Ajay Ghosh and Rajasekhar Aningi’s new movie Rudramambapuram had its direct debut today on Disney Plus Hotstar. To find out how the movie is, read our review.
Story: Fisherman Shivayya (Rajasekhar Aningi) is well-known in Rudramambapuram. He has issues with competing fisherfolk who fish in the water using ring nets and are commanded by Tirupathi (Ajay Ghosh). Seenayya (Arjun Reddy), the son of Tirupathi, and MLA Ankaiah make the decision to resolve the dispute between Shivayya and Tirupathi. Are they going to be able to fix the problem? Why does Tirupathi defy Shivayya’s decrees? Are they connected in any way? The solutions are in the film.
Performances : Ajay Ghosh plays Gundayyapalem Pedda Kapu Tirupathi in Rudramambapuram in a variety of roles, first as a drunkard and afterwards as a selfless businessman who fights for his community by paying better wages for their labour. In the role of PhD researcher Seenaiah, Arjun Reddy comes across as ignorant. The actor pulls it off admirably, having made a few on-screen appearances in a variety of YouTube short films.
He would have performed flawlessly, though, had he practised the scenes before filming them. His relationship with Prameela appears to be off-kilter. Prameela, on the other hand, excels at her role.
As a local MLA, Palasa Janardhan presents well. He may not seem like the right choice for the part, though, as some of the sequences lacked intensity.
Nanduri Ramu portrays Ringu, Ajay Ghosh’s sidekick. The fishery company’s MD, Gemini Kiran, who makes an appearance in most of the sequences, has a grim expression. Impressive performances include those of Rajasekhar Aningi as the Muslim tradesman and former reporter turned actor Sai as Pedda Kapu Sivvaiah. Ajay Ghosh’s wife Rajini Srikala, Gaddam Rajini as Neelaveni, and Polavarapu Ramani are all respectable actors.
Technicalities: Mahesh Bantu, the director, should have handled the movie with more caution and focus to at least elevate it to respectable fare. The narrative could have been completed in 150 minutes, but both parts’ length was increased with pointless scenes. The second half’s subpar screenplay also detracts from the overall quality of the movie.
The photography of Sudhakar Reddy and the music of Vengi are at best mediocre. They could have improved the Rudramambapuram experience overall with more thinking and effort. To eliminate lag and preserve coherence between some moments, editor Bonthala Nageswara Reddy may have cut a few extraneous scenes. Production standards are typical.
Analysis: Ajay Ghosh’s career has largely been constrained to supporting and negative roles up until this point. He takes a risk in Rudramambapuram by taking on the title character of Tirupathi, a businessman, a dependable person, and a devoted father. Everyone is impressed by his competent performance, and he also wrote the screenplay for this film.
Rajasekhar Aningi, better known to audiences as Subhodayam Subbarao, is another outstanding performer. His deft portrayal of a friend to the fishermen is admirable. The actor who portrays Seenayya, Arjun Reddy, looks fantastic on screen and gives his all. The remaining actors perform satisfactorily in their assigned parts. The scenes between the leads are entertaining, and the heartfelt flashback episode is well worth watching.
A compelling screenplay is a fundamental component of good storytelling, yet Rudramambapuram falls short in this regard. Ajay Ghosh, the story writer, makes a strong narrative point, but Mahesh Bantu, the director and screenwriter, makes the movie into a dull affair with a drab screenplay. The narration of the narrative should have been done better.
The flashback segment, which is crucial to the events in the second half, takes up much of the first half. The second half, though, moves slowly and gets more boring than the first.
Seenayya’s character is shallow, and his love story is ridiculous. There could have been room for more growth and performance. Prameela, the heroine, has very little room to manoeuvre. The lack of a star-studded cast and an effective marketing strategy also have an impact on the movie’s fate. Aside from the principal actors, the audience is less familiar with the other performers.
Verdict: Rudramambapuram is, all in all, a dull and uninspiring movie. The film’s bad storyline, pointless sequences, and unknown ensemble fail to engage viewers in spite of its intriguing premise and a passable performance by Ajay Ghosh. It is advised to avoid this movie and look into other choices.
Rating : 2 / 5
