IWK

RRR Film Review : Rajamouli Retrogresses Roaringly

Written by IWK Bureau | Mar 26, 2022 8:56:36 PM

2.5 Stars / 5 (Above average) 

Director: S.S.Rajamouli; Cast : Ram Charan, N.T.Rama Rao Jr., Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran Telugu (Also dubbed in Hindi and with English subtitles) NZ Release: 25/3/22

"RRR" stands for Rajamouli Retrogresses Roaringly. There is no shortage of noise, gunfire, torture, marauding tigers and piercing arrows here. There is a tremendous dose of nationalism too, drowned out by even heavier dollops of toxic background score. If the quality of the first half followed through, this would have been a memorable ride, but the movie degrades into zombie-mode post-interval, the inspiration replaced by hackneyed execution that drearily propels this violent saga past the bloated finish line.

The story of two real-life Indian freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jnr.) circa 1920 is tweaked to fit 'RRR's story. Both young men are ferocious warriors capable of single-handedly mowing down entire armies, and both decide to decisively engage with the British empire for different reasons. Their close friendship is severely tested as their fight with the British governor and his soldiers intensifies.

The contention that the British governor and his uniformed goons are depicted as very barbaric and bloodthirsty rulers, is actually an understatement given that in real life, the so-called Empire presided over the Jallianwala Bhag massacre, the Bengal famine that left 4 million dead and millions more uprooted, with the mission complete at leaving India with a handsome 12 % literacy rate after more than 150 years of Crowning glory rule. If anything I'd say the movie's British are more benevolent. 

The lean, tough and muscular Sitarama Raju that Ram Charan tautly essays, is a bracing success which is a smart counter-foil to the equally powerful but softer and naively vulnerable Bheem that N. T Rama Rao Jnr. ably embodies. Raju's introductory larger-than-life scene is an incredible, frenetically cut-'n'-shot zinger involving hundreds of fighters that proudly proves why Rajamouli has a unique hold on large-scale action. The unleashing of Bheem's first attack on the Governor's palace displays another stunning montage that is a triumph of creative vision. 

M.M Keeravani's lousy songs are the worst part of the movie and it is shocking that such cacophonous keening finds pride of place in a Rs 550 crore production. Both Rajamouli and Keeravani have no idea about when the background score should remain silent. Comparing the beating in 'Visaranai' with the lashes Bheem gets, can be a study in how true physical torture should be depicted. The sequence involving Bheem's rescue is not bad, but Raju's rescue sequence suffers from shoddy, overconfident action choreography. The penultimate fight in a jungle wanly offers some more mediocre fight design. For a movie that places its bets on action rather than dramatics, such misfires are especially costly. 

Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgan, both cast for national appeal, are wasted in cardboard cut-out roles. There is even a yin-yang amulet thrown in, perhaps as a nod to the Chinese market but the movie might end up reminding them of the Tiananmen Square Massacre - God knows what that means for their box office especially with Uncle Jinping keeping an eye on things. 

Opening credits are oddly hurried, with a frame showing a list of half a dozen assistant directors gone in a second – if you don’t want to show their names properly, why do it at all? The period set design is passable, although most of the energy seems to have gone towards the palace facade and its lavish front gardens. Sabu Cyril's production design is lackluster. The work which has gone into the extensive special effects is appreciable, but overall they are a cut below top-notch. 

 "RRR" shows Rajamouli running out of steam, losing the consistent creative sparkle of the 'Bahubali' movies and lapsing eventually into the pointless juvenile action of his 'Eega' (2012). If his 'Ramayana' hinted at the end of this movie, also turns out to be a misguided arrow, then he may have trouble hooking audiences again for his violent Mahabharathas.

--

Dr U. Prashanth Nayak is Indian Weekender's film reviewer and contributor.