In Ravanasura, Ravi Teja’s character is the embodiment of the evil king Ravana. While the mythical Ravana never laid a finger on Sita despite keeping her in captivity, this Ravindra (played by Ravi Teja) proudly claims that he does not have such “ethics.” This Ravana has rape fantasies, but of course since he is the hero, filmmaker Sudheer Varma underplays this part and later makes a shoddy attempt to redeem his character with a moral justification. Ravanasura is not a bold film where Ravi Teja is experimenting with a negative character, but a regular commercial film that justifies his actions, albeit with some delay.
Along with Ravi Teja, Ravanasura also stars actor Sushanth (playing Ram). It also has four female actors – Faria Abdullah, Daksha Nagarkar, Anu Emmanuel, and Megha Akash. However, none of them leave an impact in this insipid thriller. To be fair, they barely have a role in this Ravi Teja-centric film.
Ravanasura opens with an interesting scene. A murder is committed in a brazen fashion with enough witnesses to testify against the killer. But the killer later claims innocence. While I was guessing if he was hypnotized and manipulated by someone, or if he was under the influence of some drug, the revelation was utterly disappointing.
The initial portions of the film, where Ravindra does not reveal his true character and plays a silly junior lawyer, are quite fun. You are reminded of the actor’s previous performances in films like Venky, where he does not mind making self-deprecating jokes, and does not take himself too seriously. Actor Ravi Teja nails these scenes with a charm that only he is capable of. But once the suspense is revealed, the film takes a nose-dive.
Ravindra is repeatedly shown as an invincible man capable of killing anyone and evading the consequences. And Assistant Commissioner of Police Hanumantha Rao (played by actor Jayaram) is ineffective in capturing him. There is simply no thrill in watching this drama play out.
The film becomes too predictable after a point. And as anticipated, thanks to every other Telugu commercial entertainer, there is a ‘moral’ reason why Ravindra is committing a series of murders. This revelation does not come in an organic manner, nor is it effective enough to move the audience.
The subtext of the Hindu myth Ramayana is not at all subtle. It is loud and feels force-fitted in this revenge drama. I was wondering if director Sudheer Varma could have avoided naming Sushanth as Ram and his girlfriend Daksha Nagarkar as Jaanu in the film, and made it less obvious. Sushanth is adequate in the role given to him.
The film also looks hurriedly wrapped up in the second half, presumably because there is nothing much left to surprise the audience with. Editor Naveen Nooli has even chopped up scenes that explain why an aide of Ravindra helps his cause. His motive remains unclear. The background music by Harshavardhan Rameshwar and Bheems Ceciroleo helps keep the film a little engaging.
The film also comes across as offensive to the people of Telangana, when some actors speak Telangana Telugu in a caricatured manner. I do not know what was the need for casting actors who cannot speak the language, or forcefully speak in that language.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the producers or any other members of its cast and crew.