Saturday, April 8, 2017

Govindudu Andarivadele movie review






Govindudu Andarivadele (English: The lord is a people's man), also known by the acronym GAV, is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Krishna Vamsi and produced by Bandla Ganesh for Parameswara Art Productions. The film features Ram Charan, Srikanth, Kajal Aggarwal and Kamalinee Mukherjee in the lead roles, while Prakash Raj, Jayasudha, Rahman and Adarsh Balakrishna play supporting roles. Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the film's soundtrack and score while Sameer Reddy worked as the cinematographer.
The film is partially inspired by the 1991 Telugu film Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu directed by Kranthi Kumar. Govindudu Andarivadele portrays a "non-residential Indian" named Abhiram who visits his grandfather Balaraju's house as a student of agriculture. He actually came to reconcile the differences between his father, Chandrasekhar Rao, and Balaraju. The pair parted ways as Chadrasekhar went to the US while Balaraju stayed and built a charitable hospital for local people. Abhiram succeeds in winning over family members, and Balaraju understands the truth behind Abhiram and his attempts.
The film was officially announced in Hyderabad on 6 February 2014. Principal photography commenced from the same day and ended on 22 September 2014. A large portion of the film was shot in Hyderabad, Rameswaram, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Pollachi and Karaikudi in India while significant portions were shot in London and Jordan. The film was released worldwide on 1 October 2014 to positive reviews from critics. The film became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of 2014. It was dubbed into Malayalam and Tamil as Ekalavya and Ram Leela respectively.

Contents

Plot

Balaraju, the head of his village, lives with his wife Baby, his two sons; Chandrasekhar Rao and Bangari, and his two daughters. He helps Chandrasekhar become a doctor and builds a local hospital. On the day it opens, Chandrasekhar comes back home with his lover Kausalya, also a doctor. Both express their wish to marry and settle abroad, which upsets Balaraju, leading to their separation.
25 years later, Chandrasekhar, a successful doctor in London, tells the story to his son Abhiram and daughter Indu. Abhiram decides to go home to Balaraju and attempt a reconciliation. He meets his friend, Bunny, at the airport and goes to the village on Bunny's bike the next day. On the way, he witnesses a cockfight organised by Bangari and Baachi; he gets the help of Balaraju to pardon Bangari and get Baachi arrested. Abhiram then introduces himself as a student from London who came here to learn agricultural practices and martial arts. He particularly impresses Balaraju's family when he saves a child's life and so is allowed to stay with them.
Balaraju's granddaughter Satya comes back from Hyderabad. Abhiram is surprised to see Satya's cultured behaviour and traditional attire, as Bunny and Abhiram previously met her in a pub in Hyderabad. She is equally surprised to see him; his cell phone contains photos showing how she spent her time at the pub. Abhiram blackmails Satya with the photos,but she then asks Bangari to get Abhiram's cell phone by telling him that Abhiram is blackmailing her. Their collective efforts fail, and Baachi is also dragged into the affair.
A fight happens between Abhiram and Baachi, deepening their rivalry. To get rid of Bangari, Balaraju arranges Chitra's marriage. Satya tells Bangari about this who then kidnaps Chitra. Abhiram chases him, saves Chitra and gets Bangari arrested. Satya finds Abhiram's phone and finds out his true identity. Abhiram offers to help Balaraju renovate the hospital he built with his father's assistance; Balaraju accepts the offer. Abhiram finds out that Satya has his phone when he goes to call his father. She deletes the photos of her. After learning that she knows the truth, Abhiram does a deal with her. They fall in love with each other.
Later, Chitra, now Abhiram's friend at the house, tells him why Bangari was expelled from the house. Bangari and Chitra love one another and Balaraju does not approve of it, as Bangari is rather spoilt and drinks too much. Frustrated and intoxicated, Bangari enters Chitra's room and tells her of his attempt to rape her so as to marry her. However, Balaraju expels him from the house after catching him. Balaraju’s brother-in-law and his son, Rajendra, who plan to set up a Special economic zone manufacturing beer, release Bangari from jail. Abhiram's father sends the advanced equipment to Hyderabad, which Bunny and Bangari receive. Bangari attacks Bunny and seizes the equipment. Abhiram stops Bangari and his men and reveals his identity. Bangari realises what he has done and reconciles with Balaraju. The equipment is unloaded at the hospital.
Indu too visits Balaraju's house. Satya gets engaged to an American NRI doctor. However, she tells Abhiram that she would die if she doesn't marry him. He decides to break up with her and upon hearing this, Bangari reveals Abhiram and Indu's identity to Balaraju, who orders Abhiram's and Indu to leave the house.
Later, Abhiram gets a phone call from his father who plans to come back to the village. Suddenly, Baachi kidnaps Indu. An injured Abhiram manages to save her, but gets shot by Baachi. Bangari arrives and Abhiram prevents Baachi from getting harmed by saying that Baachi too is a family member. Chandrasekhar comes to the hospital and operates on Abhiram. When Abhiram regains consciousness, Balaraju welcomes him, Indu and Chandrasekhar back into the family. The film ends with Abhiram getting married to Satya and Bangari to Chitra, also coinciding with Balaraju and Baby's anniversary.

