Three things which could have been better in Bhagavanth Kesari

I've never reviewed or analyzed a telugu film on my blog before. All it took I guess was a big star playing his age on the screen. 

Plot Ouline

Bhagavanth Kesari (Balakrishna) takes on an indomitable foe (Arjun Rampal) who will stop at nothing to get even with him and his foster daughter (Sreeleela).

Performances of the lead cast

Before I delve into what could have been better, I must admit that Balayya lights up the screen with his presence and performance. His acting prowess allows us to experience the range of emotions his character feels. Arjun Rampal is competent as the antagonist and credit must go to the writing department for keeping his character strong until the very end. Sreeleela's performance allows you to empathize with her plight and is indeed one of the strong points of the movie. Kajal's character, Dr. Kathyayani, is the weakest among all of the lead characters. While it is commendable that the main plot line was not sacrificed for a romantic sub-plot between Kathyayani and Bhagavanth, her role and the characters which surround her are let down by the writing and probable editing cuts.

Bhagavanth Kesari: Could have packed a punch <Credits: CineJosh>

Three things which could have been handled better

1. One-sided action sequences: It has become repetitive and extremely tiresome to watch scores of henchmen being taken down by one hero in every mass-masala action movie. The henchmen either conveniently line up or stand motionlessly while the hero bludgeons their companions to death. What's even more bizarre is that not one of them tries to pull a gun to halt the hero in his tracks. It's high time directors understand that such scenes end up hurting the movie's credibility instead of entertaining the audience or accentuating the lead character's emotion.

2. Too loud: Take for example, Sreeleela's potential father-in-law or the instructor who refuses to train her or the influential parent who threatens her or the squabbling party workers, the tone of all of these characters is unnecessarily loud. Significant emotions, dialogues and messages can be delivered in a restrained manner. The camera is capable of magnifying even the slightest of emotions so even if the performance is subtle it will not go unnoticed. If you don't have a character shouting their dialogues at you then you have the BGM which blares out every now and then. That is one thing which is common between this movie and Jailer. Both movies have stupendous BGMs and both BGMs play out way too often at alarmingly high decibel levels wearing their impact on the listeners' ears. 

3. Too many characters: It's becoming a sort of a trend where characters come in for a scene or two just to elevate the hero. Case in point, the waves of goons whom Bhagavanth vanquishes in the flashback sequence or Bhagavanth's colleagues who extoll his virtues to his superior officer. The more you allocate time for guest characters the more you take time away from the main characters and plot building. A tighter screenplay with fewer characters not only engages the audience but also keeps the runtime of the movie in check. Reduced runtime is always a plus because that is one thing audience competing with multiple priorities checks for before opting for a movie.

Bhagavanth Kesari is in many ways a step in the right direction for big budget action movies. If only the mature characterization was aided by an up-to-date storytelling, the movie would have had a greater impact.

Until Next Time,

Your Telugu Movie Fan,

Chaitanya J.J.