Movie: Raja The Great; Cast: Ravi Teja, Mehreen, Radikaa Sarath Kumar, Srinivas Reddy; Direction: Anil Ravipudi
Discrimination against disabled people is rampant at every corner of the society. But, that apathy makes them stronger and such people take life as a challenge with great composure and confidence.
In Raja The Great, the protagonist Raja (Ravi Teja) dares to fight against all the odds and every time someone questions his capabilities, he proves them wrong time and again with his exceptional skills. Raja, who was raised by his single mother Anantha Lakshmi (Radhika) has a positive disposition towards his life and often says a word -- ‘I’m blind but I’m trained.’ He gets entrusted with the responsibility to save Lucky (Mehreen) from the evil clutches of Deva Raj (Viven Bhatena).
The film has a routine story which is louder than all the previous outings of Ravi Teja. Right from the word go, director Anil Ravipudi tried hard to make the audience laugh, laugh and laugh but, he succeeded only in parts as a few scenes look absurd. However, there is one notable aspect that pleases you to the hilt is the seamless performance of Ravi Teja. He put his heart and soul and pulled off a role that needs a lot of guts to convince and impress.
It’s not often to see films that have the protagonist playing a visually impaired youth, so the newness keeps us hooked onto the tale with curiosity. But, Anil Ravipudi has failed to add necessary spice and seasoning to the narration which seemingly goes haywire for good one hour. For example, the bank robbery episode in the first hour is completely filled with talk and looks cockeyed. We are constantly aware of the flaws in the film but Anil keeps us feeding with some witty one-liners and forcefully introducing too many characters.
A good commercial potboiler needs a touch of realism and unfortunately, Raja The Great, lacks it. The film doesn’t fully deliver on its promise as a lot in the story unfolds through dialogue and heavy-duty action sequences which sometimes put a brake on the tempo of the narration.
Looks like Mehreen has paid less attention to her weight as she appears heavier and bulky opposite a brawny Ravi Teja. She has to cut her flab and lose those extra pounds. The support actors like Rajendra Prasad, Pavitra Lokesh, Vidyullekha Raman, Posani Krishna Murali, Surekha Vani and Sana among others don’t stay beyond their welcome.
Srinivas Reddy impresses as Ravi Teja’s sidekick, Sampath Raj plays a mediocre role. Vivek Bhatena shines brightly as the antagonist. Radikaa is okay. Sai Kartheek’s music is loud and background score is uninspiring.