Movie: Ramarao On Duty
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Ravi Teja, Divyansha Kaushik, Rajisha Vijayan, Venu Thottempudi
Director: Sarath Mandava
Produced By: SLV Cinemas & RT Teamworks
Release Date: July 29th, 2022
Post the debacle of Khiladi, Ravi Teja has decided to shift his focus from regular commercial entertainers to content-driven films. Ramarao On Duty is one such film that deals with an interesting plot and the investigation around it. Both Ravi Teja and director Sarath Mandava have expressed confidence in the project. But, can their confidence translate into success? Let’s check out
Story: B. Ramarao (Ravi Teja) is a sincere and dynamic Deputy Collector who takes all necessary steps to ensure justice. While on duty, he comes across horrific murders which lead to revelations about a big red sanders mafia. How he uncovers the mystery and brings perpetrators to justice is what the plot is about
Performances: Ravi Teja looks sharp as a Deputy Collector and has plenty of ‘mass’ moments in the film. However, the role made him suppress his usual energetic side which is a drawback to the movie. Subtlety doesn’t fit the ‘Mass Maharaja’ and you would often find yourself drifting away. Venu Thottempudi has got a substantial role as a C.I Jammi Murali and he plays a crucial role in the investigation. But his character is poorly written and you would hope there was more depth to his role. Nandini (Divyansha Kaushik and Deepa (Rajisha Vijayan) have limited roles and have no scope to perform and there are no special takeaways from their roles.
Analysis: Sarath Mandava has written the screenplay and dialogues as well and the dialogues often look out of sync. The first half is full of filler scenes and it is only towards the pre- interval that the movie kicks off the investigation part. The delay in setting the context and lack of interesting scenes in the first half creates a disconnect with the film. The second half is comparatively better but isn’t gripping enough and the twists are quite expected. The characters are poorly written and their motivations are not well established leading to disconnect.
Plus Points:
- Ravi Teja
- BGM
Minus Points:
- Predictability
- First Half
- Songs
- Weak Screenplay
Verdict: A shorter runtime with fewer songs and abrupt interruptions would have made the movie more enjoyable. The director’s decision to combine an investigative thriller with commercial cinema goes horribly wrong. Alas, Tollywood’s poor streak continues this week as well.
