RebelRavindra Reviews

Vangaveeti (2016)

RGV's partially fictionalized account of real life events.. Not for everyone

[8/10 · 29 December 2016]

Vangaveeti is one the most anticipated movies of this year. This is not a new zone for RGV where he made movies based on real life events and characters. But what makes Vangaveeti very controversial is that it deals with caste based politics that happened during the 70's and 80's in Vijayawada. Caste is a big deal in Andhra pradesh and ironically a taboo topic for any discussion. A conflict between two people belonging to two different castes led to a civil war between those two communities.

"Truth can never be concluded, everybody has their version". This basically applies to any event that happens in real life and is the same in the case of caste based politics that happened in Vijayawada. I was excited to see RGV's version of this story as he claimed he knows more than anybody else. It is true that he did so much ground work, met some of the real people involved in the crime saga and got inputs from them. Everybody knows that Vangaveeti Ranga was killed by Devineni Nehru and his group but what actually led to those events is where people had differences.

Going into the movie i had my version of the story which i developed based on my research and to an extent RGV's version went on the same lines as mine but there were certain things that took me by surprise in his version. Some of them are fictionalized and are used strictly for the dramatization reason and some of them were real which i missed.

The movie is enjoyable all along the way. The screenplay was racy except for a couple of unnecessary songs, the direction was top notch with RGV mark intensity, Camera work was fabulous. Music was amazing. I loved some of the songs and background tracks. Special mention about the cast. Sandeep who played both Vangaveeti Radha & Ranga characters gave a performance of a life time. It is certainly not easy to portray a real life character and you have no footage of him. Sandeep managed to make both the characters a cake walk and you will not believe that those two characters were performed by the same actor. Sritej who played Nehru is apt. Vamsee as Murali and Kautilya as Gandhi did a great job.

Vangaveeti is not for everyone. People who are aware of the real life events will find it interesting as you have your version and then there is RGV's and for people who aren't aware of what the fuzz is all about, you can enjoy this film as another RGV violent gang war film.

The Angrez (2005)

A Path breaking movie all the way !! A cult classic in the years to come || Not for everyone

[10/10 · 26 July 2016]

I don't think there's a film that really captured the vibe and the aura of any city in India like the way "The Angrez" did. This movie is the true essence of Hyderabad and it definitely appeals to anyone who's from Hyderabad or been in this city or even currently living and everybody will definitely relate to so many cultural references in the movie.

Everything worked so well with the film, Be it the characters, the whole premise, the dialogues, the narration, the situations and more importantly the comedic and humorous way the whole movie was dealt. it was absolutely brilliant. You will definitely find people in the city who metaphorically represent every character in the film.

The soul and the best part of the film is the writing. Nikhil Kuntaa should be seriously appreciated for bringing the core dialect of Hyderabad. Majority of Hyderabad speaks Hindi, but its not the Hindi that you'll get to listen in Delhi or Mumbai, it has got its own slang and words. Nikhil Kuntaa expertly dealt with the writing part. Instead of making cliche's, Nikhil injected right words at the right time and boy it resulted in brutally humorous situations.

The other thing that worked really well in the movie is the characters and the casting. You will definitely encounter guys like Saleem Pheku, Ismail Bhai, Jahangir and Kiraak all along the way in Hyderabad. The characterizations were ingenious and they were so relatable. Mast Ali, Aziz Nasser & Dheer Charan Srivastav have brought life to these characters and i don't think any other actor could've done a better job.

I can go on and on about how great "The Angrez" is.. This film is not for everyone and you have to be a part of the culture of Hyderabad in order to completely understand the characters and the cultural references used in the film.

The Angrez is a cult classic in its own way and is definitely path breaking. There is a whole new genre of movies now based on Hyderabad. I watched this movie like a Zillion times now, never got bored and i can recollect every single dialog from the movie.

A serious 10/10

To Father with Love (2016)

Amazing ..

[10/10 · 16 January 2016]

Watched this film yesterday and i was blown away, i came out of the cinema and literally had no words to say about this film. Its amazing, an incredible roller-coaster ride full of strong emotions and psychological mind game. The film is directed in a revenge drama format, but if you see from a vantage point its pure love between father and son

Sukumar always came up with brilliant ideas and characterizations, but for some reason i couldn't enjoy his movies since Jagadam. But this time i drowned myself in the film. The screenplay was arresting, he maintained the right pace to keep the audience on the edge of the seat throughout the entire movie and never detour'd.

