Ashwin Babu, who is the younger brother of anchor and director Ohmkar, is working to make a name for himself with his new film, “Shivam Bhaje.” This movie is an action thriller, and the promos have caught people’s attention, especially because they feature Lord Shiva at the end of the teaser and trailer. How much will this religious element help the film? How good is the movie? Will Ashwin Babu get a chance to be a hero? Let’s find out!
Shivam Bhaje Movie Story: Chandu (played by Ashwin Babu) lost his sight in an accident, but doctors gave him new eyes through surgery. After the operation, Chandu starts seeing faces of people who then end up getting killed in different ways. Whose eyes were actually given to Chandu? Why does he keep seeing these faces? What is his connection to the murders? And what part does Shiva play in all this? “Shivam Bhaje” will answer these questions.
Performances: Ashwin Babu is trying to stand out by bringing fresh and unique stories to the audience. After his previous film “Hidimbha,” he is exploring new ideas with “Shivam Bhaje” and showing more acting skills with each movie. He did well in both the action and emotional scenes.
Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan is appearing in his third Telugu film with “Shivam Bhaje,” after “Jai Chiranjeeva” and “Kittu Unnadu Jagratha.” Arbaaz plays a character with two different sides effectively. Digangana Suryavanshi adds glamour to the film but doesn’t have a big impact. Brahmaji and Hyper Aadi provide some laughs with their witty dialogue.
Technical Aspects: Vikas Badisa’s background music gave the film an energetic boost. His music for the action and devotional scenes really helped enhance the emotions. The cinematography by Anith and Dasaradhi Shivendra is decent, but the CGI work is quite poor. Director Apsar aimed to mix commercial and devotional elements with the new topic “Xenotrans Plantation.”
He did well until the interval and the pre-climax, but lost focus on emotional and logical connections after that. The role of Shiva in the story wasn’t well integrated, and the comedy in such a serious story felt out of place. The comedy parts, which could have been better, seemed unnecessary and outdated. The director didn’t recognize this mistake. Despite these issues, he did better as a storyteller than a director. “Shivam Bhaje” could have been a good film if it hadn’t included those commercial and comedy elements.
Analysis: “Shivam Bhaje” is not like typical movies. But the way it handles serious conspiracy theories in a simple manner, like gang wars, is a downside. Still, Ashwin Babu’s effort, Vikas’s background music, and the action scenes make it worth watching for the audience.
Verdict: “Shivam Bhaje” offers a fresh take with its unique storyline, though it stumbles with its simplistic treatment of complex conspiracy theories. Ashwin Babu’s strong performance and Vikas Badisa’s impactful background music are highlights that enhance the film’s appeal. The action sequences are engaging, and the cinematography is decent, but the CGI falls short. Director Apsar’s attempt to blend commercial elements with a serious theme is admirable but loses effectiveness due to inconsistent emotional and logical connecstions. The comedy feels misplaced, detracting from the film’s serious tone. Overall, “Shivam Bhaje” is an entertaining watch for its action and music, but it could have been more compelling with better story integration and coherence.
Bottom Line: worth watching.
Rating: 2.25/5
