projected antagonist, the king of Devagiri. And then there is Shivaji Raja who does a ‘Karmikudu Nayakudu Singaariniki Zindabad’ for 5-6 times in the film. And finally, there is Rana Daggubati who reminds of ‘Ori..Mlechudaa..Ninnu Khanda khandaluga nariki’. Gosh!, the “drama”, many a times in the film is unbearable.
In short, Rudramadevi is passion minus vision.
Watch Here For Rudramadevi Public Talk :
