durgadada001

Raghavendra Rao should have stopped with Annamayya. But then, he thought that he had already mastered the art of making period films and made a couple more - Sri Ramadasu and Shirdi Sai. The former was merely watchable while the latter isn't.

The life and times of Shirdi Sai Baba of Nashik is not an easy subject to make a movie on, I will give you that. Apart from getting a solid cast & crew together, the director has to deal with the complexity of bringing the characters to life as well as depicting a credible picture of the world at that time in history. Raghavendra Rao succeeded on both counts with Annamayya, but with this one it looks like he has made an amalgamation of sub-plots & side-characters which do not piece together to make it whole.

And credibility is of utmost importance. Most of the scenes were clichéd, painfully in-the-face and lacking in conviction. Looked like the actors were merely playing a part for which they were being given a paycheck for rather than actually portraying the characters' true selves. For a long time I have admired Nagarjuna's boldness and screen presence, but over the past few years one only sees a fading star still struggling to keep his name among the movies piling on at the box- office. Sharath Babu, Srikanth and others have some rare moments that bring back memories of some of their previous roles, but again nobody succeeds in making an impression.

The original - 'Shirdi Sai Baba Mahatyam' was much more convincing and inspiring than this haphazardly put together rehash. Its my belief that when you try and depict characters like Shirdi Sai, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda (people who have inspired generations) on-screen, you have to make a supreme effort overall to merely make the film seem appealing. With all due respect to Raghavendra Rao, the effort does not show, if there ever was one in the first place. A disappointing film for all Shirdi Baba lovers.

NT Rama Rao as Ram, Anjali Devi as Sita, Nagayya as Valmiki. Written by Samudrala Raghavacharya and music composed by Ghantasaala Venkateswara Rao. The 1963 film - Luva Kusha was a moving, dramatic and poetic rendition of the aftermath of "Rama Pattabhishekam". It was a celebration of the spirit of the Ramayana and a depiction of the life and times of one of our most loved and cherished Kings - Lord Ram. An unforgettable musical that will live in our hearts for generations to come.

Now - Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) does have some heavyweights in its credits - the Bapu/Ramana duo and Ilayaraaja. There ends the comparison. Balakrishna is no match for NTR and Nayanthara does not carry the poise and subtlety of Anjali Devi. But I will concede that both of them have put in a great deal of hardwork and have acted much better than in any of their previous films. Although Balayya is fat and old (am sorry but its the truth), his emotions are true and his majesty is commendable. Bapu has made Nayanthara "act" for once and that in itself is a great feat. Apart from the 'Jagadananda Kaaraka' song, Raaja's music does not deserve special mention. I am a huge fan of Raaja, but Sir, even your prowess cannot recreate what Ghantasaala did for us back in 1963.

I agree that it is unfair to compare the two movies, but for the fan who has watched the original (multiple times), it is inevitable. Even if I were to go with an open mind, I still find a half-dozen flaws and inadequacies. The children who play Luv and Kush in Sri Rama Rajyam completely lack the capability to emote. Yes, they are kids, but we have seen in many movies that talent defies age. Also, in many instances the language that is spoken shifts to a much more contemporary style and does not represent the actual spoken dialect of the time. One must remember that Ramayana was in the Treta Yuga and hence represents a period in time that is at least a few hundred thousand years prior to the present day. The battle scenes of the older Luva Kusha(lacking in mordern technology and graphics of course)were so detail-oriented and captivating that with the kind of imagery we have today, it is disappointing that Bapu could not do a better job with it and appallingly, has cut the movie abruptly short at the end.

Bottomline: It is a good effort from a once-great artist and director, but it a'int a 'classic' or a fitting 'homage'/'remake'.