Rakshasudu Review

'Rakshasudu', starring Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas in the lead, is directed by Ramesh Varma.  A crime thriller, it hit the screens this Friday.  Here we present its review.

Story:

Arun (Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas) was a wannabe filmmaker before becoming a Sub-Inspector.  When a couple of school girls are inhumanly killed in two separate incidents, he wears the thinking cap and tries to see common links which his superiors fail to think of.

When a third girl gets killed in a similar fashion, Arun is all the more convinced that the psychopathic killer is on the prowl, wanting to kill more.

He now chances upon a breakthrough, thanks to his friend Krishnaveni (Anupama Parameswaran).  The clue leads him to some incredible facts about the serial killer.  The climax is a battle of brain and brawn.

Analysis:

This faithful remake of the Tamil film 'Ratsasan' engages the audience throughout, relying more on its story and its anti-social villain.  When it comes to thrillers like this one, it's important not to lose sight of believability.  And director Ramesh Varma ensures believability factor.

The film makes a couple of prudent screenplay choices that make a world of difference.  For example, Arun discovers that the killer is psychopathic quite early on.  And, smartly enough, the character of the lecherous teacher at the school is portrayed to evoke both fear and disgust.  There is another element in the second half, pertaining to the villain's identity, and it helps that it's not revealed earlier.  There had to be some shocking revelation in the pre climax.  The writing department ensures that.

The climax fight, about which the makers gloated, is high on substance and rightly avoids gravity-defying moments.

The egoistic boss of the hero does bore after a point.  Rajeev Kanakala could have been less theatrical.  The hero should have shown greater agility in the climax.

The flashback is novel and the run time here is crisp.

The investigation track is largely impeccable.  It's not perfectly written, though.  You show a case in which the State's top cop is invested but not a single cop cares to find out what happened days ago in the schools where the girls studied.  Isn't really convincing.

Ghibran's background music is intimate and projects the ominosity remarkably.  The signature tune for the serial killer substitutes the need for dialogue. The two songs seamlessly segue into the narration.  Venkat Dilip's cinematography is impressive.

As performances go, Bellamkonda is earnest but he could have strictly avoided the 'Sita' hangover.  He seems to think that he should look like the most vulnerable guy in the Telugu States.  Anupama, Rajeev Kanakala and the bad guys are quite apt.  The prosthetics work is not even remotely good.

Verdict:

The remake comes with a tight screenplay and thrilling narration in the second half.  The performances and technical departments are effective.  A few minor hiccups don't spoil the party.

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