BOTTOM LINE
Dumb and Dead
RATING
1.5/5
CENSOR
U/ A, 2h 1m
What Is the Film About?
Raju Yadav aka Raju (Getup Seenu) is an ordinary lower middle-class guy struggling to land a proper job. Add to that, an unexpected mishap leads to his upper lip being immovably sealed making him look like always smiling.
What happens when Raju falls in love with a classy and hi-fi girl Sweety? Did she reciprocate Raju’s love? The basic story is what happens at the end of this love story.
Performances
Getup Seenu is the heart and soul of the movie despite all the issues with it. He fits the role of an ordinary guy perfectly and goes about it effortlessly.
The lip issue adds an additional layer to the character. It appears a little odd initially and one finds it tough to look after a point, but kudos to Getup Seenu for sticking through it and managing to overcome the issue with his sincerely done act.
The second half is where all the emotional acts come into force. Getup Seenu shines in those moments, particularly towards the pre-climax and climax. All in all it’s a worthy attempt for the actor showing his skills beyond the template comedy sketches.
Ankita Kharat is a decent choice for the part requiring her to look glamorous with skimpy and trendy outfits. However, she does look different or rather inconsistent with the looks though sometimes appearing a bit on the heavy side and other times looking fine. When it comes to acting, she is forgettable, though. Some moments work mainly due to situations instead of the act.
Analysis
Krishnamachary K writes and directs Raju Yadav. It is a straightforward love story which is reportedly based on a real incident.
The movie begins ordinarily focussing on the strange predicament of the hero and the funny situations that arise from it. Barring one at the funeral nothing works, but it helps set the focus on the problem.
The actual story commences when Raju meets the girl whom he imagines would change his life. What follows is an extended stretch until the interval where the hero just stalks the girl endlessly until she relents.
Some parts during this stretch are needlessly prolonged and test the patience big time. Mainly there is no real movement plot-wise and it’s all the imagination of the hero whereas the heroine is clear in her view.
After a mildly amusing interval the second half resumes from where it left before. The location shifts to Hyderabad from a small locality earlier and things go on in the same way.
The key moments in the second half are hardly anything new. We have seen it all before. Getup Seenu too on his part tries earnestly, but the one-sided, immature-looking projection of emotions comes across as manipulative instead of being genuine.
One by one we see things go wrong and it all has severe consequences, but we hardly have the emotional connection with Raju’s character which is desperately attempted. It is ultimately the movie’s biggest issue.
The pre-climax and climax have moments that might bring a tear or two if one doesn’t mind the above-mentioned issues. The dinner sequence is perfect in this regard. The overly emotional climax trying too hard to be hard-hitting and raw is okay.
Overall, Raju Yadav offers nothing new and takes an utterly predictable route to reach its expected climax. The second half has a few emotional moments, but that’s it.
Performances by Others Actors
The movie has limited artists as the main focus is on the lead pair and especially the hero. Among the few supporting cast mainly involving the family and friends, Ananda Chakrapani, playing the father, easily stands out. He does well in what’s given. The rest are forgettable.
Music and Other Departments?
Harshavardhan Rameshwar and Suresh Bobbili are credited with the music. The former provides the songs, which are passable whereas the latter delivers a decent background score. The cinematography is way below par for a big-screen outing with its short film vibe. Proper editing would have made the film shorter by half an hour. The writing has a dialogue or two that’s decent and that’s it.
Highlights?
Getup Seenu
Few Emotional Moments
Length
Drawbacks?
Routine Story
Predictable Narrative
Drags At Many Places
Manipulative Emotions
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
Not at all
Raju Yadav Movie Review by M9
