Review: Bhairavam - Sincere but Uneven

 

 

Movie: Bhairavam
Rating: 2.5/5

Cast: Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas, Nara Rohith, Manchu Manoj, Aditi Shankar, Aanandi, Divya Pillai, Jayasudha, Sampath Raj, and others

Director: Vijay Kanakamedala

Produced By: Sri Satya Sai Arts

Release Date: 30-05-2025

Story:

Gajapathi Varma (Manchu Manoj) and Varadha (Nara Rohith) have been close friends since childhood. Seenu (Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas), an orphan, joins their lives after a significant event, and Gajapathi's word means life for him. A powerful minister (Sharath Lohithaswa) aims to seize the valuable land of a sacred temple and enlists CI Pardha Sarathi (Sampath Raj) to help carry out his scheme. As tensions rise, rifts start to appear among the friends, transforming loyalty into betrayal. The remainder of the story reveals the fallout from this betrayal and the violence that ensues in their otherwise peaceful lives.


Performances:

Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas does a neat job in the character of Seenu. This character is different from his usual mass roles, and he was successful in maintaining the subtle tone with undercurrent emotion. Nara Rohith stands out among the three leads as his character has more emotional impact and his performance is also natural. It is good to see Manchu Manoj on screen after a long time, but except for a few sentimental scenes, the actor goes overboard with loud and dramatic acting. Aditi Shankar and Aanandi do not register much, while Divya Pillai, JayaSudha, and Sampath Raj are fine.

What worked for the film:

The Pre-Interval to Interval episode is good and works as a proper lead to the subsequent crucial proceedings. The second half also hits the right notes, except for a few lags and a bit underwhelming lead to the final sequence. The performances by Nara Rohith and Sreenivas work well for the film, along with the suitable background score and action sequences.

What did not work for the film:

The movie's core theme is based on the friendship of the three lead characters, and the narration elevates it with dialogues rather than demonstrating it, leading to a lack of solid emotional impact. This does not mean that the proceedings lack the effect, but they miss the chance to go to the next level. The filler scenes, like comedy and romance tracks, fall flat.

Characters such as Aditi Shankar, Aanandhi, and Vennela Kishore are not well-developed and contribute minimally to the plot. Aditi Shankar, especially, is limited to only a few songs and some trivial scenes, which is a significant waste of her talent. The songs do not make a memorable impact and do not enhance the story.

Bhairavam Review and Verdict:

Vijay Kanakamedala's Bhairavam is a regular action drama with equal parts of ups and downs. The main actors excel, and crucial scenes resonate, but the first half's limited writing and shifting emotions hurt the film.