'Raju Yadav' is directed by Krishnamachary K. The film is produced by Rajesh Kallepalli and Prashanth Reddy. This one marks the first major Getup Srinu project as a male lead. How is the film? What is one supposed to expect from it? Let's find out.
Plot:
Raju Yadav (Getup Srinu) from Mahabubnagar has his life turned upside down after being struck by a cricket ball. The unusual accident results in a facial deformity that gives the impression that he is always in a smiling mood. Though the doctor recommends surgery, Raju's family cannot afford it due to their weak financial position. When Raju encounters a hot professional named Sweety (Ankitha Kharat) and instantly falls in love with her, he expects his life to turn rosy. What ensues is more tragedy.
Performances & Technical Departments:
Getup Srinu delivers a strong performance without going overboard. While his portrayal could have been way better, the underwritten character lets him down. Ankita Kharat's character construction also contributes to this sense of incompleteness in the male protagonist's arc. Ananda Chakrapani fails to evoke sympathy, anger or disgust as Raju's occasionally insensitive father. No supporting role or cameo makes any impact whatsoever. They are just cardboard characters.
Harshavardhan Rameshwar's musical compositions lack finesse, with average tunes that feel too much. The tracks don't stand out amidst the narrative. Suresh Bobbili's background score doesn't give a lift to the proceedings. SaiRam Uday's cinematography doesn't quite elevate the intended atmosphere.
Merits:
1. The premise is respectable. Although the film jumps into the story right off the bat without caring to establish Raju's character, the emotions work in the initial segments.
2. The screenplay plays up Raju's freak accident effectively in the first act. Even though there is an attempt to caricature him, the viewer doesn't experience a zone-out sort of thing.
3. The emotionally charged climax works to an extent. Of course, the ideas shown here are neither original nor heart-rending. Yet, these are far better than the rest of the film.
Demerits:
1. The characters are unidimensional and boring.
2. The scenes acquire a monotonous quality, with the background score only aiding in the freefall. Raju maintains the same mood for the entire first half.
3. The viewer barely gets a sneak peek into the mind of the female protagonist. Is she fooling around? Is she well-intentioned? To add to the injury, she thinks he is always happy because he looks to be smiling. She says it even after coming to know that it is a deformity.
4. The father-son scenes lack any poignancy. They are just part of the Telangana genre of movies where the father has just one job to do: to scold his jobless son.
5. The pre-climax stretch is underwhelming.
Vox Verdict:
'Raju Yadav' fails to tug at the heartstrings. It had so much potential to be a raw, realistic romantic drama.
