The Ravi Teja starrer directed by Sarath Mandava has neither chutzpah nor interesting content
The Ravi Teja starrer directed by Sarath Mandava has neither chutzpah nor interesting content
A day before the release of the film, director Sarath Mandava had tweeted requesting the audiences to come to the theatres with no prior expectations. He stated that Ramarao on Duty is a content-driven film in ‘Mass Maharaja’ Ravi Teja style; he urged everyone to not miss the opening scene and requested that no spoilers be revealed. If only the film lived up to that intrigue!
The story is of a sincere government officer taking on corrupt police officers involved in red sandalwood smuggling and solving the mystery of missing people. This is narrated in a manner that requires utmost patience to watch till the end. The film is open-ended with the scope for a sequel. Any takers?
Ravi Teja plays the titular character Rama Rao, a deputy collector who is described as controversial, calculative and works with good intent. He is farmer-friendly and ensures a disciplined work culture in the government office. He crosses paths with police officer Murali (Venu Thottempudi). Alongside, Ramarao’s attempt to probe into the missing case of the husband of his former lady love Malini (Rajisha Vijayan) leads him to a nexus of red sandalwood smugglers.
The film is in no hurry to get to the bottom of the story. We get a lengthy sequence that establishes how Rama Rao functions. If what we see is not enough, supporting characters keep over-explaining the sequence and extol his virtues. This happens all through the film, even when Malini recaps her love story. Rajisha Vijayan is earnest and efficient in the task cut out for her but she is wasted in an underwhelming part.
The film has numerous supporting characters, most of them barely getting to do anything memorable. Divyansha Kaushik as Ramarao’s wife Nandini speaks a line or two occasionally, when she is not tearing up in the background. The only time she gets some focus is during a romantic song sequence.
Ramarao on Duty
Cast: Ravi Teja, Rajisha Vijayan, Divyansha Kaushik
Direction: Sarath Mandava
Music: Sam C S
A few significant characters are made to speak with an exaggerated accent, like Murali who wears his accent on his sleeve and S P Devanand (what a waste of John Vijay, especially after Sarpatta Parambarai) whose manner of speaking is just peculiar and serves no purpose.
Since the story is set in the 1990s, we see Ramarao relying more on on-field investigations with less help from technology. The investigation itself is pretty ordinary, but that is a different bone of contention. He is also shown to be ambidextrous, a trait that doesn’t add anything to his characterisation or the story. Ravi Teja does what is required for his part but we have seen him do much better.
The stunt sequences are stale and irrespective of how many men are hurled into the air and keep spinning in slow motion, it doesn’t pack a punch. The forest zone and a plot involving red sandalwood smuggling might remind us of Pushpa – The Rise, but this film just does not have that chutzpah. Neither is it as content driven as the makers would like to believe.
Towards the fag end when newer characters are revealed and the path is laid for a sequel, it comes across as a brave move. Whoever thought this story, characters and setting had so much potential! Spare a thought for reviewers who have had to watch this drab film for the sake of duty.
