Gangs Of Godavari' stars Vishwak Sen in the lead. Directed by third-time maker Krishna Chaitanya, the film is produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya.
Plot:
The story is set in the Godavari of the 1990s. Lankala Rathnakar (Vishwak Sen) is a happy-go-lucky youngster who can turn instantly violent when challenged by the rival side. He falls in love with Bujji (Neha Shetty), who is predictably the daughter of a VVIP in the village. Rathnamala (Anjali) is his all-weather companion and she is predictably romantic, ready to sleep with him at the latter's will. Doraswamy Raju (Goparaju Ramana) is his chief rival and he is predictably brainless. Yes, that's the plot. And they are mooting a sequel to this film with a pea-sized brain.
Performances:
Vishwak Sen has been addressed as 'Mass Ka Das' by the Telugu film industry. With 'Das Ka Dhamki' (2023), he started giving a real shot at mass cinema. The actor's face-off scenes with ruthless villains in the film are impressive because of how he channels his intensity. However, his performance is otherwise flattened by cliched staging.
Both Neha Shetty and Anjali manage to be different from their usual selves. Nassar and Goparaju Ramana are hackneyed when they are not headless.
Technical Departments:
At a time when there is a Thaman saturation in the Telugu music scene, it is good that Yuvan Shankar Raja has done music for 'GoG'. His background score is distinct although uneven. The songs are enjoyable to a degree. Navin Nooli's editing is better than Anith Madhadi's cinematography.
Analysis:
'Gangs Of Godavari' has quite a few merits. We can think of at least three of them right away.
1. Not showcasing the footage of Balakrishna from the film's pre-release event in the film was a commendable and noble decision.
2. Not letting Vishwak Sen grow a beard was another excellent call. Given the over-confidence of director Krishna Chaitanya in his script, he might as well have asked his hero to look insufferable but he didn't.
3. The third biggest merit is that Anasuya Bharadwaj was not cast in the place of Anjali. See, that's the advantage of your film being produced by a cash-rich banner; you don't have to seek Anasuya's call sheets and subject the audience to suffering.
On a serious note, the film is a spiritual sequel to last year's unbearable 'Peddha Kapu'. Except that the hero here is good-looking even though he couldn't handle the excessive indulgence of his character. The film is a den of utter cliches such as this: the heroine is the daughter of a powerful, very powerful man who wields zero power even when he faces an existential threat. This has been the case with most village-based action movies where the hero is a rising entity.
In these rural films, the most beautiful woman falls for our hero because the latter saved her from eve-teasers/rowdies or carried her to a nearby hospital after a road accident.
The conversations seldom feel real in 'GoG'. They are merely rehashed versions of dialogues from similar films made in the past. There is a Goddess imagery to justify the hero's immoral actions. There is a poignant flashback to justify his pathological persona. Yes, at the end of it all, he has a simplistic change of heart. This is when you conclude: "Idhi katha kadu vyadha".
Vox Verdict:
'Gangs Of Godavari' is unbelievably cliched.
