In 2016, the Telugu-language action-crime film “Appatlo Okadundevadu” (“Once upon a time, there was a man”) hit the silver screen, weaving a gripping tale penned and directed by Saagar K Chandra. Newcomers Tanya Hope and Sasha Singh join established actors Nara Rohit and Sree Vishnu, while veterans Brahmaji and Sasha Singh round out the cast. Sai Karthik’s pulsating music, Naveen Yadav’s captivating cinematography, and Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao’s sharp editing set the stage for the protagonist’s dramatic fall from grace. Railway Raju (Sree Vishnu), a promising cricketer, finds himself accused of Naxalism, embroiled in a web of deceit that threatens to rewrite his destiny.
Cricket prodigy Railway Raju’s dreams of national glory are shattered by a clash with an ambitious police officer, forcing him to seek refuge in the shadowy world of crime. Years later, journalist Riya, a former national cricketer herself, embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind Raju’s fall.
Her investigation weaves together multiple perspectives, starting with Solomon, a prison acquaintance who knew Raju before his descent. Through interviews and flashbacks, we trace Raju’s story – his aspirations, his fateful encounter with the zealous cop Imtiaz Ali, and the tragic disappearance of Imtiaz’s sister, a Naxalite activist, that ignited their bitter rivalry.
As Riya pieced together the puzzle, the lines between hero and villain blur, leaving the audience questioning who truly set Raju on this dark path.
Years after tragedy tore his life apart, Raju, once a promising cricketer, navigated the shadows as a gangster. Separated from his pregnant wife and falsely declared dead, his hope seemed extinguished. But fate had other plans. Through piecing together the mosaic of Raju’s past, Riya, a determined journalist, discovered a startling truth – he was alive.
Redemption emerged from the ashes. The fortune Raju amassed, a vestige of his past life, found a new purpose – the National Cricket Academy. This beacon of hope, his legacy to a game he loved, nurtured talents who soared onto the national team. On this very field, destiny orchestrated a reunion.
His daughter, Riya, now a rising star, smashed a boundary under his admiring gaze. As her six sailed into the sky, Raju’s eyes brimmed with pride, a testament that even in darkness, even after loss, hope has a way of finding its way back to the light.
Director | Saagar K. Chandra |
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Story | Saagar K. Chandra |
Screenplay | Saagar K. Chandra |
Dialogues | Saagar K. Chandra |
Cinematography | Naveen Yadav |
Editor | Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao |
Music | Sai Karthik |
Producer | Prashanti Krishna Vijay |
Cast | Nara Rohit Sree Vishnu Tanya HopeSasha Singh BrahmajiAjayPrabhas SreenuSrinivasa ReddyRajyalakshmiDarbha Appaji AmbarishaManasa HimavarshaG. V. Sudhakar NaiduRavi varmaRavi PrakashSameer Hasansatya prakashJeevaRaj Madiraju, Rajiv Kanakala, Satyadev Kancharana |
Release Type | Theatre |
Language | Telugu |
Production | Aran Media Works |
OTT Platform | Aha |