Tarak is my favorite actor from Telugu, I was so impressed with his work in temper, but i was spellbound by his performance in the movie specially the climax episode. He was stylish, he had an attitude and he nailed the role.

Overall Nannaku Prematho is a fantastic film and a very much needed refreshment for Telugu audience. The story was great, the screenplay & the direction are of top notch and performances excelled. A 10/10

Rowdy Fellow (2014)

Rowdy fellow is a Winner

[9/10 · 29 September 2015]

Rowdy fellow is a unique film for the kind of characters and the conflicts it has and coiled with a twisted mystery. The very first sequence of the film impressed me with a Tarantino style of direction.

Nara Rohit had always been very particular about the characterization and the movie plot, now comes up with another promising subject. Not just the conflicts between the characters, but there is an underlined mystery that goes along which keeps you engaged throughout the film.

The movie is a bit slow, but provides ample entertainment. Episodes involving Rohit and Posani are quiet entertaining and the mystery which gets unveiled in bits and pieces will keep you glued to your seat.

Overall Rowdy Fellow is a must watch if you're looking for a different taste.

Asura (2015)

Bad is Good

[8/10 · 21 June 2015]

Asura is a gripping thriller with an interesting screenplay. The story is simple. A convicted murderer is transferred to a prison to be hanged . What makes this movie so gripping and intense is the psychological warfare between the Prison warden and the prisoner.

The director did a fabulous job in establishing the premise and characters properly. He brought the audience to settle down with the screenplay and then banged with the climax act. I was genuinely surprised with ending.

Nara Rohit has always been very choosy with the subjects and comes up with another promising stuff. Loved his performance and histrionics

Overall Asura is a good time 8/10

Temper (2015)

Oosaravelli meets Rakhi

[9/10 · 21 June 2015]

Temper is thoroughly entertaining from start to the end. Its not just a regular popcorn entertainer, its a bold move. Temper deals with a very sensitive and controversial topic that is trending today.

I went into the movie expecting it to be another formulaic Puri Jagannadh Cop story, but boy it blew my mind. The way every character binds with the story is fantastic.

There is no question in saying that Tarak is arguably the best actor in Telugu film Industry and now I have whole new respect for him. In a career spanning full of stereotypical roles, this one took serious balls to do. The way he transformed from a corrupt cop to standing for a cause was very convincingly done. He killed every single second he was on the screen and specially the entire sequence in the police station gave me electrifying goosebumps.

Puri Jagannadh is known for his brutal honesty and a little sarcasm when it comes to sexism, I was a little surprised that he didn't feature any of that in this film and The surprise element he introduced during the climax of the film was amazing. I didn't see that coming.

I generally do not care about the songs in a movie, but i kinda liked a couple of songs in this movie. my personal favorite is the title track. Tarak nailed it

The Characters were great, performances were awesome, story was bold, screenplay was gripping and Direction was near perfect.

Overall i would say Temper is one of the best Telugu films of this decade. 9/10. re watch guaranteed.

Survivor: Banana Etiquette (2010) Season 20, Episode 6

Better to play with me .. than against me !!

[10/10 · 7 September 2014]

WOW.. What an episode of Survivor. This is arguably the best episode/tribal council ever. What happened after the immunity challenge and at tribal council cannot be put into words. Huge conflict going on between Rob & Russell over the immunity idol. Russell looking for the idol despite the taboo against it, he knows how powerful the idol is, Rob not knowing the significance of the idol, ignoring it.

At the immunity challenge, Jeff surprised both Heroes & Villains tribes that its a individual immunity challenge. Candice for Heroes , Boston Rob for Villains won the individual Immunity. Rob having individual Immunity and a tight alliance of 6 (Sandra, Rob, Tyson, Courtney, Jerry & Coach) put him in a power position.

Things weren't looking great for the minority alliance Russell, Parvati & Danielle. Rob wanted to vote out Parvati because she was a threat, but they all pretended its Russell. In a candid talk with Russell, Rob said "Its better to play with me.. than against me", making up that its Russell going home tonight.

