Hey Ram the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse.

 Hey Ram is a 2000 Indian period drama film written, directed and produced by Kamal Haasan, who also acted as the protagonist. It was simultaneously made in Tamil and Hindi languages. ... It is an alternate historical film that depicts India's Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse.

Kamal Hassan's passion project Hey Ram is an ambitious and admirable effort but alas the final result doesn't match that hard work that is being put on the screen. The biggest problem with this film,among others, is the runtime. This is not to say I haven't seen films this long or even longer but when the length is over 3hrs or more it should deserve and by the end earn that runtime to justify all that is presented to us. I have seen many films that run close to the 200 minutes or more such as Swades, The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, etc. and after watching those films it didn't feel like they were excessively long because in some ways they earned that duration due to maybe their jam-packed narrative or storytelling covering a vast topic. But Hey Ram felt so long. I believe even if an hour was edited out of the film, the essence and power of the story wouldn't be lost as there were many songs which added nothing to the narrative and repetitive unnecessary intimate scenes between Kamal Hassan and Rani Mukerji. Honestly, though it didn't feel boring, it certainly felt tiring and stretched. 

"Touched by 'Hey Ram' fans celebrating 16yrs. Remember all who made it possible. Especially Shah Rukh Khan and Bharat Shah (sic)," Kamal posted on his Twitter page on Thursday.

The film's semi-fictional plot revolved around India's partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

On Friday, Kamal specially remembered the role essayed by actor Mohan Gokhale, who passed away while shooting for the film. The role was later offered to Atul Kulkarni.If those scenes were cut out of the film,we would have got a much more crisp and focused film which unfortunately lost track of where it was supposed to go. There are some cringeworthy scenes as well that seemed to appease the audience and not working in favour of the film. Plus, there are a few inaccurate historical portrayal as well particularly the climax of the film. It was completely different from what supposedly happened. I don't want to get into the specifics because they would spoil the experience as well as spark controversies. The change of heart of Ram towards Gandhi was also quite sudden, in just moments. A film focused purely on Gandhi and his believes and the exploration of the state of the nation due to difference in opinions, ideologies,etc. takes a fairly easy route to show how Gandhi's ideology was right all this time (if at all). If the filmmakers had taken a bold step to explore the decisions that Gandhi had taken and what have been the consequences, then I would have been more satisfied. But the film did that on the surface level. What I really liked about the film was how period specific it felt. Despite the flaws, the setting and everything felt very authentic to the period. There are also several small sequences in the film that are also very engaging to watch. The part I loved the most is the relationship between Saketh Ram and his second wife, Mythili. Their portions together are small but the chemistry is very good and would have liked to see that a bit more. Nevertheless, I know many people love this film and this is an unpopular opinion but I think the film had potential but never utilises that properly and thus making it a decent watch but not a necessary one.

Kamalhaasan's "hey ram" is a must watch movie at any cost. This film is answer to most hollywood films as how to make a real story with minor fiction that doesn't affect the true nature of history. in the whole movie, not a single second of a shot is wasted as each and every frame and dialogue will depict a story. Kamalhaasan did an amazing job in "attention to detail" of every thing in the movie. The only film i like shahrukh khan acted is this film only. Kamal haasan brings the best out of srk for ever. the casting, the name of the characters, the peoples who made an impact in gandhi assassination are explained in amazing."Mohan Gokhale. After sculpting Abhyankar beyond my expectation died. I reshot with Atul K, who won the National Award. Thanks to Mrs. Gokhale (sic)," Kamal wrote, adding that he wishes to showcase late Mohan's performance from the film to all."A day before he died I told him he might win awards for his role. For those who have no clue what I am lamenting, the film was 'Hey Ram' and Mr. Gokhale died after completing 90 percent of his work. Loved MG (sic)," he said.The film had music by legendary composer Ilayaraja.