Cast

Principal cast
Supporting cast
Bangari's gang members

Production

Development

"We are making films for the Telugu audience so an apt Telugu title would invariably work best. But it all depends on what type of film it is. Govindudu Andarivadele is the story of an NRI who returns to his native village to reunite with his extended family, so we decided to go with the title from a hit devotional song about Lord Krishna who is everyone's beloved."
 —Krishna Vamsi, regarding the selection of the film's title.[28]
In September 2010, Chiranjeevi invited Krishna Vamsi to discuss making a movie with Ram Charan as the lead. After a story-narration session, they agreed to move ahead.[29] In August 2013, after a three-year gap, it was announced that Ram Charan, Daggubati Venkatesh and Krishna would act in a film directed by Vamsi and produced by Bandla Ganesh under the banner Parameswara Art Productions banner.[30] At that point, however, the script was not yet complete and so the project was still put on hold.[31]
In December 2013, Bandla Ganesh tweeted a photo featuring himself, Krishna Vamsi and Director of Photography Sameer Reddy at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Antarvedi with the finished script.[32] The film was initially titled Vijetha after the 1985 Telugu film which featured Chiranjeevi and Bhanupriya in the lead roles.[33] In March 2014, the supposed story of the film was leaked onto the internet. The story was that Ram Charan played the role of an NRI who visits his joint family to bridge a gap between his father and his father's younger brother.[34]
On 27 March 2014, when the film poster was released, the title was confirmed as Govindudu Andarivadele.[35] In mid April 2014, Yuvan Shankar Raja was signed up as the film's composer after S. Thaman opted out because of conflicting projects.[36] Sources reported that talks were also held with G. V. Prakash Kumar.[37] It was the first time that Krishna Vamsi had collaborated with Yuvan Shankar Raja, with the director later informing that he had waited five years to work with the composer.[38] Reports regarding Rajkiran being replaced by Prakash Raj because of Chiranjeevi and the altering of the original script, and that Prakash Raj was included to strengthen the Telugu cultural identity of the film were dismissed as rumours. The film's shoot was put on hold due to the climate at the shooting spot being unsuitable for children acting in the film rather than because of Chiranjeevi.[39][40] Ram Charan, in an interview with The Hindu, said that Rajkiran was replaced with Prakash Raj as the sections involving the former ended up looking more like a Tamil film.[41]

