'Mr. Bachchan', the official remake of 'Raid' (2018; Hindi), is loosely based on the longest-running Income Tax raid in India's history (which took place in 1981 in Kanpur). In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.
Plot:
Bachchan (Ravi Teja) is an Income Tax official who is about to get married to Jikki, his girlfriend. Four days before his wedding, he is designated by his superior to raid the bungalow of a four-time MP named Muthyam Jaggaiah (Jagapathi Babu). The target of Bachchan and his team of sleuths is no pushover; he can wield enormous power and violently prevent him from succeeding.
How Bachchan rises to the occasion and successfully executes the days-long raid is what the film is about. A high-stakes clash between a megalomaniac, certain of his impunity, and a sincere bureaucrat bound by duty, ensues.
Performances:
Ravi Teja should have done a better job of bringing out the motivations of his character. Since he is part of a roguish system, his style of heroism should have possessed a unique spark. Instead, we only see shades of his previous massy roles throughout the film.
Jagapathi Babu plays a super-loud antagonist who keeps warning someone or the other person in every single scene. The slugfest between the lead man and the villain is too much to bear.
Bhagyashri Borse came with a magnetic pull in pre-release interviews. It takes a special level of incompetence to present such a beauty so foolishly. She, as Jikki, never comes across as a girl-next-door; nobody in real life wears sarees/half-sarees the way she does in the first half of 'Mr. Bachchan'.
Satya is part of a cliched, done-to-death comedy track; his character should not have been seen anywhere in the second half. Sachin Khedekar as the heroine's father is boring. Chammak Chandra and Prabhas Sreenu, as a wannabe superstar and a director, respectively, are decent.
Technical aspects:
Ayananka Bose's cinematography is functional. Mickey J Meyer's mass-friendly tunes are a complete surprise. 'Reppal Dappul' and 'Nallanchu Thellacheera' are excellently choreographed.
Editor Ujwal Kulkarni gets the basics right. Production Design is an important element for a film like this because the entire saga unfolds within the walls of a single house, inhabited by a joint family. However, Brahma Kadali's work is far from satisfying.
The Ram-Laxman duo and Pruthvi let the hero engage in outdated fights. The climax fight is something no film aspiring to gross even Rs 50 Cr at the box office should feature in the post-'KGF' era.
Post-Mortem:
"The film is devoid of energy and features a bunch of completely misplaced romantic songs and uninspired, hammy performances by its actors." This is what 'Raid' (Hindi) was accused of by a film critic upon its release in 2018. This reviewer wondered what more could be spoiled by director Harish Shankar with its remake, 'Mr. Bachchan'. And boy, he is so effortless in what he does!
'Mr. Bachchan' is over-crowded with about two dozen references to Hindi/Telugu classics. Legends like Kishore Kumar, Kumar Sanu and everyone in between are invoked in the first half. At times, the film feels like a showreel of nostalgia. And each of the references is staged dully and performed artificially. In one scene, Ravi Teja mirthfully imitates ANR. Harish Shankar never outgrew the Antyaakshari episode from 'Gabbar Singh', did he?
The screenplay has been written by more than one individual (Ramesh Reddy, Sathish Vegesna, Praveen Varma, Dattatreya, Tanvi Kesari). But the desired detailing is not present even for half a minute. None of the IT officers in Bachchan's team look real. They come across as caricatures who show childish excitement/shock all the time.
The antagonist is so senseless that the only thing he knows is how to shout at or warn others. When he is done warning every other person in the village, he shifts his gaze toward his own family members while at the dining table.
Whatever chemistry we see between the lead pair is limited to the songs. If anything, Mickey J Meyer is the film's real hero.
Closing Remarks:
'Mr. Bachchan' is a pointless remake packed with outdated elements.
