'Virata Parvam' hits the screens this Friday. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.

Story:

Vennela (Sai Pallavi) grows up in a household where folk singing is respected. Her father, played by Sai Chand, is a seasoned street ballad. When she reads a book of revolutionary poems written by a Maoist named Aranya, Vennela immediately falls in love with him.

Comrade Ravanna aka Aranya (Rana Daggubati) is a commander leading an armed bandit of Naxalites. He is most wanted by cops. Vennela seeks to live with Ravanna at all costs. She runs away from home. What happens during her journey to meet Ravanna, what ensues after she joins his movement, and how it all ends is what the film is about.

Analysis:

Writer-director Venu Udugula has been inspired by the real life tale of one Sarala, who joined a Maoist band in the early 1990s. The film pays a tribute to her by splashing newspaper clippings across the screen before the end credits.

'Virata Parvam', which has been billed as an epic love story, begins with the birth of Vennela amid an armed battle between Maoists and policemen. The episode, featuring Nivetha Pethuraj in a cameo, is topped with a poetic ending. In a typical format, her adolescence, puberty, and entry into adulthood are narrated as a song plays in the background.

To the film's credit, Rana Daggubati's entry is withheld patiently. When he enters the screen, he gets a slow-motion introduction to indulge him as well as Vennela. The screenplay is written to project Vennela's feelings for Ravanna at every turn. Much as the situations would have tempted a lesser director to go for routine song-and-dance moments featuring Vennela and Ravanna, the film avoids cliches.

The second half traverses a less-traveled path, introducing elements that would not be part of a run-of-the-mill story. The backdrop of Naxalism, the characters of rebels (from Ravanna to Priyamani's Comrade Bharatakka and Naveen Chandra's Comrade Raghu), the situations (involving Shakutala teacher played by Nandita Das and a couple of other characters), and the violence are used to elevate the stakes.

Dani Sanchez-Lopez and Divakar Mani have cranked the camera for different portions separately. The gun battles between the cops and Naxals needed better action direction. But they receive the right treatment from the cinematography department. Suresh Bobbili's BGM would have been better amped up in the hands of a deliberate sound designer. The hard work shows but the craftsmanship could have been even better.

The film's run-time doesn't shoot up beyond tolerable limits. At 150 minutes (including the end credits), the length is neither extremist nor moderate, to speak in the language of the Naxalism-state binary.

Sai Pallavi's magnetic performance is the fuel that keeps the flame of 'Virata Parvam' running. Her presence in the songs, including in the high-stakes 'Nagaadarilo', is inch-perfect. Commendably, she gets to dominate the entire film, with Rana relegated to a not-so-important part in the first half. This is reminiscent of Kamal Haasan letting Fahadh Faasil do the talking in the first half of the recent blockbuster 'Vikram'.

The last 15 minutes are a beautiful stretch, with the storyline reaching its completion. The intrigue that has been built hitherto pays off here.

The title should have received a better justification. A well-rounded sub-plot of exile and counter-strategizing should have been woven to enrich the second half.

Verdict:

'Virata Parvam' is an honest attempt that is powered by a terrific Sai Pallavi. The period drama, set in the early 1990s, has director Venu Udugula's stamp all over it. Its commercial success is in the hands of the audience.