Casting

Tamannaah (top) was initially approached for the female lead role, but Kajal Aggarwal (bottom) ended up being engaged for the role due to the lack of the former's dates.
Vamsi wanted to cast a popular actor as the protagonist to widen the film's appeal, and approached Ram Charan because of his relationship with him since Charan's childhood.[42] Venkatesh and Krishna were initially set to play the lead roles along with Charan,[43] with Venkatesh playing the role of Charan's paternal uncle.[44] In September 2013, Kajal Aggarwal was signed to play opposite Charan.[45] Actor Jagapati Babu turned down the role of Charan's father as he wanted to concentrate on antagonistic character roles.[46]
In November 2013, Tamil actor Rajkiran was chosen to play the role of Charan's grandfather, previously earmarked for Krishna.[47] The producers also began searching for a new actress in the lead role.[48] In December 2013, Venkatesh left the project and was subsequently replaced by Telugu actor Srikanth, saying that the role did not suit his image rather than any other dissatisfaction.[49] Chandini Choudary was rumoured to have been signed up as the female lead, but this proved not to be the case.[50] Tamannaah was approached as well, but she had prior commitments in Aagadu and Baahubali. Kajal was finalised by the end of 2013 as Charan's heroine in this film, marking her return to Telugu Cinema after a brief hiatus.[51]
Kamalini Mukherjee was chosen by Krishna Vamsi in late January 2014 by Krishna Vamsi, mainly because of her appearance and her acting talent.[52] A song from rock band "The Tapes" took seven to nine hours to film for a sequence in the film featuring Charan and Kajal. This was the band's first onscreen appearance.[53] Vennela Kishore confirmed his presence in the film twice through his Twitter account.[54][55]
In the end of May 2014, Prakash Raj replaced Rajkiran as Ram Charan's grandfather.[56] Vamsi said "Raj Kiran was cast initially and I had doubts about this casting. After shooting a few scenes, I went to Chiranjeevi and he suggested, 'You can think of taking someone who can carry Telugu nativity.' He just made that suggestion, but that was when I replaced Raj Kiran with Prakash Raj". He added that Chiranjeevi did not interfere in this decision.[42] However, Chiranjeevi helped Vamsi and Raj reconcile their differences.[57] Jayasudha and Rahman were signed for key roles.[58][59] M. S. Narayana was selected to play a supporting role.[60] Adarsh Balakrishna was selected to portray the film's antagonist, recommended by Srikanth to Vamsi.[61][62]

Characterisation and costume designing

Ram Charan's character was Abhiram, an NRI who goes from London to India in search of his roots.[4] He was depicted as the star player of a Rugby League player at Hemel Hempstead[63] Charan grew a ponytail[64] and appeared in traditional Telugu costume, wearing a dhoti for some scenes in the film, contrasting with the modern clothes he wore in previous films.[65] He also learnt stick fighting skills for the film.[66]
Vamsi showed Charan a lot of family dramas, drove him to villages to help him understand the atmosphere and mindset of the people. According to Vamsi, Charan "comes across as a shy and reserved guy but has a fun and family loving side to him", which he tried to show onscreen.[57] Srikanth played the role of Charan's younger paternal uncle and wore his hair long for the role.[67] His costume was rustic in appearance. A still of him in costume was shown in the end of July 2014.[68] His "crucial role" in the film was aggressive and rebellious.[5]
Kajal Aggarwal revealed one of her outfits in the film on 27 July 2014 would be a black half-sari.[69] Jayasudha was selected to play the role of Prakash Raj's wife in the film while Rahman was signed in to play the role of Ram Charan's father.[58][59] Kamalini Mukherjee's character was named Chitra, a rural girl quite unlike the urbane roles she had played in the past.[7] Adarsh Balakrishna, cast as a flashy M. P.'s son living in the same village, wore jewellery with Indian costume, again with long hair.[70]