Kamal made two mistakes.
1. Unnecessary erotic scenes which made the film an adult film or otherwise children and ladies would have watched the movie. I am certain kids would have loved the movie.
2. Language barrier. The character speak in different languages English, hindhi, brahmin ta mil, broken Tamil of Sharukh Khan and Atul made it difficult for viewers to grasp the story.
If only he had rectified the above defects and trimmed the length a bit it would have been an all time hit both commercially and critically. This is a lesson for every film maker. However great your content , it should be easily accessible and has to have universal(U) appeal to succeed in box office.
Though the movie is too lengthy 3hr 21 mins, each and every character in this movie was depicted in a legendary manner....At the end he has shown that the Hindu Muslim crisis is still continuing and it became the cause for his death.I have heard that this movie was a flop.I think 90's people have made a blunder mistake by not recognising these kinds of films(Anbe sivam also).... I hope this won't happen nowadays..
By knight reviews

Ponmagal Vandhal"A good movie is defined as the one which has impact on the viewer"

Cast: Directors who ruled till the 90s(or ever later) have been a backbone of the film be it Mr.R. Parthiban or Mr. Prathap K Pothen or Mr. K. Bhagyaraj or  Mr. Padiyarajan or Mr.Thiyagarajan.
It feels good to see all of them together under a single roof.
Jothika has given justice to her role.Her expressiveness is a major + for the dialogues because it makes the audience get the vibes of every single syllable that is uttered.
Every actor in the film have played their role to their level best. Special mention to actress Vinodini who has the capacity to make the audience turn towards her with her dialogue delivery. 


Story wise it might be an usual one. But screenplay has made it set a bench mark. 
It's a must watch courtroom drama. 
Parthiban and his Tamil is inseparable. 

Lighting and sounds have been on dot and makes us get deep into the scenes

Though there is a little disappointment that one or two impactful dialogues could have been rendered a little louder, but on the whole the dialogues are so GOOD that you will never feel bored or we can find no extra unnecessary dialogues. 

Every frame counts and one needs to watch the movie with full attention. 

Any woman can relate herself with the content and any parent can feel the fear. Mother sentiment has been playing a major role in the story. 

There are so many lessons for life that is taught to us in a very simple way. 

Sepcial mention to the costumes. Though they may look simple, there is no obscenity in the entire film which is commendable and colours used grabs the attention. 

There are many twists in the film since the very beginning.
Though Climax is a little surprising and confusing it does have a major twist which is unexpected. 

I personally felt it would have been great had Parthiban rendered  some more impactful dialogues with his versatility in the last scene at the Court. 

Ponmagal vandhal as the title says is dedicated to every woman who is a warrior and fighting with her own life. 
“Ponmagal Vanthal” which was recently released in Amazon Prime can be wrapped in a simple way as “a decent one-time watch movie”. To make a profound analysis would definitely take us to the point that it’s the same old wine in the new bottle. Being a thriller movie, it started off with a good kick and had its creepy nature during the first half. The concept was really good and it had a moral lesson driving to our homes about bringing up kids amidst the gender divide we have in our society. The movie is an eye opener to the  surging number of rape cases and sexual assaults and child abuses . The social divide within the structure of our society where those in the creamy layers often walk free following a crime has been highlighted throughout the movie. The movie had genuine foundation with this particular theme and it keeps you engaged till the end. However, being a mystery, it fails to tackle the eeriness it could have created in a deeper way. The storyline is highly predictable and the conceptualisation of the theme could have been presented in a better way. The movie excels in its cinematography and the scenic beauty of Ooty has been captured in its true essence. Jyotika the veteran artist has done a remarkable part. All the others too have done their own part in the most beautiful way. In a nutshell, the movie is worth a watch for a spectator who stays in front of the screen without much expectation. But as for me, being a regular movie goer and a fan of mystery thrillers, the linear story track and the lack of unpredictable twists curbed my enthusiasm as I could very well comprehend  what might happen next. Though a thriller, it will not put you at the edge of your seat just like the movie “Ratchasan”. This is decently done for a one time watch. Though there is nothing great about the movie, it’s highly recommended as a good watch for pure entertainment. The final message conveyed stands out as we should give more importance to the ways in which we bring up a boy rather than a girl because it is always the guy who creates more havocs in society through rapes, sexual abuses and associated assaults.
It indeed gives a heavy heart for any parent , beyond any doubts. What was more touching and depressing was the real statistics of child abuse and rape cases in TN which was showcased at the end of the movie.
It's a must watch for parents and Youngsters. 
Truth Triumphs ( you will understand if you have watched the film)

