Battle of the belle

Long used to witnessing the heroic deeds of brave men who have withstood huge odds and won bloody wars with rivals, the audience this time is shown a girl, brought up as a boy and imparted all that training that is due to a king-in-the-making. The delicate transition when the truth gets revealed and the subjects erupt in anger along with the courtiers makes the focal point of the film which is a spotlight on other issues— unrelenting patriarchy, the gender parity when it comes to power and how femininity is effectively used to deliver what matters.

Armed with a few technological bright spots, like the 3D format used for the first time, Gunasekhar maintains a linear narrative, fully exploiting the screen presence of his heroine who justifies the faith the director reposes on her. For the most part, as the palace drama unfolds replete with its behind-the-scene manoeuvres, Anushka is eminently watchable as the fierce Rani who has the welfare of her people at heart. Her body language and expressions are effective for the role, a mix of the hard and soft qualities, one tends to expect of such a royal character.

It is towards the end, as one enjoys the cameo of Allu Arjun, playing a Robin Hood and mouthing the Telangana dialect to a rousing reception from the audience, that the film sags for a brief period. Especially, when the world comes to know it is a woman who has been ruling them and would be coronated as her father’s successor. Gunasekhar unleashes the final weapon of showing his heroine with bare mid-riff and tight close-ups in a weak number of Ilaiyarajaa, which slows the pace.

In any case, darbar drama, by way of spies and double agents, so typical of monarchical times, also is padded in for good effect even as the queen claims her bright spot under the sun. A combination of add-ons— a faithful adherence to a raja rani storytelling, great background score by ‘magic maestro’ Ilaiyarajaa (who disappoints with his songs) and passable graphics, marred by repetitive shots of a few of them and the impressive performance of Prakash Raj as the power behind the throne, makes ‘Rudhramadevi’, a good film which could still have been better. Nithya Menen, a full-fledged heroine on her own is absolutely wasted in the brief role that she portrays.

Movie Name : Rudhramadevi

Cast : Anushka Shetty, Rana, Prakash Raj and Allu Arjun

Direction : Gunasekhar

Genre : Drama (historic)

Likes : Anuskha & Allu Arjun

Dislikes : Songs & second- half

Rating : 3

By K Naresh Kumar