Russell knew that, Rob wants to flush the idol and blindside Parvati. He came up with a plan. He wanted to give the idol to Parvati and wanted to vote for Tyson. Parvati & Danielle were left confused. Rob was skeptical about this, he changed the plan and wanted to split the vote. Sandra, Rob & Tyson vote of Russell, Courtney, Jerry & Coach will vote for Parvati making it a 3 way tie. If anyone plays an idol, the other one goes home.

Russell suspected a 3 way tie could be a genius move, he went to Tyson who hated Parvati and said he's voting for Parvati as it's not in his hands anymore. Tyson saw a great opportunity to vote out Parvati and accepted Russell's plan to switch his vote to Parvati.

At the tribal council, Sandra point blanked Russell for having an Idol, Before the votes were read, Russell played the immunity Idol on Parvati. Unaware of the changes in the plan, everyone in Rob's alliance thought Russell is going home, Tyson was speechless. When Jeff read the votes it was 4 Votes for Parvati, 2 votes for Russell & 3 votes for Tyson. Parvati's votes were negated, and Tyson was voted out.

Rob and his alliance were so surprised on what actually happened there. Tyson switching his vote to Parvati kind of eliminated himself. This was the boldest & brilliant move from Russell Hantz saving his minority alliance and making it one of the best and craziest tribal councils on Survivor

No one could've over come such a huge odds and a 3 way tie, only Russell can do that. He is brilliant.

Survivor: Tastes Like Chicken (2009) Season 19, Episode 9

I ain't finished just playing yet. Keep hope alive !!!

[10/10 · 7 September 2014]

This is probably the best episode of Survivor Samoa, Foa Foa 4 is up against Galu's 7. Monica, Kelly, Shambo, John & Dave of Galu went on a reward and got a clue to a hidden immunity idol. They decided not to share with any of the Foa Foa 4 some. Back at camp Russell started looking for the hidden immunity idol (since he played one in the previous tribal council, he thought it will be back in the camp). He knew it would be somewhere around a landmark or something. He found it near the water bridge without any clue. HOW AWESOME WAS THAT?

When Galu members returned to camp after the reward, Russell showed the immunity idol to Shambo who was ready to jump ships. She was excited and they had a plan. She wanted Laura out, the plan was to vote for Russell and Foa Foa to vote Laura. Russell plays the idol and Laura goes home.

At the immunity challenge, Laura once again won the immunity and thrashed Shambo's plan to vote her out. Back at camp Dave, Monica, Laura & John wanted Russell out. Monica suspected Russell might have an idol, so she wanted to split the vote. John was suspicious that Russell might look for an idol, because he already found one without a clue. Dave thought he would be surprised if Russell suspects that there is idol. So they thought of Natalie first. During this discussion Russell was passing from the beach and heard the word Natalie. He was so confused whether to play the idol or not.

At the tribal council, Dave said Its a communal decision on voting out the most dangerous player. The votes were cast'd and Jeff asked if anyone wants to play an idol. Russell stood up and took the idol from his pocket saying "I ain't finished just playing yet" and gave the idol to Jeff and coming back with "Keep hope alive". Galu was totally surprised by this move. All the Galu members voted for Russell, 7 votes were negated. Foa Foa voted for Kelly making her the second member of the Jury. Disgusted and surprised Laura whispered "He just stirred up a whole lot of hell is what he did". Shambo nodded her head. Dave was totally blown away by the move from Russell and Foa Foa 4 some were so amused by the move as they got to see another day in the game.

This was one of the masterpieces from Russell Hantz, There's nothing great about it, but Finding an idol without a clue and taking all the votes on him and negating them all by playing the idol. What else can be done when you're down to 7-4.

Avunu (2012)

A classic, A Gem of a movie... Thank you Ravi Babu !!!

[10/10 · 24 July 2014]

Avunu is fantastic. Clean story narrated with technical advancements.

Usage of Sensors is groundbreaking. These sensors kept us glued to our seats and raised that terror. Using static camera's instead of running around the character was worthy. We could get a whole different perspective.

Performances by Harsha & Poorna are amazing, Though there is a parallel plot which is inspired from "The Sixth Sense", it has nothing much to do with the actual plot. The concept of spirit, Its hunger for lust ,needing a human form and possessing a man to do so made lot of sense.

