Review: Daruvu - makes no sound - TeluguPeople.com News

Hyderabad: Actor Ravi Teja and cameraman-turned- director Siva have one thing in common - their last individual releases 'Nippu' and 'Souryam.' Both sank without a trace at the box-office and their desperate attempts to get back to winning ways are clearly seen in 'Daruvu' but is the desperation enough?

Chiranjeevi has starred in the late 80's film 'Yamuduki Mogudu' and the plot in 'Daruvu' is same except for the Chiru-starrer has shown some sensibilities. Set in Chennai, Bullet Raja (Ravi Teja), an orphan falls for Shwetha (Taapsee) on the day of her engagement with Harbour Babu (Sushant Singh).

He proposes to her the same day only to face the angst of Babu. Raja's efforts in winning the heart of Shwetha pay off. However, Babu wins the battle of eliminating Raja before his time, thanks largely to the conspiracy by Chitragupta (M S Narayana).

In Yamalokam, Raja comes to know that he was made to die early and wants Yama to compensate it. But, Raja's body is charred and going by the age-old logic of similar seven people exist in this world he plants Raja into the dead body of Ravindra, a corrupt Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

The rest of the story is how Raja wins the love of his mother (Jayasudha), people, Shwetha and settles scores with the people who killed Ravindra.

The movie starts off on a slow note gaining momentum sequence by sequence only to be hampered by poor writing moving forward. It's hard to generate momentum and even harder to hold onto it.

The movie fails in this department in both halves of the movie. With a subject that is done to death, you expect some novelty from the director but alas! it isn't the case here. Raja goes to yamalokam, returns, solves his problems before solving the problems of the body he is in - haven't we seen it all?

There are moments in the film which are praise worthy especially the ones between Raja and dance master Vidya Balan (Brahmanandam). They prove once again that together they are a lethal combo than the hero-heroine jodi.

Brahmanandam walks away with the best one-liners too, sample this, bathiki bulletla vacchi rocket la thannukupoyaadu (stormed as a bullet to take her like a rocket), natyam nerpettappudu Vidya Balan ni kopam vacchinnappudu roudra balan niraa (when I teach dance I am Vidya Balan but when I get angry I' m a ruthless Balan).

Raja's digs at media houses and at people who are just after money are laudable. And there are sequences which are amateurish, the one where Raja goes all out against Yama, Chitragupta and Narada, his own way of dealing with people who are on the wrong side as he is in power etc.

The climax is hardly convincing. Running time of close to two hours 50 minutes is too long considering that you don't have anything new to cater.

With a loud character like this, Ravi Teja goes all out with his energy, but we've seen it numerous times. Taapsee makes her presence felt though she has less screen space. Prabhu fits aptly.

Then we have Tollywood's original Yama - the iconic Kaikala Satyanarayana - making his appearance after a long time as the old Yama. Sadly, his role is limited.

Jayasudha, Sushant, Sayaji Shinde, Avinash, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam, M S Narayana, Vennela Kishore, Raghu Babu are just there in the film. Powerhouses like Gollapudi Maruthi Rao and Brahmaji are wasted.

Rounding up, 'Daruvu' is that sort of a film where you feel that it's entertained you in patches and at the same time bored you with its predictability. Watch it if there are no other options left.