SS Rajamouli is back and how! Not that he was missing in action. After three and a half years, it is truly wonderful to see the master’s magic on screen. No matter how big the budget of your next film, living up to the expectations of Baahubali is a huge pressure in itself. Rajamouli has really realized this and has now come up with RRR starring two A-listers, Ram Charan and Jr NTR.
The story of RRR is something we see in all war dramas. British couple Mr. and Mrs. Scott (Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody) forcibly separate a child from his mother, a Gond from Adilabad. He, along with several members of his tribe, travels all the way to Delhi to rescue the boy. He offers to hire members of the Gond tribe so that he can be promoted. Will he succeed in his mission? What is Ramaraju’s background? Will Bheem save the child? RRR has the answers to all these questions and more.
SS Rajamouli has once again proved that the main story is important. Must have proper punch for large scale installation. With RRR, he and his writer-father Vijayendra Prasad have a solid story on their hands. With stunning compositions and bursting emotional sequences, RRR is a war drama that takes us back to the pre-Independence era.
From showing how heartless the British were to show the bravery and courage of the Indians, the film does it all. The concept of “Fire vs. Water” attracts the most attention. Jr NTR’s Bheem is a metaphor for water. His character must “flow” according to the circumstances in order for him to succeed in rescuing the child. And Ram Chara’s Ramarajus is compared to a burning flame. You can see the anger in his eyes and the intro scene covers just that. The first half of RRR has some amazing sequences that bring back the Fire vs. Water concept, which is very clever and innovative.
Even in RRR, we can see how Ram Charan and Alia Bhatt valued the Ramayana while modeling their characters around the lives of Lord Ram and Sita.
Ram Charan and Jr NTR give career best performances in RRR. However, it is Ram Charan who has the smallest edge compared to Jr NTR’s role. Charan’s character arc takes us on a rollercoaster ride and you will understand the anger in his eyes when his backstory is revealed. Jr NTR’s eyes speak volumes. Her longing gaze makes you feel as she makes plans to save the child.
However, RRR is not a perfect movie. The second half of the film has a few anti-gravity stunts that don’t thrill you. There is no greater emotional connection than the stunt sequences, which makes everyone uncomfortable. The movie is 3 hours long and while there are a few whistle-worthy moments that keep you glued to the screen, it’s too long to hold our attention. Courtesy, a predictable story that we have seen in few action dramas.
Alia Bhatt’s Sita plays more of a cameo instead of a supporting role. It is safe to say that it was a piece of cake for the actress. Although the screen time is limited, it makes an impact.
They literally lived the roles and gave their all for the film. Be it the dance scenes or the intense fight scenes, you can see how hard these two actors put in.
RRR is technically sound. MM Keeravani’s music, Senthil Kumar’s cinematography, Sreekar Prasad’s editing and computer graphics complement each other very well.
Despite its flaws, RRR is a film worth watching on the big screen.