Bethaludu

When love cheats you and drags you to hell, what can you do? If you’re burning with desire to kill someone due to past injury and get an option to exact revenge, what would you do? Won’t be the Shaitan and become a Bethala?!

Plot : A software professional with high level Intelligent Quotient, Dinesh (Vijay Anthony) goes to a psychologist and slowly his condition of schizophrenia mixed with deep Depression, starts explaining itself. His Boss (Y.Gee.Mahendran) helps him in this recovery. Dinesh is having hallucinations and hearing voices continuously. Due to this his best friend Ravi trying to help him dies in a accident. But Dinesh remembers and addresses himself as Sharma. And Dinesh searches for a woman called Jaya Lakshmi to kill her. What is the reason behind this behaviour? Who is Jaya Lakshmi and Sharma? Watch the movie at a theatre near you for answers!

Performances : Vijay Anthony is not an accomplished actor but a performer who has improved leaps and bounds. He does make a honest attempt in his performance but his limited abilities doesn’t allow him to raise above the script. In a film that depended on his shoulders, unfortunately exposes him like never before. One good thing is that he improved his confidence on screen and it oozes out while he is doing those slowmo walks.

Arundhati Nair looked apt for the role and her performance is good too. But she manages to disappoint you after a point as she has nothing more to offer. Script again falters in rightfully giving her some scope after a point. Y.Gee Mahendran was wasted in the film as the actor of his stature could have been used in a much better way. All other actors are there to perform in a certain way and they do it exactly. Director failed in utilising a brilliant actor like Chaaru Haasan.

Technicalities : Telugu dialogues written by Bhashya Sree follow a certain pattern and there is no line that inspires you or let you carry out of theatre with you. Cinematography is definitely a high point for this movie and the visuals draw you into the story. Pradeep did a great job. Editor Veera Senthilraj, tried hard to follow the script and cut it accordingly but at times film feels like it is unnecessarily jumping from one point to another. This kind of editing could have been useful had movie was going for an out and out psychological thriller but movie does change its tone. A different cut would have helped the movie better.

Music and Back Ground Score by Vijay Anthony once again is a big plus for the movie. He elevates scenes with his special touch of orchestration and allows you immerse into the feel the script tries to convey. This film needed such an expert musician to carry it through. His production values are apt to the movie and never you feel like the team had to compromise on a sequence.Director Pradeep Krishnamoorthy as a debutant is impressive with his shot making but with the screenplay he was too predictable. After setting up a good premise he constantly goes on adding elements onto it. But when you see the culmination point you feel like all that ride was for nothing.

Underwhelming adaption of novel onto screen does make you wonder at times, why should you stress on the written word too much. A novel is more about readers imagination and writers ability to give them that material. But as a screenplay for film or theatre you need lot more in-depth research and explanation of certain ideas that you have presented on screen. Few commercial pay offs here and there does spoil the first hours good work. On the whole he needed to concentrate more on script as well.

Analysis : This film with its trailers promised an out of world experience but the film lags and drags you with it especially in the final 30 minutes. You can predict the pay offs and projections but since you’re invested you ask the writer and director to take a different path. Well he doesn’t right from the word go set up impresses you but the climaxes fail you like anything. On the whole an underwhelming schizophrenic experience. A session of Vikram Bethal would be much more satisfying than this Bethaludu.

Rating : 1.5/5

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