Bangarraju Review -Andhravilas

Bangarraju Review

#KrithiShetty #Ramyakrishna #Bangarraju #Nagarjuna #NagaChaitanya #BangarrajuReview

Cast:Akkineni Nagarjuna, Akkineni Naga Chaitanya, Ramya Krishna, Krithi Shetty, Rao Ramesh, Brahmaji, Vennela Kishore & Jhansi

Direction: Kalyan Krishna Kurasala

Production: Zee Studios & Annapurna Studios

Music: Anup Rubens

Nagarjuna and his son #NagaChaitanya are teaming up for Bangarraju, the sequel for Soggade Chinni Nayana. The movie is a hilarious rural entertainer that is directed by Kalyan Krishna Kurasala. Ramya Krishna and Krithi Shetty are paired up beside Nag and Chaitanya in the film. Fariah Abdullah, Daksha Nagarkar, Darshana Banik, Simrat Kaur, and Meenakshi Dixit will be seen in cameo roles. The music composed by Anup Rubens gained a decent response from the audience. Zee Studios in association with Annapurna Studios are the producers of Bangarraju. The film is released in a good number of screens on January 14th.

Story:

Bangarraju takes off from where Soggade Chinni Nayana ended. The titular character is now in a heavenly abode, and his legacy is carried out by Chinna Bangarraju (Naga Chaitanya). He is the playboy of Sivapuram village. But, he cannot get it right with Naga Lakshmi (Krithi Shetty), the local Sarpanch. Meanwhile, some people have eyed Sivapuram Temple’s wealth. They can’t get it unless Chinna Bangarraju is out of the way. Why does Bangarraju (Nagarjuna) come back to earth, and how he helps Chinna Bangarraju, personally and against evil forces, forms the overall plot. Performances King Akkineni Nagarjuna is in his element playing Bangarraju. It is a role made for him, and that is visible in every frame, with him oozing energy and charisma as only he can. There are no big dramatic moments here. It is a light-hearted part and Nagarjuna breezes through the whole thing.

Naga Chaitanya plays the same character with all its character traits, and then when we see the difference between the two.

The difference in the screen presence is palpable. Besides the mannerism that connects to the original Bangarraju, there is nothing else in it for Naga Chaitanya.

Performances

Nagarjuna is in his element playing Bangarraju. It is a role made for him, and that is visible in every frame, with him oozing energy and charisma as only he can. There are no big dramatic moments here. It is a light-hearted part and Nagarjuna breezes through the whole thing.

Naga Chaitanya plays the same character with all its character traits, and then when we see the difference between the two.
The difference in the screen presence is palpable. Besides the mannerism that connects to the original Bangarraju, there is nothing else in it for Naga Chaitanya.

Krithi Shetty looks a million bucks, as usual, and does well. The problem is the weak character and ordinary writing for her part. No matter how good she is, it is a different skill to elevate routine with the dialogue delivery and mannerism. Krithi Shetty isn’t there yet.

Ramya Krishna, who played a significant role in the original, doesn’t get the same importance. She is part of the narrative, and has all the charm and energy in tact, but its a serviceable part, at best.

There are many familiar faces besides the one’s mentioned like Rao Ramesh, Sampath Raj, Vennela Kishore and Jhansi. They all do their parts adequately, but the routine and predictable character arcs doesn’t make anyone stand out.

Positive
Nagarjuna
Cinematography Songs (Video)
Village Atmosphere
Negetive
Routine And Predictable Story
No Emotional Connection
Ordinary Comedy

Technical

Anup Rubens music is not as successful as the original, but he has retained the authentic feel. It also helps him that the songs have been shot well visually.

The cinematographer Yuvaraj has done a fab job maintaining a colourful festival and village atmosphere vibe throughout.
The editing by Vijay Vardhan K could have been better. The movie needed to be sharper narratively. The writing is alright. The stars are expected to take it a notch higher, and they do that most of the time.

Analysis

Kalyan Krishna returns to direction after a gap. The good thing for him is that he is back in his familiar zone and safety net of the Akkineni’s. It shows in Bangarraju, where he engages (passably) despite a routine premise quite unlike his previous outing. Coming to Bangarraju, it is a direct continuation of Soggade Chinni Nayana. It takes off from where the original ended and then moves forward in time introducing Naga Chaitanya as Chinna Bangarraju. While the village set-up and the festival vibe Bangarraju generates is good, the problem with the movie is also instantly known. It is clear in the first half an hour that Bangarraju won’t have the emotional appeal or connection like the original. No matter how hard one tries not compare Bangarraju with Soggade Chinni Nayana, it can’t be helped. There is too much similarity and reuse of the space from the original to not think of it. The predictable beats that Bangarraju follows make it a passable watch during the first hour. The attempt here is to provide an entertainer with little twists in the tale. Unfortunately, there is nothing exceptional in either case. The second half continues the same pattern as the first. There is a big block dedicated to entertainment and it is followed by mass moments involving the story. The whole thing works in parts. Some moments designed for the fans are fine, but one can see the extreme predictability even in those bits. The climax is again alright as the seniors, Nagarjuna and Ramya Krishna, do their magic. It is no patch to the original, but considering everything that preceded it, the ending feels fine. Overall, Bangarraju is an extremely predictable and formulaic fare. It is still a passable watch for the cast, setting and festival atmosphere.

Verdict : Bangarraju is a strictly average fare with routine fun and drama. It is a passable watch overall if one keeps aside SCN from the mind and goes in with limited expectations for the festival. Nag’s screen presence and energy is very much intact as Bangarraju.

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