Filming

(top to bottom) The film was shot in Rameswaram, Nagercoil and Pollachi, finishing in late May 2014.
Principal photography began on 6 February 2014 in Hyderabad and continued for 3 days there before a long pre-planned schedule started in Rameswaram, Nagercoil and Pollachi.[71] Kajal joined the sets of the film in Hyderabad on 9 February 2014 and some scenes between herself and Charan were shot there.[72] They also participated in the film's shoot at Nagercoil near Kanyakumari in mid February 2014 after the completion of the schedule at Rameswaram.[73] A fight sequence with Charan, Srikanth and others was filmed at Kanyakumari before shifting to Pollachi.[74] A few action sequences focusing Charan were shot at Pollachi in late March 2014.[75] He also worked on some key action sequences for the film under the supervision of Ram Lakshman in mid May 2014, for which a special set was built.[76] Some song sequences were shot in Malaysia from 2 June 2014.[77][78]
The film's shoot continued in Hyderabad from 5 June 2014 and the team planned to go to London after filming some family scenes at the special house set constructed earlier in Ramanaidu Cine Village in Hyderabad.[58][79] 30 scenes and 2 songs were shot in that house set in Hyderabad over a period of 45 days.[80] Prakash Raj allotted bulk dates and the reshoot took 8 days only and not 20 days as earlier reported.[39] After completing the shoot of few scenes and a montage song, the first part of the film's Hyderabad schedule ended on 18 June 2014. The next part commenced on 21 June 2014.[81] At the end of June 2014, another song was shot on a special set featuring mirrors, in which the lead pair participated.[82] Due to incessant rain at Pollachi, the shooting continued at Hyderabad, delaying the planned schedule.[83] The Pollachi schedule therefore began on 23 July 2014,[84] lasting for 5 days.[85] A fresh schedule began in Karaikudi on whose completion, filming continued in Hyderabad from 4 August 2014.[86] The film's shoot was temporarily halted on 19 August 2014 because of the statewide survey in Telangana.[87]
The film was shot on a specially-built set at Ramanaidu Studios, (left to right) in London and in Petra, Jordan, finishing in late September 2014. The majority of the film was shot on the house set, while a quarter of the film, including two songs, were shot in the other two places.
The next schedule began in London on 22 August 2014.[88] A romantic song was shot on Charan and Kajal in early September 2014 in Jordan.[89] After its completion, a song was shot with the lead pair in London. The production unit returned to Hyderabad on 14 September 2014.[90] A quarter of the film was shot in London. Charan's introduction scene was shot at the Pennine Way Stadium, and a rugby match was shot at the Rugby League club in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire in south-eastern England. To add some authenticity, the local club captain B. J. Swindells was brought on board.[91] Two songs sequences were shot simultaneously in Hyderabad.[92]
The principal photography ended on 22 September 2014 on completion of the songs shoot.[93] However, it was officially announced later that the film would be released without a song which would be shot on 2 and 3 October and then be added to the film.[94]

Post-production

The film's dubbing activities commenced at Shabdalaya Studios in Hyderabad on 18 July 2014. The supporting cast then dubbed their respective roles.[95] Yuvan Shankar Raja started re-recording for the film's first half on 26 August 2014 at his studio in Chennai.[96] Srikanth completed dubbing for his role on 10 September 2014[97] and Charan completed dubbing on 24 September 2014.[98] Chiranjeevi personally monitored the post-production works and promotion strategies.[99] In an interview with the Deccan Chronicle, Chiranjeevi mentioned that Charan also participated in the production and editing of the film's trailer and took extra care of the trailer's release and had asked him to check if everything was right.[100] While shooting two songs at Hyderabad, the post production works were completed.[92]
A copy of the film was sent to Central Board of Film Certification on 26 September 2014.[101] The same day, the film was awarded an 'U/A' certificate instead of a clean 'U' due to some sections and scenes between the lead actors.[102] The Board asked the makers to obtain a No Objection Certificate from Animal Welfare Board of India to retain scenes featuring animals. They muted a few dialogues as well as "backless" views of the heroine. They also insisted on obscuring the brands on alcoholic drinks as well as the display of mandatory warnings "when Srikanth is smoking".[103]

Themes and influences

Ram Charan said in an interview that the film was partially inspired by Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu (1991),[104] although there were also remarks about tracing inspiration from Vamsi's previous works, Ninne Pelladata (1986) and Murari (2001). Critics also compared the film to other family dramas like Brindavanam (2010) and Attarintiki Daredi (2013).[105][106][107]
In an interview with The Hindu, Vamsi said "Tell me one new story that has been written since Ramayana and Mahabharata. Aatma Bandhuvu (1962), Devudu Chesina Manushulu (1973), Ramarajyamlo Bheemaraju (1983) and Muddula Manavaralu (1986) — which was a remake of the Tamil film Poove Poochooda Vaa (1985) — all had a similar structure of a protagonist returning to unite a family". He added that this film was made to showcase the folk arts, music and spirituality of the Telugu people. He also drew inspiration from the husband and wife scenes shown in the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), as he wanted to incorporate the same themes into Telugu films.[108]

Music

Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the music for the film, which marked his first collaboration with Vamsi; it was also the first time he scored for a film starring Srikanth and Ram Charan.[109] The soundtrack, consisting of six songs,[110] was released on 15 September 2014 in Hyderabad.[111] The audio rights were purchased by Aditya Music.[112] The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics.[113]

