Anil Ravipudi, who has written and directed Bhagavanth Kesari, had stated in a few pre-release interviews that, in his first collaboration with Nandamuri Balakrishna, he has tried to make a film that will not limit itself to appealing to the star’s fanbase. Sure, there is an attempt not to tread a path similar to Balakrisna’s recent films. Anil Ravipudi gives Balakrishna something new to play with by making him an adavi bidda (son of the forest) speaking the Telangana Telugu dialect, with a smattering of Hindi. In his typical style Balakrishna reiterates, ‘I don’t care’ (the film’s tagline) and delivers more punchlines than one can keep track of. At the same time, there is a heavy dose of women empowerment message hammered through the character played by Sreeleela. Thankfully the 22 year old isn’t cast as Balakrishna’s romantic interest and gets a substantial part. Anil also does away with duets between Balakrishna and Kajal Aggarwal. But, is all this enough?
Bhagavanth Kesari (Telugu)
In the film that runs for 164 minutes, Anil spends substantial time setting up the world of Bhagavanth Kesari. The story follows a predictable trajectory. We know from the moment he is introduced in prison that he has a past and an unfinished business. The moment we see Sarath Kumar as a police officer and his young daughter, we know what to expect. After a turn of events, the onus of protecting the girl as a father figure falls on Nelakonda Bhagavanth Kesari aka NBK aka Nandamuri Balakrishna. Acutely aware of the star he is dealing with, Anil Ravipudi reminds us time and again that NBK is no ordinary name.
