Daruvu: The Sound of Death Bell

Movie: Daruvu

Rating: *

Director: Siva

Daruvu undoubtedly is Ravi Teja’s threshold to failure. After three back-to-back duds (Veera, Nippu and Daruvu), finally, the time’s come for Ravi to revive his decision making ability. Director Siva gives the story a clichéd mass appeal that fails to even entertain Ravi’s fans’.

‘Daruvu’ is the story of a common man Bullet Raja, most popularly known for his mischievousness and acts of thievery. Raja falls head over heels for Shweta without knowing he was inviting trouble into his life. Shweta is engaged to be married and her fiancée is just not anybody local influential rowdy. Before you know, in a face-to-face encounter, Raja is killed by Shweta’s fiancée. Raj travels to Yamlok (world for after life) only to come to learn that he was deliberately killed and brought here. Raj confronts Yamraj, and in an effort to revive his mistake, Yamraj allows Raja to enter his look-alike body of Ravindra, a crooked Home Minister. What follows forms the rest of the story.

The plot is not new at all to the audience. We’ve seen it so many times since the days of late NTR to his grandson junior NTR’s time. And fortunately every time the experience was worth talking about except this time. Daruvu’s biggest flaw is not in its actors or their performances but rooted deep within the script or writing department. The plot is inundated with so many loopholes that not even for five minutes was I caught by my attention. Unlike films such as Mirapakai, Don Seenu and Krishna that are touted to be Ravi’s biggest entertaining hit in the past were also films that I thoroughly enjoyed for its share of light, heartwarming comedy and plausible plot.

I wouldn’t blame the performances of anybody here because they were only living up to the role that was sketched by the director. For example; not even director knows, if I’m not wrong, why is Brahmanadam named Vidya Balan in the movie? Or why does the opening scene of the film takes place in Chennai? With characters that irk you to the core, not even one character is worth talking about, including Ravi Teja. Tapsee has no room for acting besides the need to expose her skin in few scenes and songs. Comedy is clichéd and most of it is repeated from the director’s last film ‘Souryam’.

The narration was haphazard and lengthy. Somewhere in the second half, you’d be desperatelyhoping for the film to end because of its monotonous presentation. Daruvu also lacks originality as it looks similar to so many films of the past including Jr. NTRs ‘Yamadonga’. The visual department definitely could’ve been better because in the film it looks cheap and artificial. The director and producer seemed to have a problem investing too much to recreate ‘Yamlok’ instead they settle with an awkwardly looking ‘Yamlok’.