Getting off to quite an intriguing start, Rangasthalam comes out trumps in managing to keep the audience hooked for about 179 minutes. Released amidst much hype and fan frenzy, this film, by Sukumar, set the tone right since its premiers, with the result becoming obvious after positive reports emerging from different quarters. While the director excels yet again in knitting a compelling plot together, actors Aadhi Pinisetty, Jagapathi Babu, Samantha Akkineni, among others, deliver brilliant performances. However, it is Ram Charan who steals the show with his terrific portrayal of Chitti Babu, the film’s protagonist. From donning a new avatar to getting into the skin of the character, Cherry, as he’s fondly called, seems to be bowling over the critics and audiences alike with his latest film.
Coming from a family of superstars, Ram Charan was deemed to be the next big thing in Telugu Cinema, following the footsteps of his father Chiranjeevi and uncle Pawan Kalyan. Hailed as the “Mega Power Star” of Tollywood, Charan seemed to get off to the best start possible with his first two films, Chirutha and Magadheera, striking gold at the box office.
The next few years, however, saw him face the brunt of online trolls and critics who found fault with his “acting skills”. While films such as Racha, Naayak, Yevadu, etc, resulted in decent box-office turnovers, many felt Charan was yet to bring his best act to the fore. His Bollywood debut ‘Zanjeer’, the remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s yesteryear classic, proved to be a major disappointment to all his fans. In addition, a few controversies off the screen seemed to deteriorate things further.
The fans hoped for something much bigger and better from their favourite star and Dhruva, which released in 2016, provided them the much-need solace. Ram Charan, with his rippling abs and bulging biceps, put forth a convincing performance as a smart police officer. Cherry followed up Dhruva’s success with a blistering debut as a film producer for his father’s rip-roaring comeback with Khaidi No 150.
Meanwhile, Rangasthalam’s release got postponed owing to invariable reasons as the fans grew impatient to witness their star in a never-before-seen role. The film finally hit the screens on March 30th and Ram Charan seems to have hit a purple patch in his career.
Sporting a hunky beard and playing a hearing-impaired engineer in a village of the 80s, Charan seems to have saved his best for Rangasthalam. He thrives in the role of Chitti Babu, who is loving, naive, and equally aggressive. While Chitti Babu can succeed in making the audience laugh in the chirpy moments, he can make you root for him and cry along as well as the film’s plot gets intense. From showcasing subtle emotions as a hearing impaired villager to displaying sheer ferocity as a man fighting for his causes, Rangasthalam sees Ram Charan rediscover the actor in him and take a major stride towards establishing himself as one of Tollywood’s superstars for the future.
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