Ravi Teja in director Suheer Verma’s ‘Ravanasur’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
‘We are all bad in someone’s story’. ‘I am not in danger, I am danger’. Director Sudhir Varma uses these widely popular references clown And breaking bad To make its leading man, Ravi Teja, a metaphor Ravanasura, Looks dark and bad. He also associates half of the Joker’s portrait with Ravi Teja’s evil smiling face. That frame has the potential for a scare thriller that could also discuss good versus evil beyond the binary. There is plenty of room for grey.
telugu movie Ravanasura Begins with a murder in a public place, in which the accused has no recollection of having committed the crime. Elsewhere, we are introduced to Ravindra (Ravi Teja), a junior criminal lawyer under Kanaka Mahalakshmi (Faria Abdullah). He is goofy and flirtatious and for a while it feels like any other Ravi Teja film. He tries to persuade Kanaka Mahalakshmi to take up Harika’s (Megha Akash) case so that the latter can try to win her over. Kanaka has an imperative action sequence to introduce the hero and a few songs to establish his equation with Mahalakshmi and Harika.
Ravanasura
Cast: Ravi Teja, Sushant, Megha Akash, Faria Abdullah
Direction: Sudhir Verma
Music: Harshvardhan Rameshwar, Bhims Secirolio
The narrative takes some time to find its groove and reveal that Ravindra’s stupidity is a mask. Meanwhile, crime branch officer Hanumantha Rao (Jayaram) suspects something amiss. While his team uncovers the modus operandi of the crime, Ravindra starts showing his evil side. These segments keep us somewhat invested in the proceedings. He has all the markings of a psychopath – sadistic outlook, a warped sense of humor and no sense of empathy. In these parts, Ravi Teja is in his element, enjoying embracing the dark side.
The plot thickens with the arrival of Saket (Sushant). In the first half of the film, Saket rarely gets a chance to speak and yet makes his presence felt. Sushant plays his part efficiently. To reveal more about that would be to give spoilers.
Sudheer and his co-writer Srikanth Vissa reveal one twist after another. Identities are switched, murders are committed and the police are sometimes waylaid. However, the thrill factor wears off quickly and it’s easy to assume that there will be a backstory to justify the character’s actions.
It is a given that the leading man of a mainstream Telugu film, especially an actor known for his mass appeal, cannot be shown as an outright criminal. Sudhir Ravi places Teja within this framework. The backstory makes every other character as evil as one can fathom, almost caricatured. An item number is also inserted before the story of vigilante justice reaches its expected ending. Oh, where did Faria’s character disappear to in the later parts?
Ravi Teja, Sushant, Faria Abdullah, Megha Akash and Jayaram find room to perform, while others including Daksh Nagarkar, Pujitha Ponnada and Anu Emmanuel try to make a mark in their limited parts.
Ravanasura Tries to be a wicked, crowd-pleasing thriller, but manages to evoke neither fear nor sympathy for what unfolds on screen.