Bt knight reviews

Rang De Basanti (रंग दे बसंती)

Rang de basanti. I've no word for this magnum quintessence  project. What a movie? Really heart touching,  thrilled totally. Watched it 16 times only.Each time I'd cry & 4 only Rdb,A preparation needs before watching bcoz;  whenever I'd watch,  usually became very upset emotional and the impact for whole day.Big issue lt's not a movie for me but a living story- characters is just touching deeply 2 me; that type feelings comes to my inner mind spontaneously alws. Thus my own blood people became martyrs Dj sukhi laxman ajay karan aslam . At any time if i thought abt Rdb, lmpossible 2 control tears-  so amazing!! 

A rebel and revolution in Aamir khan's ( Artist  cum social activist)  own way; that's why  he could manage this up most project very well. Greatest aamir sir. All my best wishes to siddharth sharman kunal madhavan atul soha wahedajee   .Nice performance. 

Anyway wonderful msg lies within-  "Galat kaam nahin karenge, aur galat kaam ho raha hai to awaz uthaenge ".Now it's time to fight  against injustice corruption misdeal crimes & that must be possible by youth power only.Rdb provided additional supplements  to do such.Aamir Rakeysh discovered magnificently "THE REALITY OF OUR OWN HOME " .Thanks a lot to both the talented. All performers' powerful touch to bring the life to the character.welldone...musical track beautiful!!especially "tu bin" whenever  I listened it , l moved to the inner world  and about people who r in out of appearance already  and u have  to memories them and 2 fall sad water in their memorance. 
When I listened "roobaroo"  I could memorize  eternity of happiness  joy cheers helpful-spirits ;such things made me out of human .  I would like to dedicate my comment and salute chandrashekhar Azad  Bhagat singh  Rajguru Ramprasad bismil Ashfaqullah khan  Durga vohra  all Indian martyr soldiers with deep love respect.  A memorable favt dialogue  "AB BHI JISKA KHOON NA KHAULA, KHOON  NAHIN WO PAANI HAI, JO DESH KE KAAM NA AAYE WO BEKAAR JAWAANI HAI" 
So frs Trust on me .it should be watched on 15.8,26.1, friendshipday  atleast .plz watch this Indian movie (patriotic)   & try as our best to wash the dirty things from our beautiful  nation and be a humanitarian. A  wonderful journey into real from reel. 
Nice interesting story line. AAMIRKHAN sir acted beautifully  hearttouching  really. He gave life to DJ .All supportive artists did well. Pathshala dance is mind blowing  .  Rang De... means a generation awakens . Or paint me with the colour of spring.Dr Rakeysh omprakash mehra is well talented..This film is eye witness  of morality  , a stand point for the representative  of our section  . Very emotional movie with patriotic touch,  ended with tragic. I hope the young sensations  must be inspirabl  by watching this outstanding RDB . Mile stone in  Bollywood history.  Special  unique movie  forever  alws  d motivate  our present to next generation.. Thanks  the entire team of  Rdb . I feel very grateful  to be a part of RDB.  An appeal  - each Indian should watch it atleast  in life.   FANTASTIC  AMAZING  MUST-WATCH RANGDEBASANTI. I love Rang De Basanti  very much. I can watch it 10k times  with proud  and honour  having held my head as high.  True  Indian movie  with true Indian audiences.Meanwhile,  more we watch this creation,  so more rebel, eternal peace 'd enter to our brain & the results  to be expected. 

