Ramam Raghavam, produced by Prudhvi Polavarapu under the Slate Pencil banner, hits the cinemas this Friday. In this section, we are going to review the latest BO release.
Plot:
Ramam, a steadfastly honest government official (played by Samuthirakani), faces a devastating betrayal when his son, Raghav (played by Dhanraj), a man driven by greed, forges his signature to cover a financial scam. Raghav's actions, stemming from his need to pay a hefty bribe, threaten to shatter the family and push Ramam to his limits, potentially leading to tragic consequences.
Post-Mortem:
Ramam Raghavam is unintentionally funny. The screenplay is so contrived that a key character has a sudden change of heart at the right time -- not a minute late, not a minute early. If you have watched the movie, you could argue saying, "No, his change of heart doesn't happen at the right time, because the tragedy was not prevented". But that's the point: not preventing the tragedy was the very purpose of this film. Tragedies are the very purpose why they make TV serials. And the film under review is no different from the TV serials you get to watch for free. Last week, Vishwak Sen's Laila was a stand-in for an unabashedly obscene Jabardasth episode. Ramam Raghavam this week is a stand-in for an unabashedly melodramatic tragedy porn you watch for free on TV.
Time and again while watching the movie, this reviewer was reminded of the dark elements in domestic television soaps. Lack of intrigue and surprise is the least of this film's problems. The very manner in which the actors deliver their lines is annoyingly outdated. When they are tired of looking like TV serial characters, the scheming ones in Ramam Raghavam scheme like old-school villains from the movies made in the 1980s. The plots plotted are hilariously stupid. They also make it a point to leave a trail for the cops in an unlikely sequel to use against them.
When Raghav takes a shattering, immoral decision, he blurts out his entire plan to the audience. We know his motives are evil but there was no need to reveal his cards in one stroke like a TV serial character. The intended punch never materializes even during the most exhausting of the situations.
The relationship dynamic between the father and his son is static, never going beyond the 'I shout at you' trope. It is not like the father is incapable of talking. He is like Chandra Mohan from 7/G Brindavan Colony - he is Kollywood-level sentimental and secretly loves his son. Just that, instead of talking one-on-one, he prefers to write down things in a dairy and in A4 size pieces stuffed away for the son to discover at the nick of the moment.
Closing Remarks:
The sensibilities of Ramam Raghavam test your patience. Actor-director Dhanraj was smoking something you and I can't fathom. He could be taken out of TV but TV couldn't be taken out of him.
