BOTTOM LINE
Slow Paced Classy Romance
OUR RATING
2.75/5
CENSOR
‘U’ Certified, 2h 7m
What Is the Film About?
Lieutenant Ram (Dulquer Salmaan) is an orphan who works in the Indian Army (1964). After a successful mission, he is all over the All India Radio, and people own him as theirs and start writing letters. One girl, Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur), addresses him as her husband. Rest is all about – Who is Sita Mahalakshmi? and what is their story?
Performances
Dulquer Salmaan is tailormade for such roles. His character has two shades – a happy guy for the most part and a man in distress towards the end. He excelled in both of them. He is a gifted actor, one should say. Mrunal Thakur is very beautiful and stunning in the traditional attire of those times. She did perform well too.
Rashmika appears in a little but important role, and she is good. Sumanth gets his career-best role. He is wayward in some portions but comes back in the portions where it is extremely crucial. Tharun Bhascker is more like Rashmika’s sidekick in the film, and he is fine.
Vennela Kishore is okay in a comedy role. The movie has more than a dozen of notable actors. Most of them do not have much screen time but are added for screen presence. Murali Sharma, Prakash Raj, Sunil, Priyadarshi, Rahul Ravindran, and others come under this category.
Analysis
Hanu Raghavapudi is a director full of promise. But then, he is yet to open his kitty. Hanu frequently falters with pace issues and second-half matters. The director will be closely watched on that two fronts in Sita Ramam.
Sita Ramam is a period love story in the backdrop of the Army and Kashmir. The movie opens with a scene between two kids in the Pakistan Terror camp. It looks irrelevant initially, but we would relate to it in the end. And then, we have the characterization of Rashmika introduced as a Youth leader of Pakistan in London.
She sets on a mission to hunt Sita and Ram in India, taking the help of Balaji (Tharun Bhascker). The director parallelly introduces the hero-heroine and their love track. The idea of ‘letters love’ is interesting.
Sita Ramam slows down considerably when the story shifts to Hyderabad in the flashback. The comedy tracks of Sunil and Vennela Kishore do not click much. In fact, the comedy and army portions stick out compared to the romance. They are flat and dull and only add to the length. We feel the director has taken too much time to drive further into the story due to these threads. The interval twist is a bit interesting and leaves the audience curious.
But after what you get in the first half, you feel the second half will be crucial. The director steps on the pedal with the ‘Radhika sister’ track. The sequence hits the audience hard, and from there, the proceedings happen real quick. The series of events that occur after the secret mission is interesting as well as emotional. It is difficult to talk about these portions without spoilers. The director’s hard work and grip on his writing can be felt here. The finish is smooth and leaves you with a heart-warming feeling.
Finally, Sita Ramam is a feel-good love story with an ok-ok first half and a good second half. An effective first half would have worked better, but the good things in store in the second half will still leave you with a contented feeling.
Music and Other Departments?
Sita Ramam is a technically superior film. It is that kind of film where everything works. Vishal Chandrasekhar’s songs are visually pleasing and are neatly placed. They are simple but get the right impact. The background score is excellent at all places.
PS Vinod’s camera work is crystal clear. The production design is excellent, and so are the visuals. The editor should have been a bit more vigilant in the first half. The writing is fine, especially in the romantic portions.
Sita Ramam does not have a native star hero. The makers deserve a special mention because every penny invested is believing in the story. It takes real heart to invest so much money in such a scenario without compromise.
Highlights?
Performances of the Lead Pair
Second Half
Smooth Ending
Technical Brilliance
Drawbacks?
Lag in the first half
A couple of Comedy Tracks
Some fine actors not getting much
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Sita Ramam Movie Review by M9News
Final Report:
Sita Ramam is a fairly decent watch mainly for its love story, the lead pair, and overall classy, romantic vibe. The second half works after a sluggish first one hour and ends the movie on a positive note.
— Director Hanu Raghavapudi shows his mark once again with lovely picturization of songs. Simple but beautiful with a charming pair.
— Sita Ramam second half started. The twist in the love story takes the story forward.
First Half Report:
Sita Ramam’s first half is elevated by the lovely lead pair and their chemistry and fabulous visuals. The downside is the very ordinary beginning that feels never ending until the chemistry kicks in.
A neat interval twist and intrigue make one look forward to the second half. It is crucial for the overall appeal of the movie.
— After a small revelation related to Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal)’s character it’s Interval.
— Flashback time. Lieutenant Ram (Dulquer) finally meets Sita after exchanging many letters.
— Lieutenant Ram (Dulquer) is a lone soldier guarding Kashmir along with others.
— The story begins at POK and quickly shifts to London where Afreen (Rashmika) is introduced. She needs to deliver a letter to Sita. The letter was written by Ram.
— Sita Ramam show started. Digital rights with Amazon Prime Video.
Sita Ramam USA Premiere report will be out here soon. Stay tuned.
Sita Ramam Pre-Release Talk:
After the blockbuster success of Jathi Ratnalu, the production house Swapna Cinemas is back with a new outing Sita Ramam. The epic love story stars Dulquer Salman and Mrunal Thakur in the lead roles and hits the cinemas on August 5th. Rashmika Mandanna plays a crucial parallel lead. Hanu Raghavapudi helms the project.
The most significant factor working for Sita Ramam is the director Hanu Raghavapudi. Despite the lack of proper success, the director has established a brand with movies like Andala Rakshasi, Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gadha and Padi Padi Leche Manasu. His name, along with Swapna Cinemas (Jathi Ratnalu fame), which has previously delivered a blockbuster, is the calling card for Sita Ramam.
Coming to the other factors, Malayalam star Dulquer Salman scored a blockbuster with his debut outing in Telugu, Mahanati. Incidentally, the Vyjayanthi Movies banner was behind it as well. Another success here will increase the reputation of the star in Telugu states. The music by Vishal Chandrasekhar is a winner and a significant factor in making the audience curious regarding the project.
The overall combination is making an impression in the overseas territory. Positive word of mouth will change things in the Telugu states as well. The same has happened previously with Jathi Ratnalu.
As always, M9News will bring you the ‘First-On-Net’ Sita Ramam review, genuinely and honestly. Keep watching this space for our updates.