From the flawless integration of the Indian freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad, to the main plot point of the movie, that is, the MiG plane incidents and the corrupt government, the entire story was so well thought of.
Don't even get me started on the acting performances in this movie. Of course the veterans like Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher and Om Puri were masterful. Aamir Khan, while being the most experienced and bigger in stardom than the rest of the cast, knows that he is but one cog in the wheel of this movie, and thus does not steal the spolight for himself and instead lets the story move forward. But the focus here is on the rest of the ensemble. This movie introduces two new faces - Kunal Kapoor and Siddharth Suryanarayan, although the latter was an established Tamil and Telugu actor. Even the newbies have done such a wonderful job. Also, Alice Patten, who plays an English director in this movie, plays the character so masterfully, again keeping her self-interests away and helping the bigger picture move forward.
The message in this movie is so clearly branded in the mind that the audience is left wondering whether they are really as good and patriotic as they put on to be.
Overall, this movie is certainly a benchmark in Bollywood, one which can only be reached or exceeded by thinkers like Aamir and others.
Hands down the best movie ever made in Indian history. I like this even better than 3 Idiots. Flawless direction, acting and music scores for the film. A must watch for every Bharatiya. This movie actually impacted my life in a positive way and has the capacity to do the same for all the youngblood of our nation. It instilled patriotism in me, which I had always lacked prior to watching this movie. I only wish Bollywood came up with more movies like this one. 

Some of the memorable, unforgettable quotes from the film (sort of spoiler alert for those who haven't seen it yet, but I can't help it) - 

--- Koi bhi Desh perfect nahi hota.. use perfect banana padta hai 
--- Ab bhi jiska khoon na khaula khoon nahi woh paani hai.. Jo Desh ke kaam na aaye woh bekar jawani hai
--- Zindagi jeene ke bas do hi tarike hai.. Ek, jo ho raha hai hone do, bardasht karte jao ya fir zimmedari uthao use badalne ki

P.S. Watched this again and writing this review on the day after the Pulwama terror attacks. Martyrs never die. Utmost Respect to their souls. No virtue, absolutely no virtue is greater than courage/bravery. Salute to the bravehearts. 

'Kuch kar guzarne ko khoon chala'. 
By knight reviews

Mahanati is a visually and emotionally engaging biopic..

Mahanati is a visually and emotionally engaging biopic.. 

Iam not someone who understands the finer nuainces of movie making but the movie simply blew my mind away
The dance sequence where they climb a ladder to the moon and entire galaxy is visible
Hypocritical change of view of general public as soon as Ganeshan proclaims his love for her openly
Ganeshan apologizing to the bar tender for the fan mistakenly taking away his pen
Ganeshan putting his arms around Savitri after she drinks for the first time 
GG Consoling gesture towards the girl after she gets beaten up by Savitri
Madhuravelli and Anthony photo scene

Savitri in spite of all her courage and will power finally giving in to stress 

Weight actually being a problem for her not getting roles.. It was emphaised twice.. 

I never watched a movie with so much attention .. Probably a movie which deserves special mention in movie making courses

A beautiful story of tragedy inflicted by EGO

His EGO of her being more successful...Her EGO which did not let her forgive his mistake ... 

Finally ! I really do think KEERTI SURESH has all the true potential become one of the top actresses of today's generation.. And the director is probably the best right now in India
Her life was full of mistakes... There is a lesson you want to learn from the movie..Don't be like her.. Be smart! . But if those mistakes are committed with as much love and innocence as she did ... She is not just a Mahanati but much more than that.. SHE IS A GREAT HUMAN BEING. 

What a wonderful movie it is! Great achievement, worth hard work and a true tribute. Truly truly miss you Mahanati Savithri garu... I love very much and cried a whole day.

