BOTTOM LINE
Pain Of India
OUR RATING
1.5/5
CENSOR
1h 42m
What Is the Film About?
Kadiyam Babji alias Virupaksha (Mohan Babu) kidnaps people from different streams (a politician, a doctor, an educationalist). A National Intelligence Agency (NIA) officer Ira, with her team, is after him.
Did Ira (Pragya Jaiswal) catch Babji? Why is Babji kidnapping these officials and what happens to them at the end is the movie’s overall plot.
Performances
Mohan Babu is the whole and sole author of Son Of India. We see no one else but him for the entire narrative. He looks a lot better than his last outing, but a certain unease can be felt. Leaving aside the personal appearance, Mohan Babu known for his dialogues have got ample scope here. The dialogue on the caste for example is well done. However, there is not much for him to do besides fleeting moments like these.
Analysis
Diamond Ratna Babu directs Son Of India. It is a typical vigilante drama where a grieved father is on a revenge mission. However, the drama is later conflated with a bigger issue.
The beginning of the movie is mind-numbing painful due to the amateurish making and visuals. The idea of invoking glorious legends of Indian mythology is right, but the sheer visceral force of the tackiness makes one guffaw in disbelief.
The introduction song then sets the tone for the rest of the drama to follow. There is a catch here though, and it is experimentation on part of the filmmaker. We see no other faces of the rest of the cast (barring Mohan Babu) for most of the film.
Again like the introduction song, the idea to have a one-person narrative is fine, but the execution is where it falters disastrously. All we see is blurred faces. It makes one wonder if this was a cost-cutting exercise due to Corona. Otherwise, one can’t understand how it enhances or add to the narrative.
There is a high dose of vulgarity in parts which is utterly unnecessary. The focus on female anatomy is in bad taste.
The kidnapping makes one wonder what Son Of India is all about, for sure, but everyone understands how it could be connected to the flashback. It is why one waits for it and it comes in the second half. A small twist here telling how the kidnapping is not directly related to him is decent.
The all-important flashback is very cliched and predictable. What follows next is the typical revenge drama that is done to death and seen countless times.
As mentioned above, the revenge angle is later conflated to a bigger cause related to innocents in jails. It is a good point, but by the time it arrives, it’s too late. One has lost interest in the plot a long time ago. The point Son Of India wants to convey, therefore, could be seen if one manages to stay until the end. And that would be a difficult task.
Overall, Son Of India is a painful watch. The decent core premise is terribly executed making it difficult to sit through the entire duration.
Others?
Many known faces are part of Son Of India including the heroine Pragya Jaiswal. However, none (Naresh, Srikanth, Raja Ravindra) have anything to show performance-wise. All we hear is their voices for most of the narrative. Sunil, Ali, Bandla Ganesh and Vennela Kishore appear as TV anchors providing entertainment. But, everyone is irritating. Chiranjeevi’s voice-over adds some fun initially.
Music and Other Departments?
Maestro Ilaiyaraaja provides the music and background score. It is good, but some sounds have an outdated vibe to them. Technically the film is poor with cinematography being below par. The editing gives a messy vibe throughout. The writing is alright, in parts mainly due to Mohan Babu’s dialogue delivery.
Highlights?
Mohan Babu
Length
Basic Story
Drawbacks?
Execution
Messy Editing
Experimentation
Alternative Take
The investigative angle should have been used to reveal the flashback. It would have added some freshness and better lead to pre-climax and then the climax.
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Son of India Telugu Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
