Thungabhadra Review

There comes a scene somewhere in the second half where Jabardasth Srinu, playing Adith's sidekick, goes overboard in trying to do the Brahmanandam of the 1980s.  If this is about one scene, the idiom of 'Thungabhadra' feels like a mimic.  Debutante Srinivas Gogineni wanted to make an intense political drama set in the backdrop of bloody party politics, peopled with youngsters who wile away their time gossiping while the male lead has a heavy past.  In the process, Gogineni thanklessly dishes out a village-based film that seems to labour to be Kollywoodesque - in vain.

Seenu (Adith of 'Katha' and 'Weekend Love' fame) is a loyal follower of Rama Raju (Sathyaraj), who has a decade-old rivalry with Trimurthis, the three sons of Chalapathi Rao mudered by him.  Rama Raju's daughter Gowri (Dimple Chopde) is a college-going student who has been moving closely with a male friend.  The father deploys Seenu to find out if what is going on between them is mere friendship or love.  Predictably, in the process of detecting the truth, Seenu himself falls in love with Gowri.

Meanwhile, the Trimurtis are waiting for the right time to attack Rama Raju in order to avenge their father's murder at his hands and their own banishment from the village for years on end.

A day comes in Rama Raju's life when he has to take a tough call.  What is that decision and how does it affect the destiny of his daughter, his most loyal follower Seenu, and himself?  That forms part of the climax, the only good part of the film.

The storyline is indeed worth it but the narration goes for a toss.  Flaws abound.  Making Seenu goof up with things when a sensitive matter is involved just to make him appear funny is old-fashioned.  Can a person be immature when it involves It needed some intelligence to go beyond scenes like delivering a ridiculous love letter through a tea boy.  It needed some intelligent writing to convince the audience that the father and the daughter talk at home.  Should the heroine always be seen on the campus or in the bus?

The political rivalry element needed to be more interesting.  If Sathyaraj has no much dialogue with his opponents, Kota Srinivasa Rao as Pyditalli doesn't match up.  The good Rama Raju is seen smiling even as his merciful eyes anticipate the climax.  As for the rivals, there is no plot when they come out of their vanvas.  If all the drama begins and ends with occasional political murders, there is no tempo.

The songs are not well-conceptualized for sure.  When you expect the female lead to erupt in joy and break into song, it is the male lead who does it.  The climax song (heard in the trailer) is well-written and elevated.

Jabardash Sreenu is ok, but Dhanraj and Sapthagiri (resembling a real-life yugpurush 'shanthi dhoota') as Kapota Rao is B-grade comedy.  Jana Rajyam Party and Praja Desam Party rob the film of its seriousness.

Adith is not apt for a role like this.  He looks too tender to play a raw role.  Watching him say "I will all kill them" even as others are seen making the bomb, one feels hugely let down.  As for Dimple, she is not utilised best when she is not in modern outfit or so it seems.  Sathyraj is at his usual best.

The technical aspects are off the mark what with the cinematography and BGM either sub par or inspired.

Verdict: A political drama that ends up tasting like a mimic.  The film comes into its own in the second half.  One wishes some dialogues anticipated such profundity in earlier scenes.

తెలుగు వెర్షన్ మూవీ రివ్యూ కోసం ఇక్కడ క్లిక్ చేయండి