Movie Name: Ramam Raghavam
Rating: 2.25/5
Cast: Samuthirakani, Dhanraj, Pramodini, Satya, Sunil, Harish Utthamanand others
Director: Dhanraj Koranani
Produced By: Prudhvi Polavarapu
Release Date: 21st February 2025
Ramam Raghavam is the debut of comedian Dhanraj as a director. Made as an emotional drama between a father and son, the film stars Samuthirakani in one of the lead roles. The movie has been released in theaters today. Let’s check out how the directorial debut of Dhanraj has turned out.
Story:
Dasaradh Ram (Samuthirakani), a government employee, ensures that his son, Raghava (Dhanraj), receives the best possible upbringing. Following the end of his studies, Raghava selects a poor route, continually generating difficulties for both himself and his family. As he creates more problems, his father’s frustration grows, ultimately resulting in Raghava being kicked out of the house. In an unexpected development, Raghava’s fury leads him to make a shocking choice about his future. What circumstances influenced this drastic action? Did he complete the task? From there, the narrative develops further.
Performances:
Samuthirakani excels in his role, adding emotional depth to the film. His representation of a devoted yet vulnerable father is impressive. Not only does Dhanraj direct effectively, but he also performs well. Nevertheless, one might think that a more veteran lead actor could have taken the film and character to greater heights. As the mother, Pramodini shines in her role, while Satya brings in some comedic relief. Harish Utthaman is fine, while Sunil’s character is insignificant.
Analysis:
Dhanraj Koranani, who transitioned from comedy to directing, has written and directed Ramam Raghavam. At first, the movie seems like just another father-son tale. As soon as Dhanraj presents the main conflict, the story takes an intriguing twist. The first half solely concentrates on family drama, with several dramatic and predictable moments which hint about a possible change in the lead character.
Yet, this character reveals an unanticipated downward shift, which keeps viewers wondering about his motives right up to the finale. This theme of the son’s resentment towards his father is not a regular theme in Telugu Cinema
Despite that, the film contains a significant flaw. Director Dhanraj should have delved deeper into the son’s deviation from the right path and the shortcomings in his upbringing. Despite having ample time, he does not establish or justify the enmity of son towards the father and jumps straight to the conflict.
Because of this, one connects to the father’s anguish somehow, but the explanation for the son’s radical shift does not come across effectively. The emotional struggle between father and son feels insufficiently explored. This is the reason the climax does not achieve the desired impact.
Positives:
- Shocking Conflict Point
- Samuthirakani’s Performance
- Few Emotional Scenes/Dialogues
Negatives:
- No Strong Reason for the behavior of Son’s Character
- Incosistent Narration
- Few Unnecessary Scenes/Characters
Ramam Raghavam Movie Review and Verdict:
Ramam Raghavam is an honest attempt by Dhanraj to deliver a poignant drama with a shocking conflict and climax. However, it results in an inconsistent emotional drama. Though the performances and a few well-built scenes act as positives to the film, the film fails to capitalise on the intriguing idea and ends up as a below par watch.