Release

The film was released on 1 October 2014.[114] The makers wanted to capitalise on the long holiday of Navratri, followed by Bakrid.[115] Charan attended the film's premiere show in the United States on 30 September 2014 alongside other cast and crew members.[116] Govindudu Andarivadele was released in 750 screens in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, 100 in Karnataka, 50 in Tamil Nadu, 85 in Maharashtra and 60 in other parts of North India. The film was released in 154 screens in the United States and 50 screens in other International markets.[117] The film was dubbed into Malayalam and Tamil as Ekalavya and Ram Leela respectively.[118][119]

Distribution

In mid-July 2014, the distribution rights of the film in the Ceded region were sold for approximately 81 million (US$1.2 million) including prints & publicity costs which, as of March 2015, is the highest amount for a Ram Charan film.[120][121] The Nellore region rights were sold to Hari Pictures for a record price of 20 million (US$300,000).[122] Asian Movies acquired the film's overseas distribution rights and released it in collaboration with CineGalaxy, Inc.[123] Aakash Movies distributed the film in the UAE along with Ravi Teja's Power.[124] Errabus distributed the film in the United Kingdom.[125] Bandla Ganesh himself distributed the film in the Nizam and Krishna regions.[126]

Marketing


Shilpakala Vedika, where the film's theatrical trailer was unveiled along with the soundtrack album and their video promos on 15 September 2014.
The first-look posters and stills of the film were unveiled on 26 March 2014 and 27 March 2014.[127] On 26 March 2014, 4 stills of Charan from the film were released into the Internet, coinciding with his birthday on 27 March 2014[128] and receiving a positive response.[129][130] The next day, posters designed by Working Title featuring the logo and 3 of those 4 stills were released.[131] The posters also received a positive response and were widely distributed on various social networking sites.[132] The film's teaser was initially planned to be launched on 29 July 2014 at Ramanaidu Studios, but the release was postponed to 7 August 2014. A promotional event was planned at Ramanaidu Studios in Nanakramguda for the teaser's launch.[133][134]
The first teaser of 40 seconds was launched with a press conference at the house set in Ramanaidu Studios where the film was shot.[135][136] The teaser received very good response from the critics and the viewers.[137] Reviewing the teaser, Nivedita Mishra of Hindustan Times wrote "Make no mistake, this one is no poor regional cousin of Bollywood. It's got color, good-looking stars with baddies to boot and loads of song and dance executed with a finesse that only Indian film industry can. The teaser of Ram Charan Teja's new film Govindudu Andarivadele is out and proves just that. From lush paddy fields to festive Indian family lives, this one has it all. Watch out for a shot of Ram Charan Teja riding a bullock cart! Quite novel!".[138] The Times of India wrote "the teaser looked colorful and quite impressive reminding Krishna Vamsi's style of family and love entertainers".[139] Subramaniam Harikumar of Bollywood Life wrote "The teaser sure has raised out hope. A lot of importance seems to be given to the rustic village backdrop with green fields and bullock carts and big ancestral bungalows. The cinematography is top notch with colours melting in your eyes in every frame. The teaser gives equal importance to family, tradition and romance, with all the important characters getting a decent exposure in the promo."[140] The film's teaser received more than 300,000 views within 24 hours of its online release on YouTube.[141] A set of stills were released in the second week of September 2014.[142]
The film's official trailer was launched on 15 September 2014 at the Shilpakala Vedika along with the film's soundtrack. The trailer too received positive response.[143] As a part of the film's promotion, Bandla Ganesh booked 860 spots on the Telugu news channels for airing the film's teaser and trailer until 2 October 2014. Out of them 70 spots each were booked on TV5, TV9, and Sakshi, while 50 spots each were booked on 14 other Telugu news channels.[144] Post release, Ram Charan and Kajal participated in a special promotional program title Radhe Govinda hosted by Anasuya where they spoke about the film as a part of the film's promotion.[145] As a marketing strategy, the makers planned to add the song Kokkokkodi to the film being screened in theatres to boost the takings.[146][147][148]

Home media

Gemini TV acquired the film's satellite rights for an amount of 90 million (US$1.3 million).[149] The film had its worldwide Television premier on 21 March 2015 on the eve of Ugadi.[150] The film's DVDs and VCDs were released and marketed by Sri Balaji Movies on 31 March 2015.[151]

