Written and directed by Hasith Goli as his debut film, Raja Raja Chora might seem to have too many interconnected characters on the paper, creating chaos. But it doesn’t appear to be complicated on the screen when Hasith slowly builds up his film exploring their moral values.
Introducing its realistic yet quirky characters, here we have a small-time thief, Bhaskar (Sree Vishnu), who works in a photocopy shop. He is married to Vidya (Sunaina), who is also studying law and looking after their school-going kid. Despite being a married man, Bhaskar is having an affair with Sanjana (Megha Akash), working as a saleswoman, who has lied to her family about the simple job.
Her uncle, William Reddy (Ravi Babu), is a corrupt police officer struggling to safeguard his job. William incidentally targets Bhaskar as his scapegoat, and Bhaskar unintentionally gets caught in a hilarious situation involving William in a shamefully compromising state.
The comic entangle between the key characters gets good support from the others, including an old lady who suggests Bhaskar commit his crimes dressed like a king, wearing the lucky attire. And it is this golden crown and ornaments that finally play a decisive role in settling the scores between Bhaskar and William in the end.
As a fine mix of comedy and many emotionally charged moments, Raja Raja Chora points towards the truth that we all have our secrets; we keep hiding even from our close ones. It uses noteworthy metaphors, like a priest narrating the story of Saint Valmiki and a married woman continuing her studies.
With a not-so-interesting beginning, the film gets into form once Bhaskar and William get involved, working on their secret plans. From here onwards, it becomes an enjoyable ride ending on an abrupt yet thoughtful note, making us realise the value of freedom one gets by telling the truth.
Not relying upon any slapstick humour, the narration is uplifted by a catchy musical score and cinematography, along with relatable performances. Plus, the emotions get stronger as the film progresses towards a happy ending. However, it certainly would have been much better in a shorter duration edit, taking away the few over-the-top insertions focusing on the comic element.
On the whole, Raja Raja Chora works as a decent entertainer, if not a great one, incorporating some important social messages conveyed through its imperfect characters.
TITLE: RAJA RAJA CHORA (TELUGU)
CAST: Sree Vishnu, Sunaina, Megha Akash, Ravi Babu
DIRECTOR: Hasith Goli
Rating : 3 stars
Where: Streaming on Zee5
