What it’s all about?
The film Baanam marks the debut of Nara Rohith, nephew of the TDP supreme Chandra Babu Naidu in Tollywood. The film is all about the struggle of an idealistic young man to become a police officer so that he can do some good to the society and also cleanse the police force of black sheep.
The plot:
Bhagat (Nara Rohith) is the son of Sayaji Shinde a naxalite. He has lost his mother when he is young and his father is also believed to be dead after the police chase him and shoot at him making him to jump into a river.
Bhagat is preparing to write the civil services exam. He does not want to become an IAS officer but join the IPS. His goal is to become a good cop and also rid the police department of the corrupt elements. To the surprise and delight Bhagat’s father comes home one fine day after surrendering to the police.
Bhagat rescues a girl Subbalaskhmi (Vedika), a newly married girl who has been sent away by her husband and her evil in laws as she has failed to bring in the agreed dowry. Bhagat tries to send her back to her husband but they refuse to take her. So he asks her to stay with him as her father too had died and she is now an orphan.
An evil gangster Shakthi (Ranadhir) crosses swords with Bhagat and even tries to kill him. He also kills Sayaji Shinde. How the hero takes revenge on Shakthi is the remaining part of the story.
The actors:
Nara Rohith plays the silent protagonist quite well. He has done a decent job and is sure to get a few more offers after this. Vedika as the simple village belle makes a mark. Sayaji Shinde is good and Rajiv Kanakala also carries his role with dignity. Ranadhir who played villain does not appear as menacing as he is made out to be. He tries to imitate JD Chakravarthy, including the beard part.
The director has tried to make a well meaning film and his efforts need to be lauded. At the same time, the lacks of commercial elements affect the film on the whole. There is hardly anything for the front benchers and the family audiences. The music by Mani Sarma is below average. It is only the lyrics that are good. Some of the dialogues are good.
The bottom line
Baanam is a nut shell is an arrow that lacks force to reach the target. The film runs at an extremely slow pace and the director fails in building up the tempo. Baanam’s chances of making an impact at the box office are bleak.
