For all the strong characterizations that the trailer hinted at, Raja Cheyyi Vesthe comes with a hackneyed story line that is frittered away rather thanklessly. At best, the characterization of Manik (Tarak Ratna) is nothing sexy. The wait for a confrontation between Raja Ram (Nara Rohit) and this much-hyped antagonist becomes endless and when the same happens, we find it lacking in gravitas.
Manik is a ruthless gangster, who is seething with rage to nab the one who is trying to eliminate him. Raja Ram is a wannabe filmmaker, leading a happy-go-lucky life with his friends. He falls in love with Chaitra (Isha Talwar) and meanwhile, he is in correspondence via letters with someone he thinks is a film producer. When asked to write the climax for a star hero's film, Raja Ram sends a screenplay. What he gets in return is a gun from the unknown 'producer', and a letter asking him to execute the screenplay he had written. The common man who should take on a mighty gangster is himself and the gangster is Manik.
The rest of the film is about who is making Raja Ram execute the murder, why only he has been chosen to eliminate Manik, and whether it has anything to do with his past.
In narrating an old story line, debutante Pradeep Cherukuri falls back on stale ideas. By the time the flashback begins, we are almost done with the film. Fabulous acting, technical finesse and witty dialogue were badly needed to redeem the proceedings. We get anything but these three.
The romantic track comes with lame ideas like the hero getting the pet back to the heroine. This is as old as, well, Bharateeyudu. The execution is still older. Sai Kartheek's songs would have been nicer in the movie had there been strength in the screenplay. The songs with the kids comes at the wrong moment. Everything lacks the scale to keep us engaged.
Raghu Karamanchi is getting routine. Ravi Varma is getting to play substantial roles these days. After Terror and Kshanam, this role offers him an opportunity to show his talent.
Nara Rohit needs to re-invent himself. Being a more-than-normal stout hero won't help if what he is trying to do is not a kidnap (Prathinidhi), but a song-n-dance routine and action. His character could have been etched better to allow for more substantial dialogue.
There was too much of hype going for Tarak Ratna, but what we get to see is a villain who is mostly uni-dimensional rather than consistently intense. Tarak, nevertheless, shines through a poorly-written role; the scene where he narrates a childhood incident involving his mother, is good.
Isha Talwar passes muster; besides looking gorgeous, she has nothing to offer. The characters played by Shivaji Raja, Sashank and Avasarala Srinivas entertain. The actors fit the bill. One feels Shiva Raja should have been shown in a more dignified manner in order to convey his honesty properly. Not many would go to watch a movie like this expecting comedy, but in the absence of a strong story line, the writer should have relied on this element a bit more. The orphans comedy scene is OK.
The cinematography good. Sai Kartheek's BGM could have been better.
Verdict: A done-to-death story line. The hype around the characterizations falls flat.
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