Review: Racha - strictly for fans
Hyderabad: Ram Charan's fans expect their hero to look dashing, mouth some high funda dialogues about his daredevilry, perform a couple of teen-maar dance steps, then some makkan-smooth songs with the heroine, beat the baddies to pulp and end the movie on a grand note.
That is exactly what they get. Nothing more, nothing less! 'Racha' is a bit like the content in your tiffin box on a regular day. Nothing extraordinary, pretty much on the expected lines, but precisely what you know and want.
Betting Raj (Ram Charan) is a 'basti boy' who loses his parents in a gruesome incident in his village. He is brought up by a couple to whom he remains grateful. Raj makes a living by laying bets.
Be it ramming into an approaching train with his car or making a girl fall in love with him in 30 days, he is always ready for a good bet. The movie begins with Raj showing his bravado in a car race ' an extension of his bike racer persona of his previous hit 'Magadheera'.
It is Raj all the way here. 'Atanu Adugu Vestee Audi'.Kanipistee 3D'Shirt teeste Super Body' goes the dialogues painting a picture of the super hero. Clap, clap, CRAP.
During one of his bets, he meets James (Ajmal) who promises to give him Rs 20 lakh if he can get Chaitra (Tamannaah) a rich, spoilt brat and heir to 100 crore property to fall in love with him in 30 days.
Raj agrees because he needs the money to treat his ailing foster father (MS Narayana) (yawn). The next hour is about Raj breaking the security ring around the girl to pass the three 'love tests' she puts him through. Sheer entertainment, bazooka dialogues and street-smart moves ensue. Total teenage tonic.
Just when he reaches his 30-day deadline and proposes to her, things get into action mode as he gets to know that she is none other than Ammu, the little girl he adored as a child and thought was dead in the village accident. Now there is no stopping him from loving her, bet or no bet.
Meanwhile, he also gets to know how his entire family and village were brutally killed for some selfish business gains by Byreddy (Kota Srinivasa Rao) and Chaitra's uncle (Mukesh Rishi). A kick, a thud, a thump, a bang, a knock and a punch here; Villains go to hell and all is well.
Sampath Nandi uses his best screenplay and twists for the first half. He builds up the tempo and sketches his characters including that of Brahmanandam's Rangeela dance master well.
He does not explain the strange Chinese bamboo stunt in the middle of Srisailam forests. The second half is dotted with too many stunts and a not-so-engaging flashback. However, he manages to retain the entertainment factor throughout.
Charan is certainly warming up to his Bollywood debut with a dash of Hindi dialogues. Aadmi kam, risk zyada is how his introduction goes.
Every now and then, he switches over to Hindi for effect, much to the joy of his fans. His voice modulation for many key sentences is impressive and so are his fluid dances.
Choreographers should think of something more than the step where the co-dancers freeze and our darling star twists, turns, squirms to impress us. The best applause comes when he takes a dig on another filmi family with Edo cheppi thoda kotte vamsam kadura maadi.
Tamannaah looks nice, but too much makeup and over-the-top clothing ruins her look. Classier makeup could have helped her look. She has a fairly substantial role and she gives it her best, especially with her Shakira kind of belly dance in vaana vaana song shedding all inhibitions.
Not shocking anymore considering most duets are picturised the same way now. Only the title song is catchy. The rest fail to register. Camerawork by Sameer is good, especially in the rain song and the bamboo stunt scene.
News Posted: 6 April, 2012
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