The interval bang is horrifying. I was shouting when that thing was running. I would have literally wet my pants and eventually would have had a heart seizure if that had happened in my life. That scene scared the crap out of my life. Ravi Babu's technical brilliance thrilled me like never before.

I feel the story is not yet concluded, may expect a sequel

GO watch AVUNU for its technical brilliance, good plot, Horrifying thrills and amazing direction by Ravi Babu..

10/10 .. Will definitely have multiple viewings.

Drushyam (2014)

High tension drama at its best

[10/10 · 12 July 2014]

Drushyam is amazing... Real tight screenplay, huge conflict and excellent characters made this journey awesome to watch. Venky is at his best with his performance. Every character had an impact on the movie.

The main conflict occurs between the commitment of a middle class man to save his family and intelligence of a police officer. The commitment was shown in a great way and it impacted the audience. The director established the characters well. Venky made all safe moves because he was a movie fanatic and learned all the stuff from movies.

The best part of the movie was a thriller based narration. The director maintained the suspense till the climax and revealed surprises at the end. After Argo this is the only thriller which made me feel edge of the seat.

On a whole.. Drushyam is a must watch for thriller fans. 10/10

Madras Cafe (2013)

One of the best Political Conspiracy Thrillers... AWESOME !!!

[10/10 · 23 August 2013]

Madras Cafe is super awesome, totally moved by this conspiracy thriller. The movie had no regular commercial elements, no songs, no romance, no sh*t. It was bang on target since the first frame of the movie. The whole content of the movie is totally legitimate. Director Shoojit Sircar should be appreciated for a brave attempt on showcasing the political conspiracy involved in the assassination. The direction was great, specially the scene involving the assassination. That was the best scene of the movie.

Screenplay of the movie is very tight, It was fast paced, though there are no entertainment elements, The movie will not bore you. My a** got glued to the seat and eyes on the screen. John Abraham did a great job by selecting such kind of a movie. He did extremely well.

Will definitely have a re re re re watch for this movie... LOVED IT !!!

Prasthanam (2010)

Stunning , Brilliant, Speechless !!!

[10/10 · 15 July 2013]

WOW... Prasthanam is a stunning film with great performances. Saikumar & Sharwanand gave life to the movie. I was watching this film, knowing that it is a political thriller. But i never knew the conflict was so interesting. Once the actual conflict point is revealed... i was glued to my seat. Sundeep Kishan who earlier did a role in Snehagitam, which frankly i didn't like ...came up with a whole new character. His performance for the Grey shaded role was perfect.

But the entire show stealer was Saikumar, his character is never seen on a movie before. He is the biological father of Sundeep Kishan, and the stepfather for Sharwanand. The legacy of his political career is the actual conflict point. Saikumar was intense through out the movie, He has the most powerful voice in the entire Telugu film industry. The dialogs penned by Devkatta are awesome. They got blend into the script.

On the other hand, Sharwanand came up from no where. He is known for his selection of roles and stories. But Prasthanam shows his avidity in selecting good plots and roles. He was another asset in the film. His performance in the first half of the film was quite natural, but in the later half and towards the climax was a bomb. He was so good in the climax episode.

Vennala Kishore, who had a great praise for his earlier role in Vennala film directed by Devkatta. Didn't catch up with the entertainment part. But once the plot of the movie is started, we tend to forget ourselves. Devkatta, who earlier gave us Vennela came up with an awesome political thriller. He is definitely gonna make a mark for himself in the industry.

PRASTHANAM stands against all the earlier movies of Telugu film Industry. I'm speechless when the film ended. Stunning plot and great performances. Prasthanam is the real gem from Telugu film industry. Adjectives are beyond the quality of this film. a 10/10 for this EPIC !!!

Baanam (2009)

Brilliant film !!! Not for all

[9/10 · 15 July 2013]

Baanam is a sensible movie. The look and feel of the movie is of 1980's style and the director bought it well. The movie drags your attention for the dialogs. Nara Rohit, enters Telugu film industry with a bang !!! A newcomer always expects a regular commercial film to entertain the audience, to show that he can dance, fight and perform well. But Nara Rohit was totally contrast for this film. There are good action sequences and really good dialogs. His voice was the greatest asset in the movie.