Actually, this story seems to be focused on the works by the journalist but a biopic should be a complete one (what I feel).
Though a lot of effort has been put together to make this outstanding movie, there is more story to tell and to be screened.

There used to be a tiger as a pet of Savithri ji with whose she roamed around in her garden every day. Jamuna garu is her very close friend and sister like since her childhood and shared the screens together in many films. They call "Akka" (elder sister) & "Chelli" (younger sister) to each other. They became closer when Savithri garu was in trouble and everything was lost and when she went into the coma and they very frequently visit each other houses.
She established a school in her village as "Srimati Savithri Ganesan Zilla Parishad High School" for poor children.
The title of "Mahanati" was given by "Andhra Mahila Sabha" in a huge function with a grand party. And, Tamil Nadu Govt honored her with the title of "Nadigaiyar Thilagam" and then she rode an elephant ride arranged by the fellow members of that ceremony. And, she got Rashtrapati Award for outstanding performance in film "Chivaraku Migiledi" which at all not shown.Apart from these, she got Nandi Award and Kalaimamani. 

Also, there was a grand funeral held where all big stars attended and a huge crowd gathered up to 2-5 km just to have a glimpse of her. Her own story is not less than any other film story.  And these should be screened because this shows how much craze in the people.

So, what I think is Mahanati part-2 should be made because I guess there are still more interesting things which today's young generation have to know and learn from her life and works.

We always remember you Savithri garu and you always be in our hearts. I believe, the generations will learn from you and you will always be our "Guru".  RIP  :(
Please take a positive note out of my review because I just conveyed my thoughts and don't want to hurt anyone intentionally.
I preferred Saroja Devi over Savithri. I never thought Keerthy Suresh could act. Yet I wanted to see this film, because, period films are always a treat to watch, it starred Dulquer and the music by Mickey J Meyer was mesmerizing.

The first few scenes initially didn't give me the confidence it would be a film that I would like. Samantha as Madhuravani and Vijay Devarkonda as Anthony felt a little out of place in the beginning or maybe it was me, who as an audience didnt know what to expect of this film. But once Savithri is introduced, there starts the emotional connect. And there is no turning back.

Keerthy Suresh is going to be one of my favorite heroines. The amount of hard work this actor has put into this role, is reason enough to watch this movie. She might never get a role like this in her lifetime, but this is a movie that will be talked about till her lifetime. There are some scenes where you forget it is Keerthy and not Savithri.

The success of  Dulquer's portrayal of Gemini lies in the fact that you fall for his charms and fall out of love when he lets his Ammadi down. Yet at the end of the film, you can't hate him because in spite of his betrayal and weakness, there is a wish that this love story should have never had this tragic ending. Whether his love was true or was it only a play, only Gemini himself can answer.

Samantha with her controlled acting, makes you feel that you are Madhuravani herself. The film has excellent performances with every actor in every frame adding strength.

The cinematographer Dani Sanchez-Lopez and the art direction department are the main reason for the film to be what it is. Kudos!

Nag Ashwin undoubtedly deserves all the credit for making this a beautiful, poetic, visually enticing, heartwarming story of an actor who in a male dominated industry, held her own and lived a life that very few knew of. When Savithri got so involved with Parvathi, little did she know that she was not Parvathi but Devdas! 

The tamil version falls a little short because, it is mostly the tollywood industry. But so what, it makes me want to watch the Telugu version too.

Nag Ashwin has succeeded, because he has been able to draw audiences to the theater who have not been to a movie in a long time (which includes my mom). 

Nag Ashwin and Keerthy Suresh have made us fall in love with Savithri. A fitting tribute and a movie like this deserves to be watched in the theater.

Nadigaiyar Thilagam - A Class Act!!!
By knight reviews

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion:-The Consclusion is definitely worth a watch for its grandeur and spectacular story telling.

