Ramarao on Duty Review: ‘Ramarao’ lost in the woods

Hyderabad: The post Covid world of cinema has its own convulsions and compulsions. However Tollywood (or for that matter the larger woods of Indian cinema) have an amazing blindness to writings on the wall. Resultantly this is so nerve testing that endurance and not entertainment becomes the cinematic factor. The larger than life cinema in […]

Hyderabad: The post Covid world of cinema has its own convulsions and compulsions. However Tollywood (or for that matter the larger woods of Indian cinema) have an amazing blindness to writings on the wall. Resultantly this is so nerve testing that endurance and not entertainment becomes the cinematic factor.

The larger than life cinema in the post Baahubali, KGF and Puspha scenario has made pygmies of even mainstream cinema. The raised voyeurist expectations are surely a product of a cultivated taste and thus those who served the unhealthy platter hitherto will rue the scale that they now have to match.

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Every new film of the Maharaja in recent times has been a study in hope over common sense. From the limited stance of the box office time is running out for stars and surely for Ravi Teja who anyway is in the cusp of his career. Big players are biting the dust. Films do not run on just star antics.

Ravi Teja seems to even understand this and makes an attempt to flirt outside of his comfort zone.

Arguably the nearest to his Autobiography many years ago. He makes a concerted effort to tone down his mannerisms and his action and his kind of humour. He puts on a serious and sometimes even a melancholic look. However the alternate in offer fails to work

Rama Rao (Ravi Teja) is a Revenue Officer who does not subscribe to the means justifying the ends. He is the quintessential larger than life officer who believes that his perception is the way ahead and that the law is often a barrier to justice. Thus as he often tramples on the foot of powers that be he is frequently transferred leading his to the present posting in his own native village where he and his wife Nandini (Divyansha Kaushik) and son join the paternal house of Dad (Naseer) and Mom (Pavitra Lokesh). Also tugging along is pa-in-law Naresh. Here he first runs into the stereotypical corrupt police officer in Jammi Murali (Venu Tottempudi) and also his former girl friend Malini (Rajisha Vijayan).

He begins his war against smugglers of red sandal wood and killers. He would in the process give you a lecture on the multilayer process of smugglers involving wood cutters, loaders, keepers, transporters and exporters.

Since it is about red sandalwood the reference point on credibility is a borrowed template from Pushpa including mannerisms. This action film simply fails in its action. It suffers from its own inertia and its own convoluted script of who is good and who bad. The cast is mechanical and is far from inspired to do anything leave alone anything outside of the ordinary.

Divyansha and Rajisha Vijayan fail to inspire and Naresh, Prudvi are props and embarrassing ones at that. Naseer and Tanikella Barani try but have not much to recommend.

Finally the film depends upon Ravi Teja. Notwithstanding his effort and obvious sincerity the script is too big a liability for the star to overcome.