‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ review: Blockbuster Kesari

Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Arjun Rampal, Kajal Aggarwal, Sreeleela, Sarath Kumar and others

Director: Anil Ravipudi

Music Director: Thaman S

Producer: Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi

Banner: Shine Screens

Rating: 3.5/5

Balakrishna and Anil Ravipudi collaborated for the first time and delivered ‘Bhagavanth Kesari.’ Sreeleela and Kajal played the female leads in the film. The film created much required hype for the film with promotional content. Now, the film has hit the theatres and let’s see how it fares at box-office.

Story

Bhagavanth Kesari (Balakrishna) wants Vijji papa (Sreeleela) to grow as a strong lady and serve in the army. The story is about how a girl should be raised in the society and how Vijji is connected to Kesari and their relationship with Rahul Sanghvi (Arjun Rampal), who wants to take revenge.

Analysis

The film starts on an emotional note and takes a pleasant half-hour to establish Bhagavanth Kesari’s motives to strengthen Vijji papa and see her join the Army, which is reasonable. However, where it falters is in the rather ordinary core plot.

The little entertainment Anil attempts to inject through the Kajal and Bhagavanth Kesari track doesn’t connect to the narrative. It neither provides full-on entertainment nor blends organically, especially when she proposes to Kesari. Even the ‘Ganesh Anthem’ song featuring Bhagavanth and Vijji, who is a great dancer, lacks the vibe and energy needed for their dance combo to set the screen on fire with their moves.

Rahul Sanghvi’s (Arjun Rampal) villain track and the backdrop seem alright. The much-hyped flashback episode leans more towards background dialogues than delivering an exhilarating moment for Bhagavanth Kesari. However, the well-designed interval action sequence works effectively and builds anticipation for a promising second half, where Anil Ravipudi succeeds.

The second half kicks off with an action-packed mode and successfully maintains consistency by incorporating brief intermittent flashbacks. What works well for the most part in the second hour is the consistent pacing of the film and the well-designed action sequences, with the dialogues written for these action episodes making a significant impact.

The inclusion of Hindi dialogues in ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ adds a touch of freshness and enhances the overall mass appeal. The extended tunnel episode caters to the masses and follows the current trend of mass action design.

However, the director missed an opportunity to delve deeper into Bhagavanth Kesari-Vijji bonding and their chemistry, which could have covered several other flaws. To truly elevate the film’s essence, this aspect must work organically.

Overall, ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ has a slow and somewhat passable first half, but the more action-packed and engaging second half with a meaningful message makes it a worth watching film for the festive season.

Performances

Balakrishna performed admirably in the role of Bhagavanth Kesari, and his portrayal of a character closer to his age significantly benefited the film. His emotional scenes with Vijji papa added to the overall appeal of the movie. The use of the Telangana dialect and Anil Ravipudi’s subtle dialogues, without going overboard, enhanced the feel of Kesari’s character throughout.

Sreeleela, known for her glamorous roles, comes with an emotional character, which marked a significant departure from her previous work. She gave it her best effort, and while there is room for more impact in the emotional scenes, her performance in this first attempt leaves no room for complaints.

Kajal Aggarwal plays Kaachi, an expert in psychology, with limited opportunities for performance or entertainment. The way the role is written leaves little room for her to shine. Arjun Rampal, portraying Rahul Sanghvi, performs adequately. However, his character design, as well as Project-V, come off as routine.

Among the other actors, including Sarathkumar, Muralidhar Goud, Brahmaji, Subhalekha Sudhakar, and more, none manage to leave a lasting impact; they merely contribute to the storyline.

Technicalities

Anil Ravipudi has taken everyone by surprise with ‘Bhagavanth Kesari,’ departing from usual trademark of over the top comedy entertainers. This time, he ventures into an emotional story that, on the whole, appears quite routine and predictable. But a special mention to be made to his writing. The way he engaged with a predictable story should be appreciated.

Coming to music, In the first half of “Bhagavanth Kesari,” there isn’t much room for the music director Thaman to leave his mark. The background music he provides for the interval action sequence is satisfactory. However, it’s in the second half where Thaman shines. The second half features more action sequences, and Thaman does a commendable job in enhancing them. The cinematography is decent, and the action sequences offer improved visual quality. Editing could have been much crispy.

Advantages

Balakrishnna’s performance

Message

Anil Ravipudi’s changeover

Drawbacks

Not so engaging first half

Routine plot

Forced comedy