Movie: Bheemavaram Bullodu
Director: Uday Shankar
Cast: Sunil Varma, Esther Noronha, Posani Krishna Murali, Tanikella Bharani and Jayaprakash Reddy
Rating: *1/2
Once consumed by a success, actors constrain themselves into a certain image trap and limit their potential to an extent of the audiences not desiring their presence anymore. Sunil, even after the results of Kadha Screenplay Darsakatvam Appalraju and Mr Pellikoduku has started to take himself too seriously as a lead actor that he thinks so high about his supposed successes Poolarangadu,Tadakha and recycles it with a catchy title under a prestigious banner, only to deliver a result that is even an insult to formulaic attempts. Bheemavaram Bullodu is an open rehash of most of the mindless comic capers in the recent past with unmemorable actors and performances with no real script or a story in place.
Ram Babu,the very epitome of an idiot, an underdog in his village is only good enough to get women motivated to marry any other man other than him, so much so that his friends earn quick money by setting him up as a sacrificial goat to ensure successful marriages. We often get to hear lines of his comparisons to a godly figure who doesn’t realize his abilities. A mistaken medical report and his life goes for a toss and so does the film which from then aimlessly goes on to portray his fearless persona that a cancer victim(Tanikella Bharani) suggests him to be a savior for the needy before he dies. You guessed it right. The heroine barges in, at this very instant and is floored by his capabilities. The truth sinks in and an outright mess is on display as Uday Shankar thinks of other alternatives to stretch the plot and hops on to a politics/media/mafia parody in addition to his laughable depiction of a film director who helms action films because he doesn’t believe in love.
For a banner that was an apt representation of progressive cinema in the yesteryear era, it is sad to see them stoop so low in the form of Bheemavaram Bullodu that also puts its editor and cinematographer to utter shame with the poor visuals and an ever-crawling screenplay. Every trick in the book is tried, a cop avatar mockery, a climax that’s similar to the ‘shock-laga’ ad and a desperate eye-donation campaign isn’t left out either in the directionless proceedings. The songs are a literal assault to the senses, both in terms of the old-school choreography and loud tunes from Anup Rubens.
Sunil has lost that magical comic timing he earlier possessed, utilized effectively and none of his gags work, a major letdown for a confessed-to-be humorous ride. Esther isn’t an actress who neither adores you with her charm nor her acting veins, she just forcefully fills the space required for that cute lifeless romantic interest that every male lead should obligatorily fall for. Posani, Jayaprakash Reddy, Sakunthala as the cacophonous grandma mostly are unnecessarily outstretching their stints as supporting actors with lifeless performances like these. At the end of the day, Bheemavaram Bullodu is a rotten fare which does provide everything except quality entertainment.
Review by Srivathsan N, who had originally written it for Cinegoer.net