Reception

Critical reception

Both Charan (top) and Prakash Raj (bottom) won critical acclaim for their performances in their respective roles of a London-based NRI and his grandfather.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics.[152][153] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote "Filmmakers hope the family audience will troop in, connect with a thought, a dialogue, a character or a bond between the on-screen family members, have a good laugh, shed a few tears and get their money’s worth. An old-fashioned story told reasonably well is enough to put a smile on many faces. Krishnavamsi walks this predictable path in Govindudu Andarivadele" and added "This oft-repeated tale, has shades of several family dramas told earlier in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. Yet, Krishna Vamsi makes it his own in the way he narrates it".[105] Sandhya Rao of Sify wrote, "Overall Govindhudu Andhari Vadele is a neat family drama with the right dash of emotions. The first half is okay, but the second half surely does elevate the film to a different level. Watch GAV this festive season."[106]
Oneindia Entertainment wrote "Govindudu Andarivadele is a must watch family entertainer with emotion, action, family bonding and love. The movie has included everything which should be in a family drama. GAV will be a grand treat this festival season" and rated the film 3.5 out of 5.[154] Karthik Pasupulate of The Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 and said, "The film has some moments that stand out like Ram Charan's introduction on the rugby field, a couple of well picturised songs, a few smart one-liners and a couple of profound musings on the importance of family and overly color graded village imagery", before concluding that "the movie does offer [...] some feel good melodrama and production values that are more rich than original."[9] Suresh Kaviyarani of the Deccan Chronicle rated the film 3 out of 5 and said, "You can watch it once for Charan’s performance and it is a clean family drama. This is a holiday time and it may work out for this film."[6]
In contrast, Subramanian Harikumar of Bollywood Life gave a mixed review saying, "Govindudu Andarivadele is an earnest attempt to dish out a clean family entertainer. But alas it’s cliche ridden plot pulls it down." He felt that the film was pleasing to the eyes but lacked novelty in its novelty in story and treatment, giving the film a rating of 2.5 out of 5.[155] Haricharan Pudipeddi, writing for IANS, gave a mixed review saying, "Govindudu Andarivadele displays Telugu filmmakers' reluctance to dig deep within a genre. There's enough material readily available from our own lives for an engaging family tale, but rarely do we come across anything realistic." and gave the film a rating of 2 out of 5.[107]

Box office

India

Govindudu Andarivadele took a record opening at the box office. The film grossed approximately 86.2 million (US$1.3 million) in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana together on the first day of its theatrical run. This surpassed the opening-day collections of Mahesh Babu's 1: Nenokkadine, which grossed 84 million (US$1.2 million) in the region.[156] According to trade reports, the film amassed approximately 23 million (US$340,000) in Nizam while the Ceded region registered around 16 million (US$240,000). Collections in the East Godavari and Guntur regions were around 10 million (US$150,000) and 12.4 million (US$180,000) respectively.[157] According to trade analyst Trinath, the film collected a total of 128.3 million (US$1.9 million) in India alone on its release day.[2] The film collected a share of 231.8 million (US$3.4 million) in five days at the AP/Nizam region.[158] The film managed to gross a total of 271.8 million (US$4.0 million) at AP/Nizam region by the end of its first week run.[159] This took the first week worldwide collections to approximately 350 million (US$5.2 million) share. The film had the third-highest AP/Nizam share as well as having the top worldwide week one share, surpassing Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013) and Race Gurram.[160]
The film's collections slowed down on its eighth day, collecting 9.5 million (US$140,000) at Nizam box office alone. This took its nine-day worldwide collections to 363.8 million (US$5.4 million).[161] On the next day, there was a drop of nearly 50% in the film's collections when compared to the release day because of new releases in many theatres. On that day, it collected approximately 40 million (US$590,000) at the worldwide box office.[162] It witnessed subsequent growth on the second Saturday and collected 8 million (US$120,000) share at AP/Nizam Box office.[163] The film grossed a total of 317.2 million (US$4.7 million) at AP/Nizam region in 12 days and with revenue from Karnataka, Rest of India and Overseas, the 12-day global total was 395 million (US$5.9 million) with which this film surpassed the final collections of Businessman (2012), Pokiri (2006), Arundhati (2009), Aagadu and Iddarammayilatho (2013).[164] The film was declared one of the biggest hits of 2014 at the Box office.[165]
The film crossed the 400 million (US$5.9 million) mark in two weeks with the film collecting 322.5 million (US$4.8 million) at AP/Nizam Box office and the rest from Karnataka, Rest of India and Overseas. It was Ram Charan's fifth film to gross in excess of 400 million (US$5.9 million).[166] The film's final collections in AP/Nizam region stood at 338.5 million (US$5.0 million), 36 million (US$530,000) in Karnataka and 10 million (US$150,000) from rest of India. It surpassed the final collections of Legend but failed to enter the list of all-time top 10 Telugu films with highest worldwide share, ending in thirteenth place behind Eega (2012).[3] The film completed a 50-day run on 20 November 2014.[167]

