Lately, small films like Committee Kurrollu and Aay that have introduced new talent have created wonders at the box office. Now adding to the list is Revu, which has a Godavari backdrop film. The film directed by Harinath Puli has Vamsi Ram Pendayl, Ajay Nidadavolu and Swathi Bheemireddy as the main leads. The film’s promotional videos are interesting and they create some buzz.
Story
The story has the backdrop of a village near Godavari. Ankalu (played by Vamsi Ram Pendyala) and Gangaiah (played by Ajay) have been childhood friends but have their differences of opinion. They journey on small boats into the river to fish. They are the best fishermen in the area, supplying fish to a company in a nearby town. The arrival of Nageshu (played by Yepuri Hari) caused their once smooth life to become turbulent. The rich person in the village buys a big boat with an engine, making it easy for him to catch the fish. Soon, the company comes to an agreement with Nageshu. The Ankalu and Gangiah’s team unfortunately couldn’t compete with Nagesh, and thereafter their lives became miserable with no work. Meanwhile, Ankalu’s wife, Samrajyam (played by Swathi Bheemi Reddy), is pregnant and is worried about Ankalu, thinking of when he will be able to get a boat with an engine. It’s not just them, but also their friends who suffer with no work.
In a turn of events, an incident takes place in the village, which ends in a massacre. How Ankalu and Gangiah compete with Nageshu and his sons is the crux of the remaining story.
Analysis
There are a few films made in Telugu on the lives of fishermen and the Godavari backdrop. This film Revu focuses more on the lives of fishermen and how they suffer, while a rivalry starts within them. Director Harinath Puli takes his own time to introduce all the characters in the first half, making the narration slow-paced. He also takes quite a while to explain the happenings. Speaking of the story, it is easily predictable, making the audience quickly figure out what’s going to happen next.
The second half of the story gets intense, and that’s when the real story begins. The director is banking more on violence in the second half by introducing Nageshu’s sons into the picture. The after-intermission is narrated more like a revenge drama.
One thing to appreciate in this film is how the director brings out the intense performances from all the actors, though they are all fresh faces.
He completely sticks to the local flavor. The dialogues are well written with the local Godavari slang, and the artists pronounce it well. John K. Joseph’s music and Visakh Muraleedaran’s background score are good; they give the emotional scenes a high. Revanth Sagar’s cinematography captures the village and Godavari scenes in a beautiful manner.
Performances
Except for LB Sriram, who played a cameo in the film, most of the actors are new to the silver screen. Vamsi Ram Pendyala is playing the main lead, and he did a fantastic job delivering a good performance. Ajay can be seen in another lead, and he too gave a commendable performance. Swathi Bheemi Reddy plays a typical village girl, and she lived in it. She is good at her diction and surprises everyone with her acting. Yepuri Hari plays the negative role very well, but the highlight of the film is Sumesh Madhavan and Leela Venkatesh Kommuli’s performances. They show cruelty in their faces, and they definitely scare with their performance. Both did a fantastic job, and they were definitely the talking points of the film. The remaining actors supported each other each other well.
VERDICT
Revu is an intense drama set against a rustic Godavari backdrop, with good performances from the actors. The first half has a completely slow narration, but the second half is somehow good with intense scenes. If the director concentrated more on the story and less on violence, the film could have been a better one. Because of the violence, the family audience may distance themselves from this film, but one should encourage it as you can see the fresh faces.
Cast: Vamsiram Pendyala, Hemanth Udbhav, Swathi Bheemireddy, Ajay Nidadavolu, Sumesh Madhavan and Leela Venkatesh Kommuri
Director: Harinath Puli
Producer: Murali Ginjupalli, Naveen Parupalli
Music: John K. Josesh
Cinematographer: Revanth Sagar
Background score: Vishak Muraleedharan
Rating: 2.5/5
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