BOTTOM LINE
Normal Mode Works, God Mode Fails
RATING
2.25/5
Director: RJ Balaji
Story, Screenplay: Ashwin Ravichandran, Rahul Raj, T S Gopi Krishnan, Karan Aravind Kumar
Cast: Suriya, Trisha, Indrans, Natty, Mansoor Ali Khan, Swasika, Sshivadha, Anagha Maya Ravi, Supreeth Reddy
Music Director: Sai Abhyankkar
DOP: G.K. Vishnu
Editor: R. Kalaivanan
Producers: S. R. Prakash Babu & S. R. Prabu
Presented By: Annapurna Studios
Production Company: Dream Warrior Pictures
Anagha Maaya Ravi, suffering from cancer, comes to Hyderabad for treatment along with her dad. Just as she lands, she is robbed of all the jewellery that is needed for treatment. A police complaint is lodged, and she gets them back. But, to actually get the possession, they must get court permission.
What happens when the father and daughter go to court to recover their jewellery? Who is Baby Krishna (RJ Balaji)? And finally, how does Veerabhadra (Suriya) enter their world, and what does he do? Veerabhadrudu’s basic story revolves around the court and how the legal proceedings handled by the corrupt lawyers make even God look normal.
Performances
Suriya, as always, comes up with a sincere act. He has played a lawyer before, but there is a difference here. He has a dual personality here, and both are done justice by the actor.
We know how good Suriya is when doing emotions; we get that in parts. The focus here is more on action, and it’s handled well with superbly crafted sequences. The climax is a surprise, as Suriya performs a literal God act in ‘Kanthara’ and ‘Pushpa 2’ mode. He is fine with what’s given to him.
Trisha’s character opens on a strong note, and then just disappears for a long time. We see her again an hour later, and from then on, she remains throughout the narrative. She is okay, as she mostly stays as a sidekick to the hero rather than having something to do on her own.
RJ Balaji writes and directs Veerabhadrudu. It is called Karuppu in Tamil. It is a fantasy commercial entertainer with a court backdrop.
The movie takes time to get going, as the director establishes the core problem, the court setup, and the world. The father-daughter angle is the heart of the movie, bringing emotion into play, while the court scenes offer details that deepen the intrigue.
The result is that, despite a somewhat bloated narrative, the proceedings engage intermittently, and one is interested to see what happens next, though the outcome seems predictable. We know how the system will treat the father-daughter duo. It is also where the narrative starts to drag.
The hero’s entry takes some time to arrive. But it turns the predictable narrative in a different direction. The hook here is unique and makes one curious to see how it will be dealt.
The curiosity, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, and the ongoing emotional arc culminate in the best passage of the movie during the pre-interval block. The interval is on expected lines, but okay to make one look forward to the second half.
Post-intermission, the narrative takes a new direction. We are taken into a commercial entertainment territory. It’s a sudden shift in tone, and, considering how things had been up to that point, it feels very jarring.
What follows next are even sillier, more contrived blocks. The comedy here is very poor. But the action blocks that are placed in between are superbly executed and look good on screen. Then there are some fan-pleasing moments for the hero in between, which feel so random and out of place. All of this creates a chaotic, messy feel.
The entire thing finally culminates in the climax, where the drama reaches the next level regarding God’s personality. We have Suriya literally entering the God mode ala Kanthara style. Again, it is executed well, but the lead to it, the emotion behind it, and, finally, the delivery lack impact.
Veerabhadrudu’s second half feels like a different film entirely from its first half. The uneven narrative, with a jarring shift in tone, creates a messy feel. With emotion non-existent, the fan-service entertainment and action come across as hollow and lacking depth.
Overall, Veerabhadrudu has a unique fantasy-commercial-entertainer plot, much like the director’s previous flick. However, the mix of action, emotion, and entertainment is terribly handled. It feels like two different films rolled into one. It neither works as a low-key action drama nor delivers a soaring commercial mass entertainer. It only works in patches.
Performances by Other Actors
The movie has many known faces, but only a few among them get decent parts. RJ Balaji, the director himself, plays the major antagonist. His character is presented almost as a hero. In fact, he may even have more screen time than the hero. However, when it comes to actually delivering in the role, he is okay at best, as the role seems far bigger for him.
Indrans, Anagha Maaya Ravi, and Natty Subramanium are the other actors with vital roles. They all do a decent job, especially Indrans, who lifts the predictable content. Supreeth, George Maryan, Aadukalam Naren, etc., are wasted.
The current hotshot music director, Sai Abhyankar, provides the songs and the BGM. The former are lost in translation in Telugu. The latter is a mixed bag, with a few sounds that give the right vibe. The mixing is terrible, and it drowns out the dialogue in many places.
The cinematography is excellent. The visuals are striking, especially in action scenes. The editing could have been better. There is a patchy and messy feel throughout the narrative.
The Telugu dubbing, too, could have been better. The Telugu-Tamil mix of dialogue initially feels very confusing.
Highlights?
The Fantasy Element
Suriya
Emotional Thread in the First Half
Drawbacks?
Chaotic Narrative
Uneven Tone
Second Half
Dialogues
Weak Antagonist
Did I Enjoy It?
Only In Parts. The setup and the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist are decent.
Will You Recommend It?
Not really. Veerabhadrudu does the system-suppressing-the-ordinary-people thing well, but fails to do the same when it comes to delivering a satisfying conclusion for the ordinary people getting justice.
Veerabhadrudu Movie Reviewed by Kalyan, M9 News
Virat Kohli has finally addressed the growing discussions surrounding his retirement plans and the possibility…
గతంలో వైసీపీ నేతలు నారా లోకేష్కి తెలుగులో సరిగ్గా మాట్లాడటం రాదంటూ ఎద్దేవా చేసేవారు. వారి విమర్శలకు క్రుంగిపోకుండా ఒక్క…
