'Acharya' hit the screens today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.

Story:

Acharya (Chiranjeevi) learns that Dharmasthali is under the vice-like grip of an evil man named Basava (Sonu Sood). He migrates to the holy town and starts planning the downfall of Basava. In this, he has to lock horns with Rathod (Jisshu Sengupta), a mining baron, as well. The flashback tells us about the bond between Acharya and Siddha (Ram Charan), an orphan who grew up in Dharmasthali and got deeply wedded with its sacredness.

Analysis:

'Acharya' is not the first formulaic film to come from Koratala Siva. Formula and template-driven narration were seen even in 'Srimanthudu' and 'Janatha Garage' as well. They were packaged deceptively, though. The Mahesh Babu film, we were told, was about transforming a village. The Jr NTR film was about environmental protection, we were told. The two films, however, were about an omnipotent hero pulverizing the villains to fight land-grabbing and property hijack.

In 'Acharya', saving Dharma is just a flourish of emotive language. Beneath the deceptive language, you find plenty of usual drama, routine screenplay ideas and dated plot points. The writer-director is so much in love with the fictional place Padaghattam that the name of the place is paid a tribute in every other scene.

The film essentially belongs to Acharya's journey from Naxalism to Dharmasthali and bringing down the might of the mafia. Ram Charan's Siddha enters the screen in a sub-plot that barely adds heft to the main story. The emotional link connecting the two characters is not rousing. Despite the weak narration, the scene where Sonu Sood's character shows shock when Acharya describes the geographical location of Dharmasthali in Siddha's style stands out.

The action choreography is bland, much like the dialogues. This is where the film under review is absolutely inadequate despite Mani Sharma's background music straining to elevate the heroism(s).

Suresh Selvarajan's production design is able. The temple set is glorious and detailed. The designer and his cinematographer toured temples to learn about the nuances of medieval and ancient architectural wonders. Just that the director should have utilized their talent in staging the scenes. The purity of the feel comes through.

The chariot-pulling scene is oddly reminiscent of a similar moment from 'Baahubali: The Beginning', minus the tension and majesty. The evil conspiracies in the film are funnily outdated. Mixing poison in medicine/food. LOL! Getting bulldozers to demolish a structure. ROFL!! It's also not convincing that nobody from Basava's team manages to notice the presence of Acharya in a town of a few able-bodied, muscular men.

The film should have explored the Ayurveda backdrop better, perhaps by making Acharya in need of Siddha's medical expertise. That would have added weight to their scenes in the second half. The visual language of the film is alright in some segments, with the camera angles revving up the mood.

Leaving the flaws aside, you can enjoy the performances by Chiru and Ram Charan. The duo brings dignity and grace to their respective characters. They dance like a dream. Thirru's cinematography and Mani Sharma's music compete with each other, not always in a positive way. The BGM is at odds with the film's genre.

Verdict:

Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan deserved a better film than 'Acharya'. Watch it if you have a stomach for stock scenes and stock characters.