A strong story line built upon the enriches of Indian mythologies and it's closely resembling characters. We have a very strong cultural background of Vedas, Puranas and the great mythological epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. I grew up reading these big epics and after so many years I witnessed an epic film - 'Baahubali - A Man with strong arms'. I celebrated this Indian Magnum Opus just like the way I have celebrated all time great blockbusters in Hollywood and Bollywood.

If we can accept the great stories like Harry Potter, Lord of the rings trilogy, the famous Game of thrones series (which has its own heroes following the same dharma - righteous path to combat evil), then we shall also celebrate Baahubali too. SS Rajamouli - (Director) had made sure that we have enough heroic personalities and larger than life characters in our own mythological epic stories. There are many reasons to celebrate the humongous Baahubali 2 too.

Baahubali 2 is not about box office numbers, it is a story which has managed to unite entire India irrespective of state, language, film industry based on a simple question - 'Why Katappa killed Baahubali'?, it is most certain that the direction, power of narration and screenplay has created an impact and liking towards the film. Don't forget, Baahubali 1 - The Beginning had laid the initial footprint two years ago and the first part of the movie was not forgotten.

Baahubali 2 rides on the momentum from where the first part has left. It has it's own filmy moments that deliver goosebumps to the viewers and the famous fight scenes that galore within itself. Claps thud, whistles blow, shouts from the viewers during several moments which cannot be expressed in words. It is a film which doesn't rely solely on VFX, thought it has been touted as the best film with extraordinary visuals. It doesn't disappoint the viewers and the execution was strong enough to make a visual impact.

Baahubali is our own Indian super hero who follows the simple righteous path of Dharma and character is well sculpted. Emphasis is thoroughly laid on every finer detail in the film. Devasena and Sivagami are the two most powerful women characters which one can see in recent times. Bhalaladeva looks intimidatingly venomous through his expressions. Kattappa's is always the go to warrior who bows his head to the King. 

Background score of this film has been excellent and it keeps the audience enthralled and entertained. Baahubali's character and it's powerful screen presence gets elevated with magnificent BGM.

Baahubali, undoubtedly is a proud Indian film that broke barriers, it has proved that with a strong subject and excellent directional execution one can reach the sky. Eventually, it is the character Baahubali himself that prevails in every viewer's mind and imagination. 
The world wide appreciation as reported from top news channels such as Guardian, Wall street Journal etc has been remarkable. It has set a new benchmark in the Indian film industry and it is striking the doors of Hollywood as it already turned down the some of the newly released Hollywood blockbusters in terms of Box-office collections.
Instead of criticizing the film and finding out flaws in CGI, Indians should stand up and applaud 'Baahubali' for it's impact and contribution to Indian cinema. 
My rating is 5/5 and it has been an unbelievable experience watching it on big screen. It is flawless and I take a bow to the hard work put in by the entire cast and crew of the film. It teaches us the sole aspect of belief and execution. SS Rajamouli believed in the subject(Bahubali) with lot of conviction, he braved the odds and he breathed fire and life into it. 
The result, we can see everywhere.....thanks to the story teller himself. Baahubali will be remembered across decades and it lives on.....Then there is Prabhas who as the protagonist - Baahubali - has been given some of the most spectacular and grand scenes that a hero can ever get. He is this perfect king - a super hero with a heart of gold and immense strength. His scenes offer all the thrills and fun. He also gets the best lines when it comes to dialogues. When he dies, it's heartbreaking and there is a huge void left in the movie. 

Unlike the first part which had some great songs, tuned by Keeravani, which sadly were quite a distraction, the songs in the 2nd part are more in line with the theme except for the 2 songs on Anushka. 
The song Sahore Baahubali sung wonderfully by the energetic Daler Mehndi and others and picturised spectacularly on Prabhas, is the pick of the lot. The stunts and settings are just breathtaking. You will definitely discover a new way to fly though the landing may be quite a mess (LOL).
Finally hats off to Rajamouli for dreaming it big and bringing it to life, onscreen, so wonderfully. He has given us something spectacular on a higher level. He has proved that Indian films is not just about Bollywood. He has brought Telugu films to the Indian and World audience with a bang. It may not be the best of Indian movies. But it's a milestone Indian film in terms of entertainment and use of technology.

