'Raja Saab' Movie Review

'Raja Saab' Movie Review

Cast: Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Zarina Wahab, Nidhie Aggerwal, Malavika Mohanan, Riddhi Kumar, Ammu Abhirami, Boman Irani, Satya, Prabhas Sreenu, VTV Ganesh, and others

Music: Thaman

Cinematography: Karthik Palani

Producer: TG Vishwaprasad

Written and Directed by: Maruthi

When the announcement of pan-India star Prabhas’ next film with Maruthi came out, many were shocked as to how such a superstar would join hands with a maker of mid-range films. Prabhas’ fans were initially unhappy and frequently questioned the decision, although the hero trusted Maruthi and proceeded with the film. After the promos for The Raja Saab were released, it seemed like Maruthi was delivering something special. Slowly, negativity unclouded, Maruthi won the trust of fans. Did he finally meet those expectations? Let’s find out.

Story:

Raju (Prabhas) is a young man who lost his parents in childhood and is deeply attached to his grandmother, Gangadevi (Zarina Wahab). While Gangadevi is unwell and also suffers from Alzheimer's, she awaits the homecoming of her husband Kanakaraju (Sanjay Dutt), who left her long ago. Wanting to fulfil his grandmother’s wish, Raju leaves his village for Hyderabad in search of his grandpa. On their mission, they end up at an abandoned bungalow hidden deep inside a forest outside the city. Raju uncovers some shocking truths about his grandfather, and what are those secrets, what really happened to Kanakaraju, and how Raju manages to bring peace to his grandma, unfold on the silver screen.

Analysis:

Maruthi’s talent in crafting horror-comedies was evident almost a decade ago with Prema Katha Chitram. Being a new director with limited resources, he made a film that paved the way for a trend. Now, when he chose another story set in a similar horror backdrop, with a pan-India star like Prabhas in hand, and backing of a big production that spends crores, providing everything he asked for, surprisingly, Maruthi hasn’t utilised the golden opportunity. Despite getting everything he asked for, including top technicians, a huge cast, and more than three years, he failed to craft a memorable film.

Instead of sticking close to the genre he excels at, Maruthi tried his hand at something beyond expectations by mixing psychological elements into a horror story. While the idea sounds fresh, it wasn’t handled well. The result is a confused, messy Raja Saab that wouldn’t meet the expectations of the audience. Though fans are happy to see Prabhas in a full-length, energetic role after a long time, the film’s long runtime seriously tests the patience of the movie viewers.

One of the biggest problems for Raja Saab is the three-hour runtime itself. Despite this length, the story isn’t clearly narrated, and none of the characters feel strong or convincing. A villain should especially have a clear goal, and a solid reason for his negative traits should be established. The audience should understand why he behaves the way he does, but in this film, there’s no clarity about what the villain actually wants. He craves wealth, but does nothing meaningful with it. At the same time, there’s no solid reason for seeking revenge on his wife. Because of this weak writing, the villain’s ghost character failed to create fear and impact.

Another major issue is the emotional bonding between grandmother and grandson, which is supposed to be the crux of the story. Though the hero risks his life and fights fiercely for his grandma, the film fails to establish their relationship strongly. Without that emotional depth, the audience cannot invest in his struggles. When the emotional links between these primary characters don’t work, the story loses its sheen.

So what would add up to this three-hour runtime? Maruth added three heroines, with romantic tracks and comedy scenes. Sadly, neither the romance nor the comedy nor the horror element works. Mostly, the three heroines are utilised for glamour treatment, but none leave an impression, as the hero’s romantic track with all of them feels forced and ineffective. The first hour is filled with songs, dances and comedy scenes that drag on, without any progressing story, and only near the interval, with the villain’s entry, the film becomes somewhat interesting.

The second half is all about how the hero and his friends, who are trapped by the villain in the palace, escape. The old-style comedy based on fear of ghosts is no longer working, and those scenes fell flat. But the entry of Boman Iran’s character brings a shift as this horror story turns into a psychological thriller. When this core idea of Maruth was present on screen, it piqued curiosity. This portion stands out as the best part of the film, with the director’s vision clearly visible.

Revelation of the villain’s plans and the hero’s counter moves are engaging, but the execution lacks sharpness. From the pre-climax onwards, Raja Saab impressed with grand visuals and cinematic beauty, while scenes are stretched unnecessarily. Though the villain’s game is interesting, his character is underdeveloped. If Maruthi focused more on designing strong characters and chopped out unwanted filler scenes, Raja Saab could have been a standout film. As it ends, the movie offers only a mixed bag of experiences.

Performances:

Looking at the way Prabhas shone in the last 40 minutes of the film, which happens to be the best part, Maruthi’s pre-release comments about the hero’s performance don’t feel exaggerated. Especially in the hospital episode, Prabhas is at his best. Unlike his recent films, where he appeared like a spectator in calm roles, Prabhas is quite energetic and super active here. His stylish appearance also stands out. Though some artificiality could be felt in a few scenes, overall, he keeps it engaging and entertaining, with the whole film revolving around him.

The three heroines add up only to the visual appeal of the movie. Especially Nidhi Aggerwal and Malavika Mohanan indulged only in glamour treatment, and it feels like they were cast only for that reason. There’s no strong role for them to perform. Guess what, Riddhi Kumar’s character hardly matters to the story. Sanjay Dutt and Zarina Wahab play important roles and perform well, though their characters are marred by poor writing. Bomani Irani leaves a strong impression in a short screen time. While Ammu Abhirami is decent, the comedy involving Satya, VTV Ganesh and Prabhas Sreenu doesn’t work most of the time.

Technicians:

Super talented Thaman’s music turns out to be average this time. While the songs Sarath Chandrika and Naache Naache remix stood out, the rest of them failed to leave a strong impression. Though he’s known for BGMs, this only applies to the last 40 minutes of the film, which got uplifted by his re-recording. Till then, the score feels ordinary and sometimes gives a deja vu feeling, reminding us of ‘Rakshasudu’ BGM.

Karthi Palani’s cinematography is good with attractive visuals. The hard work put in by the VFX team is clearly visible as important scenes were painted with grandeur. People Media Factory deserves credit for not cutting corners on production values, as the film looks rich.

As a writer and director, Maruthi tried to give a fresh twist to a routine horror plot, and the core twist is genuinely interesting. However, all these evident efforts failed with the screenplay not supporting it. The unnecessary time-pass scenes before the main plot’s occurrence turn out to be a major drawback. Trying to include all the elements as if in a regular commercial film worked against the film. While Maruthi’s hard work cannot be denied, the execution needs to be much sharper.

Verdict: Raja! The dose is not enough, Saab!

Rating - 2.25/5