Rangabali, directed by Pawan Basamsetti, is a romantic comedy-drama starring Naga Shourya, Yukti Thareja, Satya, Shine Tom Chacko, Murali Sharma, Goparaju Ramana, Ananth Sriram, Subhaleka Sudhakar, Noel, Sarath Kumar, Saptagiri, and others. The film features music by Pavan CH and is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas.
Story: The story revolves around a carefree youngster, Shourya(Naga Shaurya), from Rajavaram town who falls in love with a doctor named Sahaja(Yukthi Thareja) from Vizag. However, Sahaja’s father, played by Murali Sharma, opposes their wedding. The film also explores the connection between Shourya’s life and the Rangabali center in Rajavaram town, and how he overcomes the challenges they face.
Performances: Naga Shourya delivers a decent performance as the carefree young man, while Yukti Thareja portrays his love interest effectively. Satya steals the show with his comic role as the hero’s friend, without whom the movie would have lacked entertainment. Shine Tom, Goparaju, Sarath Kumar, and the rest of the cast perform adequately, while Ananth Sriram’s casting may feel like an interesting experiment but might not fully fit the role. Sapthagiri, Bhramaji, and Bhadram have wasted roles in the film.
Technicalities: The editing by Karthika Srinivas lacks consistency throughout the film, with some moments feeling tedious and could have been made crisper. The cinematography by Divakar and Vamsi is good, and the artwork by Prakash is adequate. The music by Pavan CH is weak, and while the background score in some scenes is good, the songs are not up to the mark.
Analysis: The first half of the film is enjoyable primarily due to his comedy, although the overall story lacks depth. Although Director Pawan’s story has potential on paper, he fails to deliver it effectively on the big screen, particularly in the second half where the actual story unfolds and there is so much for the audience to sit through and even digest what is going on.
The director loses track toward the climax, resulting in poor writing. Rangabali is a below-average entertainer. The film would have been more successful if the director had focused more on the second half, the climax, and the music. The drama lacks basic emotion and does not give any strength to the film at all. In the second, so many things happen so quickly that the audience is not prepared one bit to handle the situation.
Regardless of the story and other elements, it is true that audiences often visit theaters to enjoy a good laugh through effective comedy. A prime example of this is the success of the song ‘Samajavaragamana’.
But in the case of ‘Rangabali’, the film started off with strong comedy throughout the beginning and continued to rely on it. However, the comedic elements diminished as the story progressed after the intermission. Unfortunately, the climax failed to leave a lasting impression and felt lacking in creativity.
Verdict: Overall, the film followed a routine masala formula, which may not have resonated well with the audience. While Satya’s comedy provides some relief in the first half, it may not be enough to save the film. Naga Shourya may need to wait for his next project to taste success.
Falters midway
Rating: 2/5
