BOTTOM LINE
Boring Love Story Without Soul
OUR RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
2h 18m, ‘U/A’ Certified.
What Is the Film About?
Vikramaditya (Prabhas) is a world-renowned palmist. He instantly falls in love with Prerana (Pooja Hegde) while on a train journey. Prerana takes time, but she too falls in love. However, fate has something else in store for them.
The movie’s basic plot is how Vikramaditya’s love goes through the test of destiny as Prerana suffers from a chronic illness.
Performances
To those who were worrying regarding Prabhas’ looks based on real-life pictures, well, Radhe Shyam offers good news. The star looks very good on screen (barring a few bits). In fact, he looks better than his last outing, looks-wise and. It adds to the character of palmist Vikramaditya.
There is no heavy-duty performance required from Prabhas in Radhe Shyam. At best, there are some moderate emotional moments that the actor pulls off comfortably. Also, he manages to create a fresh vibe and zing for the character.
On the other hand, Pooja Hegde looks like a fish out of the water. She looks fantastic on-screen and is portrayed as a classical beauty. But, she fails when it comes to developing chemistry with the lead. There is zero chemistry between the lead, and most of the blame goes to her. She plays her part like any other commercial fare featuring her. It doesn’t work here.
Analysis
Radha Krishna Kumar of Jil fame directs Radhe Shyam. He picks a unique plot pitting love versus destiny for Radhe Shyam. There is also an extraordinary amount of effort put into visuals. But is that enough?
Vikramaditya and Prerana’s love story is the mainstay of Radhe Shyam. It is a star crossed love story, and for such a narrative to work, the lead pair must have extraordinary chemistry. The sparks must fly from the first scene together, and when the actual emotional content hits, it should touch the hearts. Nothing of that sort happens with Radhe Shyam, even though the director clearly attempts everything by the book.
The entire first half is built on establishing the fun bond between the respective lead characters. It starts with their individual intros and is then followed by cute little fun moments. It works well when seen from the side of Prabhas. The star shows a glimpse, if not fully take us back, of his Darling and Mr Perfect days. But, nothing works on the other side.
The vibe of Vikramaditya is fresh and trendy, sticking to the movie’s theme and imagination. But, when it comes to Prerana, it looks like a character brought from a typical commercial entertainer. Sync is missing, and it shows in the critical chemistry between the lead pair. There is nothing at all. It is as if both are doing their own thing leading to a narrative disconnect.
The real story related to love versus destiny commences from the interval mark. It generates curiosity on the second half and its content on how the conflict will proceed.
The second half starts on an interesting note, but it fails to sustain it. The predicament related to the hero is intriguing and it leading to the conflict is an excellent idea. Unfortunately, the way the whole thing is set up is poor.
Another significant reason that goes against the movie is the weak story. There is hardly anything. Fate could have been used more judiciously in the narrative. What we get is too simplistic.
The pre-climax involves the much-hyped tsunami sequence involving the ship. On paper and thematically, it is a terrific idea undoubtedly. It sets up the clash of destiny versus love amazingly visually. However, the team falters big time in the execution. The visual effects are a downer here. The ending has a few decent dialogues, but one has lost interest by that time. Also, the heroine track (her actions) makes it further cringe.
Overall, Radhe Shyam is a grandly mounted love story that sticks to the genre. But, it fails in generating the magic via the lead pair chemistry, and that’s where the whole thing falls apart. It eventually settles as a glossy affair with no soul. The only reason to watch the movie is first and foremost the visuals, and later followed by Prabhas.
Others Artists?
Many known faces like Satyaraj, Jagapathi Babu, Murali Sharma, Priyadarshi, Bhagyashree etc., are part of the narrative. However, none look like they are part of the proceedings. One gets a feeling that they are part of another movie. A few of them come and go, and no one bothers about them. Murali Sharma stands out in that aspect. Among the many only Sachin Khedekar manages to hold some attention. Jayaram is the exact opposite with ridiculous characterization.
Music and Other Departments?
Justin Prabhakaran’s music is decent, even though it didn’t click as expected as a standalone audio. The background score by S Thaman is better and enhances the love feel even though the pair fails to do so.
Manoj Paramahamsa’s cinematography is excellent. It is the technical department that puts the film on a pan-India level. The visuals are gorgeous, and the European setting only enhances the appeal.
The editing should have been better. The narrative feels choppy, and one can easily make out that some parts have been left out on the table. The writing is a mixed bag with some sequences working out well, but there are equally scenes that don’t work.
Highlights?
Prabhas
Palmistry Idea
Production Values
Drawbacks?
Slow Pace
No Chemistry Between Leads
Boring Scenes
Climax Block
Alternative Take
For a love story, the primary requirement is the chemistry between the lead, and that’s what is needed for Radhe Shyam. Focusing on the core drama rather than a couple of blocks would be an alternative take.
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Movie Review Radhe Shyam Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
Final Report:
Radhe Shyam is a grandly mounted epic tale that lives up to its visual promise. It also sticks to the genre and doesn’t take any deviation. Nothing else works in its favour besides these two and a dashing Prabhas. Watch out for our review coming soon.
— The much hyped Ship episode looks farcical and forced. Radhe Shyam is heading to the end.
— The second half of Radhe Shyam is moving at a snail’s pace apart from the little intrigue that’s kept alive.
First Half Report:
Radhe Shyam’s first half is visually excellent. However, the main love story misses the magic . The lead pair lacks the chemistry required for a love story. A lot depends on the second half now.
Prabhas looks dapper and stylish barring a few moments. On-screen, he is much better than his last outing.
— The Love track starts well but, the hospital death practice episode which is supposed to be funny is executed terribly.
— Aditya bumps into Prerana in a train, falls for her the moment he sees her.
– A very simple yet effective intro for Vikramaditya, the Eisenstein of palmistry.
— Radhe Shyam U.S. premiere started. Streaming partner —Amazon Prime Video.
https://twitter.com/mirchi9/status/1501977839071080449?s=21
Radhe Shyam Movie Review, U.S. Premiere updates will begin at 12 mid-night IST. Stay tuned.
Pan-India Star Prabhas is finally ready with a new outing after almost two and half years. His latest Radhe Shyam is all set to open in cinemas worldwide on March 11th. A lot is riding on the movie, and therefore on Prabhas.
For a start, Radhe Shyam is made on a budget of 300 Cr according to the makers. With that in mind, it has been sold at astronomical prices. It means, the film will have to do sensationally well across the board to recover the investment.
The response for the Telugu version is terrific and on expected lines. With the new hiked rates in place, Radhe Shyam is poised to make an excellent start. It still needs to cover a lot of ground, though and word of mouth will be critical.
The real test, however, is the other versions’ response apart from Telugu. In Hindi, so far, a muted reaction is seen. It points towards a low opening. The talk becomes extremely critical in that case.
Director Radha Krishna Kumar has been entrusted with such a humongous project for his second outing. Success here will take him straight to the top league.
Radhe Shyam’s biggest USP is its visual and big-screen appeal. The pairing of Prabhas and Pooja Hegde looks good. Will all these be enough to draw audiences all over, needs to be seen?
M9News, as always, will bring you a ‘First-On-Net’ Radhe Shyam review genuinely and honestly. Watch this space for our updates.
