The most waited film ‘Rachcha’ has seen light shaking entire South India with huge publicity and released in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.
Now let us see what national media and other popular News Dailies in English say about this film.
Rediff: Rachha is for Ram Charan fans
Rating: 2/5
Telugu film Rachha is a potboiler meant for the masses and not for a discerning audience. Sampath Nandi dishes out a film replete with commercial ingredients in a stereotypical pattern. It defies logic and is pretty predictable too.
Sampath Nandi has nothing new to offer but has ensured that there’s no logic in many places. For example, when Raj and Chaitra are on the run, they enter into a bamboo forest in China where they are attacked by the Chinese! This scene was not much of a value addition except to show that the cast and crew went all the way to China to shoot.
Also imagine a man being hit and falling in the sanctum at the feet of the idol! The violence in the film comes across as unnecessary too.
The comedians Brahmanandam, Ali, Krishna Bhagwan, Venu Madhav, Tagobothu Ramesh bring in some laughtereven though they are inane.
Ram Charan does a good job with his action sequences and dance moves. Sampath Nandi has etched his role in such a way that his fans will surely enjoy watching him in this film.
Tamannaah is an eye candy in the film, especially in the song Vaana Vaana Velluvaaye. She looks glamorous though her role is nothing much to talk about.
Ajmal Amir makes his presence felt though one wished this talented actor was given more screen time. His characterisation was intriguing.
Parthiban and Nasser don’t appear for too long and seem wasted in this film. For actors who play negative characters like Mukesh Rishi, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Dev Gill such roles are easy as they have done it in many films.
Sameer Reddy has done a good job with his camera. Mani Sharma’s music was just about okay.
Rachha is basically for Charan’s fans who may be happy after the disastrous Orange. For others, Rachha offers nothing.
Hindu: Tailor-made for fans
Rating: N/A
About an hour into the film, Ram Charan tells Tamannaah, “Hum bahar se bahuth accha… Hum tere liye idar vaccha… donno mile tho racha,” and the audience laps it up with a thunderous applause. Racha is made-to-order for Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan fans. The canvas is larger than life and there is no budget constraint. So, visual effects come into play to add zing to the hero’s unfaltering steps in dance sequences
Racha has a lot going for it, from the high-on-adrenaline stunts to situational comedy and an indulgent display of Ram Charan’s dancing prowess. The punch dialogues are targeted at the actor’s fans. To sample a few, “Nuvvu aristhe arupule. Nenu aristhe merupule” and “Edo choosukuni thodalu kotte type kaadu ra nenu”. As an actor, Ram Charan shows mettle.
On the flip side, the film gives no scope for any of the supporting actors to shine. Ajmal, Brahmanandam, Jhansi, Ali, Dev Gill and a host of others are relegated to props. A talented actress like Geeta gets wasted in a minuscule role. Nasser and Parthiban appear in guest roles. Tamannaah has nothing to do apart from providing the glamour quotient.
Within the framework of pleasing the actor’s fan clubs, the film works. But the sense of déjà vu in the tale of revenge is palpable. Even when you tune yourself into watching a mass entertainer and don’t expect anything intellectually stimulating, you do miss the ingenuity and spark that were the hallmark of mass entertainer blockbusters like Singham, Pokiri or Kick.
Go without expectations and you will be entertained.
TimesOfIndia: Racha
Rating: 3/5
Charan does a decent job of playing a complete mass character in this flick, a first for him. But it isn’t a performance that will make you go wow. When you beat up a hundred guys in just your second flick, it sort of becomes hard to keep bettering that film after film. He tries hard nevertheless. Tamannah has an important role to play and she does the needful. She does add more than glamour value to the film. Baddies, Mukesh Rishi and Kota Srinivas Rao do the expected.
As far as the narrative goes, it suffers from over simplification and is too formulaic. A racy stunt sequence is followed a forced comic track or a dream song. The potpourri doesn’t quite come together and too many glitches end up catching your attention. The stunt sequences are the biggest letdown. There are too many of them, but none that really stand out. The music is also passable at best with the exception of “Vaan Vaana Villu Vaye . . .”
IANS: Technically sound, but lacks storyline
Rating: 2.5/5
“Rachcha” lacks a credible storyline with lacklustre and ordinary presentation.
Although it is technically well-versed, the film is essentially a formulaic presentation with a mix of everything. The action sequences have taken a little more space than the other commercial elements.
The director has taken a beaten path, which lacks variety and freshness. Even the music of the film by veteran composer Mani Sharma fails to strike a chord with the audience.
However, the major attraction of the film is lead actress Tamanna, who sizzles on the screen. She looks gorgeous and creates an impression with her energetic performance. There is not a single dull moment when she is on screen.
The glamour quotient in the “Vaana vaana” song is aimed at pleasing the younger audience and Tamanna scores well throughout the song.
Ramcharan’s action and dance sequences are a treat to his fans and remind of his father Chiranjeevi. He shows lot of style and energy in his performance, but fails to make an impact in emotional sequences.
Comic actors Brahmanandam, Ali, Venu Madhav and Krishna Bhagawan excel with their performances. Mukesh Rishi, Kota Sreenivasa Rao and Dev Gill, who play the baddies, are also quite impressive.
Bangalore Mirror: Charan’s daredevilry
Rating: N/A
After the debacle of Orange, Ram Charan set his eyes on mass masala movies. So, director Nandi has tried everything in his book to recreate the magic of the 90s, a period where Chiranjeevi ruled the screen. So, there are a number of dialogues and dance sequences where Ramcharan tries to imitate his father. He does it even in dialogue delivery when he controversially says, “Edo choosukuni thodalu kotte type kaadura nenu.” (I do not beat thighs like others). This seems like targeting a rival hero whose next movie will be released shortly. After all this, if you still wonder what Rachcha means? Even the heroine asks the hero same question to which the hero throws off a scooter singlehandedly and says that is Rachcha, his style. So, you can expect lot of ‘extras’ like this all throughout the movie.
It will be a comeback movie for music director Mani Sharma who has struck the right chord after a long time. It has to be said that he was ably supported by Charan who sets screen on fire with his dancing skills. Acting-wise, Charan delivers and he has always praised Tamanna for her role and the way she carries herself with grace though it appears that her make-up is overdone a bit. The others — Mukesh Rishi and Kota Srinivas Rao — have done justice to their roles.
As a debut director, Sampat Nandi shows his nervousness in the beginning though he gets the grip as it progresses. The way he utilised Brahamandam and Ali deserves special mention. Apart from the predictability factor, the climax too is a big let-down. Watchable, once.
