'Rakshasa Kavyam', produced by Damu Reddy and Singanamala Kalyan, was released in theatres today (October 13). Here is our review of the film.
Story:
Ajay (Abhai Naveen) is a supari killer whose heart bleeds for underprivileged kids who want to study despite their poverty. The narrative introduces another lead character in the second half. He is Vijay (Anvesh Michael), who comes with his own eccentricity. How do the lives of Ajay and Vijay intersect? What happens when the duo go about realizing their goals with mad determination? Answers to these questions are found as the story progresses.
Post-Mortem:
'Rakshasa Kavyam' doesn't follow a typical narrative structure. In a regular film, the stories of Ajay and Vijay would be narrated in parallel. The director would milk the sentimental aspect to create melodrama. To the credit of 'Rakshasa Kavyam', the structure is not conventional. It's not entirely novel either. Clearly, we have seen that structure before in some foreign and even Hindi films. Yet, the creative choice is fundamental to how the mood is driven in the film under review.
And the merit ends there. The writing is shoddy, especially the never-ending flashback in the first half. Ajay's backstory has been narrated with outdated sensibilities. This was disappointing, considering that the first few minutes engaged the audience. Ajay kills his prey with a relish. His glee is sadistic. Abhai Naveen brings out this malevolence very well. Once his backstory begins (in fact, the flashback takes off too early on), the first half bombards us with cliches. Dayanand Reddy, who plays Ajay's father, is rather boring to watch. The mawkish dialogues test the audience's patience.
The second half, featuring Vijay's story in an elaborate fashion, turns idiosyncratic. Since Anvesh Michael's acting is reasonably good (he comes across as a junior Aditya Menon), we somehow buy into his madness. Had his passion for negative onscreen characters been shown with a sharp justification, the second half would have been better.
The film, again, fizzles out in the last 20 minutes or so. The ending and the fate of the two prime characters is convenient. It is even forced to an extent. The prologue shows Dialogue King Sai Kumar's voice-over narrating the story of two mythical characters from Hindu scriptures. Those two characters chose the path of vice and evil out of their undying devotion for Lord Vishnu. Given the superb premise, the ending should have been poetically carved. Director Sriman Keerthi fails in this department.
One doesn't quite get the meaning behind choosing a terrified Engineering student as a clutch to generate comedy in a film of this sort. Frankly, this story might have received full justice in the hands of a new-age filmmaker with bohemian sensibilities.
Closing Remarks:
'Rakshasa Kavyam' is a missed opportunity. Its good storyline has been watered down by hollow writing.
