BOTTOM LINE
Wafer-thin Content Mars Radha
OUR RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
‘U’ Certified, 2 hrs 08 mins.
What is the film Radha about?
Radha Krishna (Sharwanand) wants to become a police, it is his dream. When he finally becomes one, he is posted to Warangal. He meets Radha (Lavanya Tripathi) and falls in love with her. He is again transferred to Hyderabad where he gets involved with Sujatha (Ravi Kishan), a CM candidate. What happens in the end is what all the film is about.
How is Sharwanand’s performance?
Sharwanand plays a ‘lead’ hero in typical sense in Radha. All we have in the film and all we remember at the end of the movie is the actor. It is a ‘star’ turn. The problem is there is no content for the star to hold on to. The comic timing is effortless and fantastic. The body language is perfect for a commercial star. These elements bring immense screen presence to the actor. However, care must be taken by the actor to get a good and fresh subject for ‘star’ turns like this to work.
Direction By Chandra Mohan Chintada?
Director Chandra Mohan has a very simple script in hand. As usual it needs a strong screenplay and lead performances to hook the audience. The director gets the right actor for the lead but falters on the screenplay front.
The movie feels like parts are stitched together rather than a seamless narrative. Mainly it delves into two distinct narratives, one involving the love track and the other involving villain. These two are unrelated to each other and give a disjointed feeling overall. It breaks the flow and creates boredom as the proceedings are extremely predictable and stretched.
The first half is okay even with that uneven and uneventful happenings but the second half loses steam. Predictable drama and love track make things difficult to sit through. Overall Radha fails to engage despite best efforts by Sharwanand to hold things together.
Lavanya Tripathi and others?
Lavanya Tripathi looks lively but she has nothing to do in the film apart from pout. She does that well, though. Aksha Pardhasani is wasted. Apart from the hero the other important character in terms of performance is Ravi Kishan. He over acts but that is fine for the terrain. Shakalaka Shankar is utilized well and so is Brahmaji but for a brief part. Kota Srinivas Rao and Ashish Vidhyarthi are terribly underused. Ali and Sapthagiri appear briefly and do well in their parts.
Music and other departments?
Music for the film is given by Radhan. It is decent with a couple of numbers being very good. The background score is adequate. The cinematography is patchy. Editing is alright. Dialogues are good in parts but there is certainly an overuse of mythological references. Choreography of songs is neat.
Highlights?
Sharwanand
Entertainment
First half
Drawbacks?
Weak Content
Second Half
Alternative Take
Less love story or love story that is interlinked with the main plot would have been better.
Did I enjoy it?
Only few parts.
Will you recommend it?
No.
Radha Review by Siddartha Toleti
Final Report: Radha is a logic less, done to death routine comedy film. Watch out for our review shortly.
– Jr NTR’s Nannaku Prematho theme music and NTR’s act has been repeatedly used by comedian Saptagiri.
– Sharwanand’s comedy timing and grace is good on screen as a cop.
First Half Report: Though logic goes for toss and feels routine, comedy works in parts. Short run time comes to it’s advantage. Overall strictly an average first half.
– Talented actor Kota Srinivasa Rao gets a role in young hero’s film after a long time.
– Show started with Sharwa getting police job followed by first song. Our next update will be ‘first half report’. Visit back this space.
Radha Live Updates from USA begin at 6.30 AM IST.
Preview: Radha
‘Luck favours the brave’, is a popular saying which suits young hero Sharwanand the best as he is one hero who braved to release his movies right after big films (Sankranti) and scored super hit which improved and increased his box-office stamina.
‘Radha’ is coming right after ‘Baahubali 2‘. This Rajamouli’s directorial isn’t like any other biggie as it rocked the entire nation. Coming so close when the magnum opus is still running strong is something to ponder upon.
Nevertheless, Sharwanand’s previous outings proved such courageous decision is going to pay results. Coming to ‘Radha’, the content of the film, going by the response to the trailer, is promising. It’s entertaining and a kind of film which is a cakewalk for a performer like Sharwanand.
His look in the film as a cop enhanced his handsomeness and that would be a positive thing to attract youngsters, especially girls to theatres. There is one more advantage for this film. Moviegoers liked the experience of going to theatres to watch ‘Baahubali 2’.
If the opening talk on ‘Radha’ turns positive, audiences want to visit theatres again and will be in a mood to watch another, this summer. A small film after a biggie is surely an advantage. Though not a small film, Mahesh Babu’s ‘Srimanthudu’ took advantage after ‘Baahubai, The Beginning’.
Sharwanand’s ‘Run Raja Run‘ and ‘Shatamanam Bhavati‘ turned out to be real hits and the actor is improving day by day with a slow and steady run. A Sharwanand’s film means a decent one which attracts the family audiences and the youth.
The target is set and we know, if the content is good, it can sail cross against the ‘Baahubali 2’ tsunami. Newbie Chandra Mohan who had been director Karunakaran’s assistant is making debut with this film and the debutante’s hands on experience can be seen in cutting the trailer.
Everything will be decided in few hours. Watch out this space for our full review to know the first talk on the movie.
