Barabar Premistha, produced by Geda Chandu, Gayatri Chinni, and AVR, was released in theatres today. In this section, we are going to review the latest BO release.
Plot:
In the village of Rudraram, the Dharmana and Karmana factions have been locked in a bitter, caste-driven feud for generations. Against this backdrop of hostility, Chandu (from the Dharmana faction) and Bujjamma (from the Karmana side) transition from rivals to lovers. However, their love story sparks a firestorm. The film then explores how a crisis forces the factions to evolve, the true motive behind the couple, and their unconventional strategy to dismantle the village’s deep-rooted caste system.
Post-Mortem:
A unique problem with Telugu-language rural movies is that they invariably take the form of a comedy undone by caricaturish characters. Barabar Premistha, written and directed by Sampath Rudra, scratches the surface. The core conflict is true-to-life, but the protagonists of this irrational generational friction are too generic/loud to be taken seriously. The soulless outsider gaze is evident; we are supposed to laugh at the silly rustic buffoons, rather than understand their emotional history and then laugh at their pointless rivalry.
The film, headlined by Chandrahass (the "Attitude Star"), follows the classic "Two films on one ticket" formula. There is a romantic-comedy track that could have been a comedy skit and it wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever to the main plot. There is absolutely nothing that connects the pulpy content involving the lead pair in the first half to the superficial village-y patriotism in the second.
The interval plot point itself is a red herring, with the audience lied to so badly. The story takes place in an everyday village where the power dynamics are sketchy but the rivalry screams for attention. The tensions within the non-descript village could have made for a poignant story, actually. The friction between the two groups are low stakes; so, there is nothing the viewer can look forward to in anticipation. The theme of a village divided by petty egos is understandably commonplace in a society torn apart by tribalistic tensions. The plot themed on such a fact of life should have been weighty. The story is uneventful, while the characters don't feel like they have a personality.
By now, Chandrahass has acquired the image of being a publicity-chaser. Had his offscreen image been smartly curated, his performance in Barabar Premistha would have seemed much better. He shows real potential. Megna Mukherjee, the female lead, is okay. Arjun Mahi, as the heroine's brother, is good. Muralidhar Goud and others leave no impact. RR Dhruvan's music is not bad and the song 'Reddy Mama' would have been a chartbuster had it been part of a big-hero movie.
Closing Remarks:
Barabar Premistha is a classic case of a film having its heart in the right place but its head in the clouds. While it attempts to tackle the heavy, ever-relevant theme of caste-driven friction and generational ego, it fumbles the execution by leaning into caricatures and a weak narrative.