Just go for this thoroughly entertaining fantasy ride. You will have a good time.
 knight reviews

Geethanjali:-This Love story is Magic.It gives a kind of feeling and touches your heart emotionally!

Geethanjali:-This Love story is Magic.It gives a kind of feeling and touches your heart emotional.!

Cast and Crew:

Prakash- Nagarjuna

Geetha- Girija

Geetha’s Dad- Vijaykumar

Geetha’s Grandmother- Radhabai

Lakshmi- Dubbing Janaki

Comedian- Chandramohan

Usha- Disco Shanti

Comedian- Sutthi Velu

Vice Chancellor- Sowcar Janaki

Dialogues- Rajasri

Lyrics- Veturi

Art- Thota Tharani

• 
  

Love Stories are not at all new to Telugu Cinema. Right from Devadasu to Gundejaari Gallanthayindhe, Telugu Cinema is never devoid of Love Stories or new concepts relating to it. Some love stories even go forgotten as time passes by. But Geethanjali is one unique Love Story which gets younger as years pass by. Let it be the music, freshness of Ooty, locations, minimal dialogues, performances- everything aided the film to become one perfect masterpiece love story which can always be remembered by a Telugu Film goer. Geethanjali fetched Nagarjuna a huge fortune of good name as a performer and an actor of brilliant taste. Though this was the only straight film of Mani Ratnam in Telugu, it became most impactful film in Tollywood till date.

Story Details:

Prakash (Nagarjuna) is a happy go lucky youngster who believes in enjoying life and during a partying night of the convocation day, he meets with an accident. Though the accident doesn’t do him much harm, the doctors diagnose him of cancer in liver and spleen. The vivacious youngster finds this news shattering and he feels lost. All his energy and happiness vanishes and he decides to go to some secluded place to live his last days in peace. Though his parents go against the idea, with Prakash’s repeated pleas they eventually agree to send him to Ooty where their relatives reside. Prakash arrives in Ooty, a peaceful and relaxed hill station and meets Geetha (Girija), a mischievous prankster who is pretty light hearted about life. Her fun loving nature is instantly shown in her introduction song where she dances in the rain as if there is no tomorrow. Geetha has a peculiar habit of fooling guys by saying she loves them and wants to elope with them and Prakash becomes victim of that prank once. But unlike other innocent guys, Prakash bounces back with his earlier vivacious nature which leads to lot of friction between him and Geetha. At one juncture he forcibly takes Geetha out and leaves her in a remote forest. After his anger abates, he brings her back but comes to know a shocking truth about Geetha’s health condition through her grandmother. Geetha is a heart patient who is living her last days. Prakash finds this news utterly shocking and questions Geetha how she is able to be so happy despite the health condition she is in. Geetha coolly says she is concerned only about the present but not about what happens in the future. This truth makes Prakash realize the greatness of life and he even finds himself falling in love with Geetha. What happens next? Forms the rest of the story.

Performances:

Nagarjuna is excellent as the care not youngster initially and a great lover next. His performance isn’t over done in any point of the film and he looks quite mellowed down throughout. Nevertheless, the director makes sure Narajuna’s passion levels are never paled down.  Newcomer Girija does wonders for the role of Geetha and she looks amazingly like a girl next door in every frame. She is without makeup throughout the film yet looks stunningly beautiful with great histrionics. Her outfits were mostly Indian knee length sort of skirts which became popular as Geethanjali dresses after the film was released. Vijaykumar acted as Geetha’s father and does his best yet again. The kids in Geetha’s family make a great impact to the overall film. Sutthivelu, Chandramohan and Disco Shanthi are wasted in a pointless comedy track which is the only setback for a masterpiece like this. Veteran dancer Silk Smitha is seen in the introduction song of the hero.

