The more the things change…

Succumbing to formula traps despite a novel narrative and undervaluing one’s own creation seem to be a regular affair in Telugu cinema. Hotshot directors helming mega budget productions are not the only ones guilty of such calculation errors. Small and medium-budget filmwalas too succumb to similar temptations and end up disappointing the audience.

‘Rojulu Maraayi’ sets off quite normally with two love-struck young men Chetan Maddineni and Parvatheesam desperately wanting the girls in their lives to accept them and thus woo them incessantly. What makes one sit up after the first 30 minutes are the heroines Tejaswi and Kruthika shown as ambitious, self-centred and ruthless who pretend loving these men and work on their plan B to exploit them to serve their causes and original boyfriends.

Director Murali Krishna, developing his screenplay on the story by Maruthi, invests the right kind of aggression in his heroines which leads one to believe the film is going to take off on a hitherto unexplored route. The audience too gets involved as the hassled lads get confusing signals about the direction of their romantic relationship, which ends as they ultimately get married to their beloveds.

The girls, however, end up killing the two boys and return to their normal lives, pretending as if nothing has happened. In this manner, it somehow holds on to its promise till the first half, from where the proceedings start sagging. An hour of forced comedy, contrived ghost attacks, spooky thrills and reality checks later, the film ends tamely with the girls realising that they were more wicked than the witches of Macbeth and their suitors, who are alive after all, more than eager to have them in their lives, forgiving them for their near-murderous attempts!

From the acting point of view, Parvatheesam seemed to have a better written role which he performs with passion. Debutant Chetan is just about adequate while the girls have more screen time and longer roles, rendered as per requirement. Tejaswi has the upper hand here as she is shown as the more assertive and clear-headed of the two. Still, the film fails to lift itself and touch the potential it had with such a set of watchable, interesting twists.

Film Name : Rojulu Maraayi
Cast : Tejaswi, Kruthika Jayakumar, Parvateesam and Chetan
Direction : Murali Krishna
Genre : Comedy-thriller
Likes : Running time
Dislikes : Second half, easily unravelled climax

By K Naresh Kumar