'Mass Jathara' Movie Review

'Mass Jatara' Movie Review

Actors: Ravi Teja- Sreeleela, Naveen Chandra, Rajendra Prasad, Murali Sharma, Naresh, Samudrakhani, Nithin Prasanna, Hyper Adi, Ajay Ghosh and others

Music: Bheems Cicerolio

Cinematography: Vidhu Ayyanna

Dialogues: Nandu Savirigama

Producers: Nagavamsi Sai Soujanya

Story-Screenplay-Direction: Bhanu Bhogavarapu

Ravi Teja’s been trying to score that big blockbuster like ‘Dhamaka’ yet again. Last year, he dazzled on screen with Eagle and Mr. Bachchan, but those didn’t really click. After a short break, he’s back with Mass Jatara this time, directed by newcomer Bhanu Bhogavarapu. As the movie is out today, let’s see if this one finally turns things around for the Mass Raja.

Story:

Lakshman Bheri works as a Railway Police Sub-Inspector in Warangal. He is a tough guy who doesn’t let any wrongdoer slip away. This attitude keeps him getting transferred. This time, he ends up in the forest area of Srikakulam. There, he crosses paths with Shiva (Naveen Chandra), a big-time ganja dealer who basically runs the place. Shiva can’t take Lakshman getting in his way and promises to finish him off. But Lakshman isn’t the type who will take a back step. He starts tearing into Shiva’s empire brick by brick. What happens in this tug-of-war between them forms the rest of the story.

Analysis:

Nobody really expects a brand-new story from a Ravi Teja film. People walk into theatres, already knowing what they’re signing up for, a mix of fights, attitude, and energy. These movies usually run on the same old template, but what makes or breaks them is whether the mass bits land well, the emotion, the action, the high moments. To get that balance right, most directors take a cue from Ravi Teja’s old hits. And the same happened here, too.

Bhanu Bhogavarapu, who earlier wrote Samajavaragamana, now turns director with Mass Jatara. He clearly drew inspiration from Krack, once again showing Ravi Teja as a powerful cop. The idea was to give fans a proper mass treat, and he managed to grab attention in a few parts in that aspect. But the film hasn’t hooked for two and a half hours as it feels like a bunch of irrelevant scenes stitched together, rather than a full story. It lost steam after a point.

Since Bhanu is part of the biggest comedy hit like Samajavaragamana, people expected solid laughs. But that didn’t quite click either. Rajendra Prasad’s funny track as an old guy trying to do romantic stuff barely brings a smile. Sreeleela tries a bit of comedy before her role gets serious, but it doesn’t land. Hyper Aadi and Ajay Ghosh also try hard to make us laugh, but still, there's no luck. On the bright side, Bhanu handled Ravi Teja’s image nicely, and the elevation shots and fight sequences came out strong. The villain track was average, but the sequence of how he does things for ‘family’ added a bit of freshness. That’s probably the only place you see a spark of something new from the director.

Known for carrying a film with his energy, Ravi Teja does that again. Especially around the interval and some moments in the second half, his acting and the scenes pack a punch. Rajendra Prasad’s twist adds a fun surprise, and the songs are designed for the crowd that loves whistles and cheers. But beyond those bits, Mass Jatara feels pretty normal. Making Ravi Teja a railway SI sounded different on paper, but that idea didn’t go anywhere. The first half drags, while the second half feels a little better but still not enough. In the end, it’s one of those “watch it for a few mass scenes, then forget it” kind of films. Mass Jatara is too plain, with nothing great, and nothing horrible.

Performances:

Ravi Teja finally came up with the treat his fans have been expecting for some time. He slipped into the character effortlessly, infusing his trademark energy. His look works well too, as he looked the same throughout the film, unlike his past films. The role is not as powerful as Krack, but you can see he’s having fun playing a cop again. In the romantic and comedy bits, he’s just okay, offering nothing really new there.

Sreeleela gets another regular run-of-the-mill role. She’s getting comfortable in these roles, it seems like, even though they don’t give her any scope to perform. She looks glamorous in the songs, dances well, but the acting side feels empty. Naveen Chandra’s villain act isn’t anything special, but he handles it neatly. Rajendra Prasad tries a fresh look, though his character mostly irritates until the end, where he finally brings a few smiles.

Hyper Aadi and Ajay Ghosh did their part, and it is okayish. Naresh, Murali Sharma, and Samuthirakani show up, do their bits, and that’s about it. Overall, the performances work enough for the vibe of the film, but no one really stands out.

Technicians:

Bheems Ceciroleo packs in three proper mass songs, which are loud, catchy, and full of that whistle vibe. They play well on the screen. The background score, however, is kind of hit and miss. In a few places, it adds energy, but in many scenes, it just doesn’t lift the mood. It feels like the film needed a stronger push there. Vidhu Ayyanna’s camera work is neat; the visuals look clean and vibrant. The producers clearly didn’t cut budgets, as the production design looks solid. The dialogues by Nandu are okay, but nothing that really stays with you. Director Bhanu Bhogavarapu, in his first outing, aims for a safe Ravi Teja-style mass film. He knows how the mass crowd thinks and gets the hero elevation right. But the freshness you’d expect from a new director shows up only in one sequence. If he had kept that same spark across the whole story, the film could’ve felt way more alive.

Verdict: Only Mass.. No Jatara!

Rating-2.25/5