Technical Aspects:

The story of the film was written by Mani Ratnam inspired by a true story he heard. Rajasri wrote the dialogues for the film with great ease and perfection. However, it is the cameraman P.C.Sreeram who was quite instrumental in making this film an epic. Every frame of Ooty, the fog and the decors were brilliantly captured by him throughout the film. Music by Ilaiyaraaja is another huge asset for the film where he got tremendous scope in scoring the backgroundscore with brilliant visuals. Geethanjali’s audio was such a big hit even before the film was released that- the film’s poster featured Ilaiyaraaja’s picture! Direction by Mani Ratnam is of top notch and established him as one of the directorial prides in South India by then.

Review by #knight reviews

Rangasthalam -A political drama set in village back drop of 1980s.

Rangasthalam
A stage well played by its arists. A very intense movie, too difficult to shrug off even after stepping out of the darkness of the theatre. 
Ramcharan theja, carved a niche for himself as an artist. A partially deaf, non chalant youth gains depth as the movie progresses.  The whole village, in blissful ignorance, surrenders itself to the power and authority of the president, who remains an invincible leader of the village for two decades. 
Though the villagers are being crushed under the burden of debts taken in the society,  due to illiteracy and ignorance, they just bear with the brunt of life till Adi, elder brother of Ramcharan theja steps in and exposes the Injustice done by the president in the name of the society. 


Ramalakshmi , the love interest of Theja, played by Samantha.  The girl has proved herself that she has the mettle to carry on performance oriented roles. She is not the village coy girl  as in regular films, who just plays  with the cattle and runs around dancing in the green fields, but a village girl in it’s true sense, who takes on the responsibility of farming with the grit and determination of the man. She is the girl, who first raises her voice against the Injustice done by the society. 

 Though there are no romantic scenes between the lovers, their love, touches hearts, by it’s natural rustic way.  Theja, unlike other heroes, never hesitates to proclaim his strong commitment towards his brother, setting aside his love for his girl.   He pledges his life for his brother,  with an unswerving love and faith. 
Adi, by his sublime performance, adds a lot of value to the movie. He is the spark against the president , who brings awareness in the village. He stands for a right cause,  depicting the heroic quality. As his fight against Injustice is the driving force for him, theja is driven by his strong love for his brother. When Adi touches the logical side of the brain, theja straight away touches the emotional side of it. 

Theja played his role with a depth and intensity, which is unexpected of an action hero like him. His performance overpowers every one else's in the film and engulfs the audience like a forest fire.  He undoubtedly takes over the role of a protagonist on the Rangasthalam. 

Director’s talent in unfolding the village life with all it’s grey shades, draws the viewers too into the Rangasthalam, with it’s realistic charm. The life of 80’s is truly felt in each frame and the movie has successfully recreated the by gone ambience pressing the nostalgic buttons. The intensity of the movie is so captivating that, the young audience, who create a furror at the first sight of their favorite hero Ram Charan, with their whistles and shrill voices, fall very silent as the movie takes over by its gravity and depth.

Songs are very meaningful and well tuned and optly situational. Deserve more than one hearing. 
Jagapati Babu, though has no powerful dialogues, shoulders the vilanism, with his powerful and natural performance.  Prakash Raj, has nothing much to do, and has done, what’s expected of him. Pooja Hegde, looks cool in the item number,  though she doesn’t set the stage on fire. 

The story line is very gripping and as unpredictable as life itself and beautifully portrayed on screen.  Hat’s off to sukumaran . 
Rangasthalam is never complete if we don’t make a mention of Rangammatha. A middle aged beautiful lady, who hides her widowhood, who lends a helping hand to her fellow beings. She has the freshness and charm of an artist, which makes her on screen presence quite endearing.

Over all, inspite of it’s slow pace, which definitely  is not a minus, but gradually pulls the viewers too on stage, rangasthalam is  worth our presence for those few hours of intense play.

By knight reviews