Indian filmmakers in the southern part of the country have rightly cracked a powerful formula of storytelling (in the last two decades in particular), wherein they make strong message-oriented films hugely depending upon the larger than life image of their established heroes, served along all typical filmy insertions ranging from comedy, romance and songs, creating a complete package.
It actually serves two big purposes in a brilliant manner. One it clearly boosts the positive image of their heroes in a big way, and two, you cannot criticize the basic thought presented in the script even if you find the film average presenting the same old cliched elements in a new manner. Interestingly Hindi cinema also tried the same in the past decade or so, but somehow the ‘message oriented’ themes could never impress the Hindi film audience, even when adapted by names like Salman Khan, as witnessed in his JAI HO or the more recent TUBELIGHT.
On the other hand, mega-heroes coming up with such social-commercial movies get easily accepted in the South, which exactly is the case with BHARAT ANE NENU that hasn’t got anything fresh to convey in terms of storyline, but says it all in an entertaining, lively style with a winning first half. Though its second half often seems like dragging moving into various predictable directions, it still successfully keeps you engrossed with some exciting action on screen and some worth praising message-oriented sequences conveying the right things.
A fictional political drama, where a young foreign returned son easily gets appointed as CM of the state without any questions asked (post his father’s death), BHARAT ANE NENU begins well reaching out to its target audience but loses the grip as soon as it gets into its final hour. The film neither has any surprising twists and turns in its story development, nor any powerful supporting characters also including a forced romantic track with a few unrequired songs as usual. Plus, there are some entertaining but exaggerated action sequences too satisfying the huge fan following of the star playing the young chief minister.
However, despite all such routine and familiar elements BHARAT ANE NENU still mostly works and fills you with a new positive energy as this is what you wish to happen in the country and this is what we all keep on writing on the social networks too, in our own chosen ways hoping for a better future.
In the acting department, it has two fine performances by Mahesh Babu as the leader and Prakash Raj as his associate senior politician. Kiara Advani adds a certain freshness to the film in her few scenes and Devi Sri Prasad majorly contributes in the overall impact with his energetic background score.
Putting it differently, BHARAT ANE NENU might not work as a film for many, but it certainly scores as a thought, readily admitting our social failures continuing since many decades.
For instance, the film works when you get to see the traffic fines being raised to a whooping 10-20 thousand at once, as we very well know that here no one will be willing to obey the rules unless the fine is so huge, majorly affecting our monthly budget.
It works when the political leader in the film, slaps a police officer for working against the people, contradicting the basic purpose of the force he is representing.
It works when you witness a young Chief Minister giving an educating lecture to the press on how to talk and write about daughters of the nation without sensationalising the issue, as that’s what happening all around forgetting the basic, moral ethics. And the film works because we all wish to see a strong political will and a competent team leading the state as well as the nation building a better future for our kids creating a much safer environment.
But above all BHARAT ANE NENU actually works due to the entertaining execution by director Koratala Siva and the way he intelligently places his well-written events at intervals keeping the interest alive. Because without an effective and believable presentation, this could all have looked quite forced, superficial and over the top. The film is mostly predictable from its very first scene, but explosive at times, giving a tight slap to the corrupt system, politicians and we the people too, largely contributing to the present chaos.
Hence do watch it once for its positivity and many message-oriented sequences strongly reminding you of Anil Kapoor’s NAYAK that interestingly got its deserving appreciation post the initial release and was also a remake of S. Shankar's Tamil Film MUDHALVAN (1999).
Rating : 3 / 5
(Note: The article was first published on UC-News Mobile App on 26th April 2018)