Overseas

The film had the biggest opening for a Ram Charan picture in the US, where it grossed 10.7 million (US$160,000) on its first day, according to trade analyst Jeevi of Idlebrain.com.[156] The film grossed 18.5 million (US$270,000) in 2 days in the US.[168] The film grossed around 7.28 million (US$110,000) on its third day in the US including reported and non-reported screens, making the film Ram Charan's highest-grossing US-released film.[169] By the end of the first weekend, the film grossed around 39.8 million (US$590,000) at US Box office including rentrak and non reporting screens. It earned around 36.2 million (US$540,000) rentrak only from 121 locations in 5 days including Tuesday premier shows in the US.[170] The film collected an amount of 32 million (US$480,000) in its lifetime at Overseas Box office.[3]

Awards and nominations

Ceremony Category Nominee Result
62nd Filmfare Awards South[171][172] Best Actress – Telugu Kajal Aggarwal Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Telugu Prakash Raj Nominated
Srikanth Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer – Telugu Hariharan for "Neeli Rangu Cheeralona" Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer – Telugu Chinmayi for "Ra Rakumara" Nominated
4th South Indian International Movie Awards[173][174] Best Film – Telugu Parameswara Art Productions Nominated
Best Actress – Telugu Kajal Aggarwal Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Telugu Prakash Raj Nominated
Srikanth Nominated
Best Dance Choreographer – Telugu Chinni Prakash for "Bavagari Choope" Nominated

Remake

In mid January 2015, an associate of Prabhu Deva said he was interested in remaking the film in Hindi after watching a special screening by Bandla Ganesh. Ganesh confirmed that Prabhu watched the film and liked it. Prakash Raj was also expected to be a part of the remake as Prabhu was impressed with his performance

Yevadu Telegu movie review

Yevadu Telegu movie review
Yevadu (English: Who is he?) is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language action film co-written and directed by Vamsi Paidipally. The film features Ram Charan, Shruti Haasan, and Amy Jackson in the lead roles, while Allu Arjun, Kajal Aggarwal, Sai Kumar, Jayasudha and Rahul Dev play supporting roles. The film was produced by Dil Raju under the banner Sri Venkateswara Creations. Vakkantham Vamsi co-wrote the film's script with Paidipally. Devi Sri Prasad composed the film's music, while Marthand K. Venkatesh was the film's editor.
The film's story was partially inspired by John Woo's 1997 film, Face/Off, and revolves around two strangers, Satya and Charan. The film was made on a budget of 350 million, and was officially launched on 9 December 2011. Principal photography began on 27 April 2012 and lasted until 22 July 2013. The majority of the film was shot in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, mostly in Ramoji Film City, while two songs were shot in Switzerland and Bangkok.
Released during the season of the Makar Sankranti festival, the film received decent feedback from critics. It grossed more than 600 million and collected a distributor share of 471 million, becoming one of the highest grossing Telugu films of 2014. The film was dubbed into Tamil as Magadheera, into Malayalam as Bhaiyya My Brother and into Hindi with the same name by Goldmine Telefilms.

