Film: Rangabali
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Naga Shaurya, Yukthi Thareja, Goparaju Ramana, Shine Tom Chacko, Murali Sharma, Subhalekha Sudhakar etc
Editing: Karthika Srinivas
Camera: Vasmi Patchipulusu, Divakar Mani
Music: Pawan Ch
Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri
Director: Pawan Basamsetti
Release Date: 7 July 2023
After a series of flops, Naga Shaurya pins his hopes on the film "Rangabali," which caught the attention of the public with its intriguing title. Comparisons to "Rangasthalam" and "Bahubali" were made, and some assumed it was derived from "Bhajrangbali." Additionally, Satya's spoof interviews imitating popular journalists gained significant attention, raising expectations for the film.
Let's see what it has to offer.
Story:
"Rangabali" is set in Rajavaram, focusing on a place called Rangabali. The story revolves around Shourya (Naga Shaurya), a B.Pharmacy student who lacks interest in working at his father's medical shop but enjoys spending time with his friends drinking.
When his father forcefully sends him to the city, he falls in love with a girl (Yukti Thareja). A series of events leads to a conflict with a local politician (Shine Tom Chacko) back in Rajavaram.
The story explores the connection between this conflict and Shourya's love story.
Artists' Performances:
Naga Shaurya delivers a typical performance but stands out with his muscular and macho appearance, transitioning from his usual lover boy image.
Satya portrays a jealous individual and brings some initial laughs, but a better script could have elevated his performance. On a whole he is the saving grace for the film.
Yukti Thareja impresses with her graceful and appealing presence throughout the film, especially stunning in a song sequence. But the overall character of her and the steamy song in which she appeared lacks the sync.
Shine Tom Chacko is adequate as an antagonist, following his portrayal in "Dasara," although his character here is not strongly written here. In a way his overall graph is shallow with outdated writing.
Goparaju Ramana excels in his role as a middle-class father. Sarath Kumar delivers a good performance in the flashback episode.
Ananth Sriram's sidekick role fails to make a significant impact.
Technical Excellence:
The music and background score are average, with the songs failing to impress. None of the songs are catchy, and some are even subpar. The item song feels outdated and lackluster.
Cinematography is satisfactory, and the editing is reasonable, but the film suffers from occasional pacing issues and unengaging episodes.
Production values are decent, and the direction shows moments of competence but lacks consistency.
Highlights:
Naga Shaurya's appearance
Satya's comedy
Drawbacks:
Lack of depth in emotions
Weak song compositions
Feeble storyline
Analysis:
The primary objective of "Rangabali" is to establish Naga Shaurya as a mass hero. Despite the filmmakers' efforts to make the novel storyline engaging through the screenplay, the narrative ultimately lacks emotional depth. The events unfold in a manner that informs the audience rather than resonating with their emotions.
The director's emphasis on style over substance becomes evident in certain episodes, such as the imaginary fight in the auditorium. While this sequence stretches the boundaries of logic, it fails to generate the anticipated impact. Furthermore, the dialogues in the film vary in tone, with some displaying suggestive vulgarity while others exhibit a more mature approach.
An aspect that remains puzzling is why lyricist Ananth Sriram chose to accept a disrespectful and insignificant role that detracts from his established image. This decision raises questions about the reasoning behind his involvement in such a project.
Satya generates some expectations with his presence as a comedian in the film. However, while his track is entertaining, it lacks the ability to leave a lasting impression on the audience. His track would have dealt with more precision and added humor. The film has nothing more to appreciate than a bit of humor generated by Satya.
Heroine is shown by the director in a decent way throughout, but made her show off like an item girl in a song which is not necessary for the narrative.
Though the point is new, the treatment with which it was dealt is influenced by many films we have seen in the past.
First half is little engaging while the second half is seems to be handled in hurry.
In the end, "Rangabali" attempts to convey a moral lesson regarding the allure of negativity over positivity among the media and public. However, the film falls short of delivering extraordinary entertainment and can be considered merely a passable time-killer. The emotion in the film is not in tune with the promotion happened.
The film is partly smiley due to Satya's track and the crucial parts sound silly.
Bottomline: Smiley And Silly