BOTTOM LINE
Quirky Heart ‘Chor’ing Tale Of Fun And Emotion
OUR RATING
3/5
CENSOR
2h 29m, ‘U/A’ Certified
What Is the Film About?
Bhaskar (Sree Vishnu) works in a Stationery shop and has an unhappy marriage (with Sunaina). He is after another girl (Megha Akash) lying about his job and marital status. He also steals to make money mainly for both the girls in his life. But then, one day, he gets him to a mess. That one robbery gets him into a big mess.
How Is Sree Vishnu’s Performance?
Sree Vishnu has delivered a complete performance with this film. The first half is more about subtle comedy. It is not loud but what we usually expect from Sree Vishnu and something close to his real-life persona. He carried it out easily. The emotional second half brings the best actor out of him. He has performed really well and in some places ensured the eyes do the talking. The director has written the character within the limits of Sree Vishnu and did not overdo it.
Direction by Hasith Goli?
Raja Raja Chora is the story of a cheat who literally cheats everyone in his life – his wife, his girlfriend, and his owner. But that said he is not a fraud. He has a reason to do everything. No reason is dramatic or farcical. The first half is more about fun. The story moves at a decent pace with good humor here and there. The momentum goes up in the pre-interval with the entry of the crown. From there to the interval, the proceedings turn very interesting.
The second half begins on a high note. The Police station scene is neatly handled. From there, we have the director weaving realization threads carefully. The husband-wife and the owner-worker threads are impressive. You kind of feel there is abruptness in the girlfriend thread but that’s okay. Ravibabu is crucial in the second half and his track is neat. The climax is again neatly wrapped.
While that’s about the good things of the second half, on the flip side, the second half can be packaged better. We feel the proceedings are a bit lagged in the middle and feel like having more entertained. The experience is not disappointing. There are moments of brilliance but when we look back, we feel like it can be better.
Director Hasith Goli makes his debut with this film and he chooses a story-driven entertainer. The movie is a neat package of good humor and emotions. Furthermore, the film is laced with enough turns. We can not call them twists. The turns do not come as a surprise but will bring a smile to your faces thanks to some amazing detailing and narration. There are many portions where you feel logic going for a toss but you do not feel something is really dumb.In the end, Raja Raja Chora is a fresh breezy entertainer in these difficult times. It has pacing and narrative issues during the second half, but they don’t mar the experience, entirely. Raja Raja Chora is an easy one time watch. Do give it a try this weekend.
Megha Akash and Others?
The best part of Raja Raja Chora is that there is no character that is under-used or there just for the sake of having. Sunaina and Megha Akash have performed well. It is Sunaina who gets more meat and stands out. In the first half, we do not feel it much but the character gets better in the second half. Ravibabu gets a hilarious and important character. He rocked the show. Gangavva and Ajay Ghosh have had their moments in the film and they performed well.
Music and Other Departments?
Vivek Sagar has rocked the show in Raja Raja Chora. He has breathed life into the proceedings with an excellent background score. The background score is not just good, we can feel every frame oozing freshness. The songs are situational and blend into the proceedings. The title song stands out and comes at the right time. Veda Raman Sankaran does a great job with the visuals. The color grading is too good. Viplav Nyshadam’s editing is fine. The production values are appropriate.
Highlights?
Performances
Subtle Humor
Emotional moments in the second half
Background score
Drawbacks?
Logical issues
Drag in the second half
Alternative Take
A little trimming making a crisp second half would have worked wonders. It would have elevated the film big time.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Raja Raja Chora Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
