Bhaagamathie Movie Review By Telugu Bullet
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Director: G. Ashok
Cast:Aadhi,Sakshi Gulati,Bindu Madhavi,Hariprriya,Sapthagiri,Srinivas Avasarala
Introduction:
After Baahubali, both Telugu audience and Telugu Film industry were excited about Anushka’s next. Though it was officially announced Bhaagamathie would be her next film, the anxiety over the kind of film was still prevailing. In fact, at one stage, people compared the film to be along the lines of Arundhati. With the teaser and trailer out, it was confirmed as a horror flick. Let us take a look how well the film fared at the box-office!
Story:
Chanchala (Anushka) is a sincere IAS officer, working as a secretary to Eswar Prasad (Jayaram), an honest central minister. Unfortunately, Chanchala gets arrested in a murder case of her fiancé. Parallely, few try to fix Eswar Prasad in a theft case relating to the idols from ancient temples. A CBI officer plans to interrogate Chanchala in a derelict bungalow. During the investigation period, Chanchala is possessed by the Bhaagamathie’s spirit, which made the bungalow its home for centuries. What is the relation between Bhaagamathie spirit and Chanchala? How is Eswar Prasad related to the theft of idols in ancient temples? To find answers for these, watch the film on the big screen.
Analysis & Performance:
Instead of injecting the suspense element into the script, the director could have gone ahead with what he wanted to convey. On the lines of the suspense element, the first half is quite gripping and exhilarating. Though we don’t find the regular commercial elements, the director manages to hold the audience with his screenplay. The second half begins equally with the persistent suspense. Once the director reveals the suspense of Bhaagamathie’s spirit tormenting Chanchala, the movie becomes predictable and falls flat. Neither the twist is unique, or the story from thereafter.
Films like Pizza, Dhongata, and Raju Gari Gadhi will be flashing in audience mind while watching the movie. The horror trap to catch the villain is an old, and overexploited idea. It is nothing but a routine element in horror-comedy films.
Undeniably it is Anushka’s film. She excelled brilliantly both as the IAS officer and Bhaagamathie. Jayaram and Unni Mukundan performed their roles pretty well. Prabhas Srinu and Dhanraj manage to bring some laughs in bits and pieces, given the routine comedy track. Asha Sarath performance deserves a special mention in the film.
Technically, the director fell in his own trap. What he thought could propel the film, the suspense element, has completely backfired. After an intense gripping screenplay, the film falls flat in the 2nd half. The film would have become a super hit if the director was careful in writing the screenplay and climax. Visuals and BGM play a pivotal role in Bhaagamathie. Cinematographer R Madhi and SS Thaman make a huge impact on the movie. Complementing Anushka’s performance, the Bhaagamathie Fort stands tall. All the credit goes to the art director, Ravindra, who finished the Bhaagamathie fort set in 29 days, costing Rs. 3 crores.
Plus points:
- Anushka’s performance
- Bhaagamathie Fort, Visuals, and BGM
- Direction
Drawbacks:
- Screenplay and Narration
- Suspense element
