Movie Review : Raja Saab
Raju ( Prabhas) lives with his grandmother Gangamma ( Zarina Wahab) who rues the loss of her husband Kanakaraju ( Sanjay Dutt). One day, when Raja Saab hears that his grandfather has been spotted in Hyderabad, he immediately departs for the place to find him. But many a surprise awaits him.
During the course of his search, he runs into Bessy ( Nidhi Agarwal) and meets Bhairavi (Malavika Mohanan) and several other characters. His search leads them all to an abandoned mansion where a series of strange truths are revealed, which endanger all their lives.
Who is Kanagaraju? Is Raja Saab able to save everyone from the dangerous situations they find themselves in?
The movie is made on a grand scale, with Rajeevan's production design adding to the grandeur and the mysterious surroundings. The vfx department too has delivered the goods, adding to the haunting, mysterious and sometimes gory effects ( though in few places there was certainly room for fine tuning). The cinematography by Karthik Palani adds to the flavour with the song visuals standing out. Swetha Thanay deserves kudos for the stylish ensembles of the leads and the cast. Thaman's Sahana Sahana is a peppy number. The stunts and grand action sequences stand out, working seamlessly with the Vfx department.
Though the story has an interesting premise, there seem to be sudden jumps in the screenplay in places leading to inconsistencies, while on some occasions scenes seem stretched out, adding to the length of the film, which could have been avoided with some crisper editing to make for better viewing.
Prabhas holds the film together with his charisma and swag, and the scenes with Zarina Wahab showcase well their deep bond, while the presence of the three heroines adds a glam quotient with lighthearted moments amongst the horror and fantasy elements.
Malavika Mohanan impresses in a lengthy role and also shines in a solid action block. Nidhi Agarwal delivers a sincere performance while Riddhi Kumar makes her presence felt despite her brief screen time. Zarina Wahab brings a quiet dignity to her role while Sanjay Dutt is a show stealer with his dominant presence all through. Boman Irani's act enhances the flavor is the film.
The climax portions have spectacular visuals, twists and charged moments.
Overall, despite lags, inconsistencies and long run time, Raja Saab engages with an interesting premise, solid stunts and fantasy elements, neat performances from a charismatic star cast, rich visuals and grand making.
Rating 3.75/5
*Rajasaab Cast & Crew Details*
*Cast* : Prabhas, Sanjay dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal , Riddhi Kumar, Zarina Wahab
*Crew*
Written & Directed by: Maruthi
Producer: TG Vishwa Prasad, Krithi Prasad
Co-Producer: Ishan Saksena
Music: Thaman S
DOP: Karthik Palani
Editor: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Production Designer: Rajeevan
Costume Designer: Swetha Thanay
Creative Producer: SKN
VFX Creative Producer: Praveen Kilaru
CEP : Sujith Kumar Kolli
PMF VFX studio head: Anuraag Rajesh
VFX head: Surya Kambhampati
VFX Company: Deccan Dreams
Stunts: Ram-Laxman, King Solomon
Colorist: Yugandhar G
DI: Deccan Dreams
Post Production : Dattu M
Sound Mixing: T. Udaya Kumar Sound Vibe studios
Sound Design: sync cinema
Marketing: Walls & Trends
Production Controller: Kishore Surapaneni