Other than his performance, what interested me was the background score and the soundtracks of the film, though there are one or two songs in the movie, the re recording was by far the best in Telugu films. Mani Sharma who's known for his Music and soundtracks gives the best of his.

Vedika was the female lead of this film, she did the role of a Brahmin girl and she was apt to that role. Rajeev Kanakala and Bhanuchander did important roles in the film. Sayaji Shinde is show stealer for this film, The father son thread is quite interesting in this film. Sayaji Shinde is an anti social element and Nara Rohit is an aspiring IPS. Not just these characters, but the Shakthi character by Ranadhir was awesome. He was ruthless at times.

I loved the climax of the film, the director didn't reveal what actually happened to Shakthi. The movie's intention was made clear by the dialog of Nara Rohit. "Vaadu Chacchadu Ani Thelisthe Inko Shakthi Vasthadu, Vadini Champesaru Ani Thelisthe Vigraham Kadtharu" is one of my favorite dialog.

Chaitanya Danturluri should be commended for making an honest attempt, 9/10 for this film. Baanam stays in the top row of my all time favorite films. I will be curious to see the next film of this director.

Gaganam (2011)

Phenomenal !!!

[10/10 · 15 July 2013]

WOW, I was so surprised by this film. When i saw the first look of the movie i expected it to be a regular Telugu movie, but i was dead wrong. A hijack drama is quite new to Telugu film industry. Radha Mohan has to be commended for his attempt. The screenplay was tight, it maintained the suspense through out the movie. The interval twist was bang on !!!.

Nagarjuna was awesome in the role of an NSG commando. He is known for romantic roles with at least 2 female leads and duet songs in the movie, but this movie is an entire contrast. No songs, No Romance, No lead actresses at all. The movie sticks to the point. Bharath also did a good job as the sub ordinate of Nagarjuna. There is no separate entertainment thread in the movie, all we have is suspense which goes till the end. Episodes involving Bramhanandam, Prudhvi and his obsessed fan are hilarious.

The last 10 min countdown climax is seriously brilliant, Editing was so good. Truly edge of the seat stuff. Nagarjuna & Radha Mohan should be commended for making such a good film. I expect these sort of movies in the future

10/10 for this film... LOVE GAGANAM

Okkadunnadu (2007)

Chandrasekhar Yeleti: Thanks for being in Tollywood... Thanks for Okkadunnadu

[10/10 · 15 July 2013]

Okkadunnadu, undoubtedly my all time favorite Telugu film, I've seen this film twice in the theater, on the same day and countless number of times on TV and Youtube. Gopichand is fantastic in the film, his histrionics, body language and performance were of top notch. He excelled in the action episodes.

Okkadunnadu is not a regular commercial Telugu film, entertainment levels are less, but still Bramhanandam & Giribabu were hilarious at times. The movie sticks to the point and never deviates, the story becomes clear once the actual thread is revealed. There is a reason behind every move that Gopichand makes. The dialog's made lot of sense specially when Mahesh Manjrekar says "Nee Gunde Dhairyam Chavali Kaani Nee Gunde Bathakali" clearly reveals the intentions of the villain, and that's what makes Gopichand invincible.

Chandrasekhar Yeleti, who earlier gave Aithe & Anukokunda Oka Roju, now comes with another different concept. The direction and the screenplay were great. His direction specially for the ruthless action scenes was awesome.

I loved this film to the core, a perfect 10/10.

THANKS TO CHANDRASEKHAR YELETI, THANKS FOR BEING IN TOLLYWOOD, THANKS FOR MAKING OKKADUNNADU... KUDOS !!

The Social Network (2010)

A Great movie

[9/10 · 13 July 2012]

Initially i was bored with the conversation b/w Eisenberg and Rooney Mara, it went on for a while. The movie gets interesting at "Thefasemash.com", movie starts getting better and better with the introduction of winklevoss brothers. The interrogative screenplay may be irritating at times and can deviate from the actual movie, but the background score and the performances will arrest you to your seats.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK is a true master piece when it comes to documentaries. Fabulous work by David Fincher. A movie with a true and a complicated story with the real characters is a brave move by fincher.

I'd rated THE SOCIAL NETWORK a 9/10 ... Editing, Background score and the performances make this movie an EPIC...

Haven't watched it??? then go and watch... you'll love this movie !!!