BOTTOM LINE
Completely Off-Duty
OUR RATING
1.75/5
CENSOR
‘UA’
What Is the Film About?
Ramarao (Ravi Teja) is Deputy Collector who goes about his way honestly. How he unearths a red sanders mafia and the horrific crime committed by them as part of his duty is the movie’s main plot.
How CI Jammi Murali (Venu) starts the whole process and is inadvertently involved in the investigation completes the film.
Performances
Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja plays a character that is not his typical style. It creates a couple of issues which unfortunately can’t be overlooked. The first thing is he is without his trademark energy. The attempt at subtlety doesn’t quite work and it is linked to his looks. The star also appears aged on screen and it is enhanced with the act. The styling is decent, but that’s about it.
Divyansha Kaushik and Rajisha Vijayan play the heroines. Sadly, they lack any semblance of a role and appear in and out briefly in the narrative. The former is poor even in that regard as one wouldn’t miss her being part of the narrative at all. The latter at least has some part in connection to the story and helps it move forward.
Analysis
Sarath Mandava directs Ramarao On Duty. He also provides the story, screenplay and dialogues. For his debut, Sarath Mandava has picked an interesting subject involving thriller elements.
As mentioned above, Sarath Mandava attempts to bring a content-driven narrative to the audience. But, he has a mass hero at his disposal. It is the attempt to balance both where he fails and also fails the subject at hand in the process.
The introduction makes things clear. The urge to give a powerful intro and also deliver the content and establish the world realistically doesn’t work at all. There is a lot of talk as a result, most of which is flat and boring.
The narrative immediately cuts to establishing the world of the hero which includes a family. The way the dialogues are written and how it’s integrated into the narrative instantly puts a speed breaker. A couple of scenes later, we have an item number. It makes one wonder where the movie is heading.
The actual story picks up around the pre-interval mark when the investigation track begins. The mystery behind the murders leaves one intrigued.
The second half furthers the investigative track, but the gripping narrative is never there. The many characters and the different direction proceedings branch out makes the whole thing uninteresting.
And then there is the heroism to balance. So, we have action blocks from time to time that further dent the investigative drama. Any intrigue that’s built ends with heroism coming in the way.
However, it is still not a problem. The real issue comes with the revelation of the suspense and mystery. It highlights how poorly written the parts are. To create suspense, the antagonist part is terribly developed. The integration and revelation define half-baked-ness.
The overstuffed narrative with dialogues and the uneven mix of action and heroism makes the proceedings bloated and lengthy. It is the case with both halves. The climax after all the time looks abrupt.
Overall, Ramarao On Duty is a failed attempt to give a content narrative featuring a star. The uneven narrative trying to balance content and heroism makes for a boring and flat movie. In the end, even die-hard fans might struggle to sit through the misguided commercial venture.
Performances by Others Actors
Venu Thottempudi marks his return to the big screen after a gap. However, one wonders if this was the right part to do. While the actor plays a decent hand in taking things forward, there is nothing beyond the surface-level involvement. The characterisation too is poorly written and doesn’t register after the initial bits. The dubbing further takes away any little chance he might have had. Eventually, it is another forgetful attempt to come back from the actor.
If that is the case with Venu, a notable face, one can imagine how it would be with the rest. They are nothing more than half-baked. In fact, it will be an understatement to say so. We have a set of known faces like Nasser, Rahul Ramakrishna, Naresh, Pavitra Lokesh, Tanikella Bharani, Prithvi and so on which also includes an antagonist, but none have a decent role to speak off.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Sam CS is unnecessary. The songs reflect the same as they lack any appeal. To make matters worse they are placed in the wrong places. It is all about background score then and Sam CS delivers adequately in that department.
Sathyan Sooran’s cinematography is decent. There is an attempt at rugged visuals which are fine in places. Praveen KL’s editing is alright. There is nothing much he can do when the content itself consists of largely filler sequences. The writing gives an overstuffed feeling. There is too much talk going on but nothing sticks or is memorable.
Highlights?
Few Investigation Parts
BGM
Drawbacks?
Convoluted Narrative
Uneven Screenplay
Half Baked Characterizations
Commercial Elements Integration
Alternative Take
A focused narrative on the core mystery murders and their related investigation with a gripping narrative is all that was required here.
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Ramarao on Duty Movie Review by M9News
Final Report:
Ramarao On Duty is a big misfire. It is neither a commercial entertainer catering outrightly to Ravi Teja’s mass histrionics nor is it a thriller for movie lovers. Watch out for our review coming soon.
— Deputy Collector Ramarao completely turned into a crime investigating officer. The investigation involves a higher up in the police department.
— Ramarao On Duty second half started. Rama’s investigation reaches Mangalore.
First Half Report:
The first half of Ramarao On Duty is riddled with filler sequences for a long time. The movie takes off when the core investigation drama centred on missing persons begins around the pre-interval mark. Venu Thottempudi’s track fails to create an impact. It is flat and appeals intermittently. The second half is crucial now to deliver.
— Ramarao starts investigating a missing case but finds out that there is more to it.
— Rama’s Ex lover Rajisha Vijayan’s husband goes missing. Ramarao promises to bring him back. The story moves to flashback time.
— CI Venu Thottempudi is searching for a missing Red sander maal.
— Most honest and revolutionary officer Ramarao gets transferred to a village.
— The story quickly shifts to officer Rama Rao’s flashback.
— Ramarao On Duty started in Horsely Hills, Chittoor in 1995 backdrop.
Ramarao on Duty Review U.S. Premiere will begin shortly, stay tuned for the report.
Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja is back with a new outing Ramarao On Duty. It introduces a new director Sarath Mandava to the big screen.
Ravi Teja recently saw a major comeback box office-wise with Krack. However, his next Khiladi failed to work at the box office. The star is hoping to make a strong comeback with Ramarao On Duty. It is a content-based movie with action and thriller elements. Incidentally, Ravi Teja co-produces the film by floating the banner RT Teamworks.
In the recent past, Telugu films have been failing big time at the box office. At this time, a ‘content-based’ film seems like a blessing in disguise for Ravi Teja. If Sarath Mandava can mix action and thrill adequately, it could click with the audience.
Actor Venu marks a comeback to cinema after a long gap. Apart from Ravi Teja and Venu, there are Divyasha Kaushik and Rajisha Vijayan playing the female leads. Add the newcomer director to the mix, Ramarao On Duty becomes a critical movie for everyone involved.
The audience looking for exciting and non-run-of-the-mill content is the biggest USP for Ramarao On Duty. Sam CS’s background score, too, looks effective based on the trailer.
M9News, as always, will bring you the first on-net Ramarao on Duty review, genuinely and honestly. Watch out for this space for our updates.
