Raju Weds Rambai, produced by Venu Udugula and Rahul Mopidevi, was released in theatres on Thursday evening with premieres in the domestic market. In this section, we are going to review the latest movie.
Plot:
Somewhere in Telangana in the early 2010s, Raju (Akhil Raj Uddemari as a 'band melam' player) falls in love with Rambai (Tejaswini Rao), a college student from the same village. The girl's father Venkanna (Chaitanya Jonnalagadda), a differently-abled small-time worker holding a government job, strictly opposes their relationship for the sole reason that Raju doesn't have a government job. Physical, verbal and emotional abuse of self and others follow because of the anger issues of Raju and Venkanna. When things cross a limit, a surprise move by a major character sets in motion a series of tragic consequences.
Post-Mortem:
Writer-director Saailu Kaampati has borrowed the storyline from real life. As per his own account, the incidents narrated in the film - in all their rawness and cuteness, their heartlessness and loveliness - unfolded in a Telangana village that conspired to literally conceal the events from the rest of the world. The village exerts no moral pressures, for it submits to the will of the powerful - in some cases, it is the panchayati; and in other cases, it is a violent patriarch.
The love track is peppered with tender moments. Raju and Rambai communicate with their eyes - talking less and feeling more. In one of the good scenes, Rambai dances impromptu as a new mobile phone in the hands of Raju enables a musical exchange between them. In another well-written scene, the lovebirds have a sweet-nothing convo in an autorickshaw. Rambai's world is stuck in the 1980s - she is shocked to learn that Raju and his friends actually watch p*rn. The friends, drunk like everyone else in the village, argue over who has the most sincere love.
Raju and Venkanna are united by their irrational and/or self-destructive anger issues. While Venkanna's toxicity is partly explained by his deep-seated resentment over his physical handicap, Raju's problematic behaviour on some occasions is romanticized. The writing should have been bold enough to call out the male lead's emotionally scary behaviour at times.
Venkanna, played with nuance by Chaitanya Jonnalagadda, comes across as wild in one scene and not-so-wild in a more intense situation. There is no reason why he doesn't storm into Raju's house after a problematic incident; he screams standing outside his hate figure's house, as if he knows boundaries and doesn't transgress. Even after one shattering moment after another (shattering by the standards of Venkanna, whose maddening commitment to imposing limits on his daughter never flinches), the fear of her dictatorial father doesn't loom large in Rambai's mind.
As a storyline, Raju Weds Rambai is both heart-rending and rare. The gaze of the film should have been evolved. At the end, there needed to be a Public Service Announcement, because nothing is more important than removing ignorance (saying anything more would be akin to revealing a spoiler).
Suresh Bobbili's music is strong enough to make whole stretches feel like a musical drama is playing out. The performances are largely good; Akhil Raj's acting in a death scene is so natural. Tejaswini looks the part - coming across as an actress who doesn't need cinematic frills around her. Shivaji Raja and others are good.
Closing Remarks:
Raju Weds Rambai offers a rare, emotionally raw, and heart-rending storyline set in rural Telangana. Strong music and sincere performances are an asset.
