Cast : Siddharth, Shruti Haasan, Lakshmi Manchu, Harshitha

Cinematography : Soundar Rajan

Producer : Prakash, Prasad (ABODE) & Disney

Writer-Director : Prakash Kovelamudi

What’s the difference between a Warrior and a Swordsman? Maybe, the difference between Arnold Schwarzenegger (in ‘Conan the Barbarian’) and Johnny Depp (in Pirates of the Carribean) holds the answer. Unfortunately, in Telugu cinema, there hasn’t been a la Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who’s uber cool with a terrific sense of humour. Not yet. You are more likely to accept someone like Prabhas or maybe even Ram Charan (thanks to SS Rajamouli’s kaboomesque testosterone loaded ‘Magadheera’) as a warrior than someone who doesn’t conjure awe when you think of a warrior. Siddharth is an unlikely warrior, maybe even he would agree to that. But there’s no denying that he’s a kickass swordsman. Is that enough? Maybe. Maybe not.

Anaganaga O Dheerudu is rooted deep in our mythology. It’s the story of a brave swordsman, Yodha who must protect a girl (Moksha) with divine healing powers from a sorceress, Irendri. The story is set in Angarajyam, a tear shaped island lost in time where Irendri wrecks havoc to usurp control of the entire kingdom. She’s aided by an evil serpant, Sarpini which gives her immense power and foresight in her evil plans. But then, Irendri isn’t immortal. She’s needs one blood drop per day from one of her own clan members to keep her alive and kicking. And to save her from all this trouble, Saripini advises Irendri to kill Moksha on Lunar eclipse day to conquer death. Enter, Yodha – a blind swordsman who trusts his instincts to safeguard the denizens of Kazi Monsatery where Moksha resides. Elsewhere, in a village of Agartha, scores of children fall prey to a curse (courtesy – Irendri’s magic). One of the villagers, Druki takes up the mantle to bring Moksha to their village and save all children. The rest of the story is about the journey which Yodha, Moksha and Druki take through the highlands of Angarajyam while escaping or battling the evil forces of Irendri.

In the past ten years there have been less than 5 movies which fiddled with the concept of fantasy/period film in Telugu cinema, out of which Magadheera remains the most successful film in history. Since Magadheera is a period film (set in 1600s) you know exactly what sort of costumes, sets that period ought to have. How do you judge the same for a fantasy film which has no timeline? A Case in point is Anaganaga O Dheerudu. It’s a fantasy film which doesn’t really suggest what timeframe it’s set it. Hence, it’s left to the imagination of the director and writers to come up with whatever they can to blow your mind. Prakash Kovelamudi, who wrote and directed the film makes ample use of this freedom and along with his team of artists, he comes up with a unique land of Angarajyam. Take the case of Kazi Monsatery. When the camera zooms in through valleys and mountains, it truly looks astonishing. The first time Moksha (Harshitha) enters into cosmic world through the wall of magical flowers, we get the first glimpse of Prakash’s imagination. But the most astonishing segment of the film is Irendri’s castle and her look especially when hair turns into braids of snakes. It’s seemingly inspired from the legend of Medusa, but the Vfx team does a picture perfect job of transforming it into one glorious moment. If there’s one thing which really stays with you long after you walk out is the visuals of grandeur which command the occasional moments of wonder from us.

Despite all well-written subplots and necessary ammo to drive the story forward, Anaganaga O Dheerudu is stuck in a dilemma about whom its trying to woo. Part of the reason why it ends up being so is because it’s neither a film which thorougly excites you nor a film which thrives on compelling drama. In a way, the film is heavily inspired from ‘Lord Of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring’. Yodha tries to save Moksha who has to reach Agartha safely and Irendri sends her commanders to kill Moksha. Now tell me if this doesn’t remind you of Peter Jackson’s epic drama? There are hardly any moments which hit an emotional high or pump in adrenaline rush throughout their journey. The action sequences are well-choreographed, yet you know that Yodha is one cool dude, (despite his blindness) who would conquer the evil forces with a swing of his Katana. It’s only towards the end where he meets a worthy opponent. Would you sympathize with him who always ends up victorious?

Among the actors, Lakshmi Manchu steals the limelight in her debut role as Irendri. Some of her best moments turn out to be her conversations with Sarpini and the scene where she’s trying to scare Moksha. At times, she appears to be too conscious of her dialogues and she ends up stressing a bit more than necessary. But you gotta give it to her for carrying off a villianous role – they are almost extinct especially for actresses. Shruti Haasan (as Priya) has an interesting characterization which connects Yodha and Irendri. She makes a confident debut and scorches the screen with her looks. The romance between Yodha and Priya is short-lived but it paves way for two of the most important threads in the film – Yodha being blind and Priya’s connection with Irendri. Needless to say that the onscreen chemistry between Siddharth and Shruti is charming. Harshitha as Moksha brings in the right amount of confidence and vulnerability to her role. I’m quite curious to see what’s lined up for her few years from now. And finally, Siddharth. He must have put in a lot of effort for his role and it shows especially in action scenes. He dazzles in all the slick action scenes throughout the film. However, his role doesn’t give him too much freedom to express himself. Comedy isn’t his forte and the film neither lets him romance for long nor deliver lines which would make you root for him. Sometimes I wonder if the decision to make him blind was a careful ploy to remove even an iota of fear. It’s a pity, because he’s one of the very few actors who can speak through his eyes.

The film scores high on its attention for detail. The meticulously designed costumes, props, sets and vibrant colours used throughout the film are proof enough. Action choreography is top notch and Soundar Rajan’s cinematography is stunning. The use of lighting in Irendri’s fort deserves a special mention. I wonder if the gaudy costumes for Irendri make sense, but then what the heck, it’s a fantasy film…anything is acceptable. The music in the film is quite pleasant, especially the song Ninnu Choodani being my favourite. Kudos to the Vfx team for their highly inventive and imaginative work throughout the film. Prakash’s vision to create a new world is worth appreciating and he’s one of the very few who has done so. He must have fallen in love with the film too much to realize that it wasn’t doing complete justice to the film of such immense calibre. Or was it a careful choice to make it a film with an universal appeal, especially the kids? I would never know.

When the end credits started rolling, it struck me that the film would have been much better had it been an full-length animated film. Anaganaga O Dheerudu has its fine moments, but it’s an underwhelming experience in the end. I wish it has more thrills, a little more romance, a little more evil stuff and less comedy. Quite frankly, when the commander of Irendri behaves like a buffoon, you know where the film is heading to. Maybe the kids in the auditorium will have a different version to say about the film. Maybe it’s meant for the kids, since it has a stamp of ‘Mouse House’.

By,

Hemanth

P.S : This was my 350^th post…:-)