Contents

Plot

Satya and Deepthi are lovers living in Visakhapatnam. A dreaded don, Veeru Bhai, lusts for her. When Deepthi's parents are killed, she and Satya escape. They board a bus on route to Hyderabad, but the bus is stopped unexpectedly and boarded by three men: Veeru's henchman Deva, Veeru's brother Ajay, and a corrupt police inspector, Shravan. They kill Deepthi in front of Satya, and he suffers an almost-fatal stab wound. Before the three leave, they set fire to the bus, leaving Satya to his death (after they stabbed him to death). However, Dr. Shailaja saves Satya by giving him a new face and skin. Ten months later, Satya wakes up from his coma.
Under the pseudonym of Ram, Satya returns to Visakhapatnam where he meets a model named Shruti, whom Veeru likes. Befriending Shruti, he takes advantage of his new unknown face, and lures Deva to a half-constructed apartment (or unconstructed building), where Satya kills Deva. A photo of Deva is discovered by assistant commissioner Ashok Varma, which has been marked with a "1". Satya then files a report on Deepthi with the police, stating that she has been missing for ten days. Since Shravan knows that Deepthi was killed ten months earlier, he becomes suspicious of Satya in his new persona, and follows him to a mall, where Satya kills him. During the investigation on Shravan's death, Satya presents himself to Varma as an eyewitness. When asked to provide a description of the killer, Satya describes his former face. Satya then manipulates Ajay to fall in love with Shruti and gets the two of them to pose in compromising positions for some pictures, under the pretense that they will be used as a promotion to assist Shruti in getting an opportunity to audition for the female lead in a film. Instead, Satya sends copies of the pictures to Veeru, to turn him against both Ajay and Shruti. Satya then convinces Ajay that the only way to save Shruti from Veeru's ire is to kill Veeru, which would also allow Ajay to gain his brother's position. However, Veeru's henchmen kill Ajay, but Veeru is himself killed by Satya, who reveals his true identity. He apologises to Shruti for using her, before leaving.
His vengeance fulfilled, Satya departs from Visakhapatnam. On the way, a stranger attacks Satya, but is killed. Suspecting that the attack might have something to do with his new face, Satya visits Dr. Shailaja. When they meet, Shailaja confesses that she has given Satya the face of her deceased son, Charan; she then goes on to explain the circumstances surrounding Charan's death. Charan was a happy-go-lucky rich graduate who hung out with his friends and girlfriend, Manju. One of his friends, Shashank, questions the local don, Dharma, regarding his illegal acquisition of lands by exploiting the slum people. Threatened, Dharma kills Shashank, after which Charan begins to raise support among the local population to revolt against Dharma. Again threatened, Dharma approaches another one of Charan's friends, Sharath, promising to establish his political career if he kills Charan. Charan and Sharath go to Visakhapatnam to attend a wedding. On their return, they board the same bus as Satya and Deepthi. When the bus was stopped, Sharath pulls a knife on Charan and the two engage in a fight. Veeru's men simultaneously enter the bus. Deepthi is killed inside the bus while Charan and Sharath's struggle has led them outside the bus, where Charan is stabbed to death. Charan's body is sent to Shailaja, who after observing Satya's urge to live decides to transplant her son's face onto Satya, rather than simple plastic surgery. Before Shailaja could inform Satya about Charan, Satya had left the hospital.
Leaving Shailaja, Satya visits the slum, under the guise of Charan. After meeting the locals, he decides to avenge Charan's death. First, he meets Sharath in a political meeting and, using the shock of Charan seemingly being alive, makes him kill Dharma. Satya makes the slum people follow Sharath to Dharma's house. Sharath stabs Dharma, who in turn kills Sharath. However, the mob, which has followed Satya, finally kills Dharma. Afterwards, Manju is shown living in a distant land, mourning Charan's death. The film ends with Satya meeting her.

Cast

Production

Development

Dil Raju wanted to produce a technically driven film and selected a script written by Vamsi Paidipally.[4] Raju announced the project officially in early October 2011, as well as announcing that Ram Charan would star as the film's protagonist. The project would be produced under the banner Sri Venkateswara Creations, with the details, including its cast and crew, announced shortly thereafter.[5] Before sharing the script with Charan, Paidipally worked on it for nearly two months, choosing the action genre after having directed family dramas like Brindavanam (2010).[6] Devi Sri Prasad was confirmed as the film's music director in early November 2011, marking his first collaboration with both Paidipally and Charan. The music sittings were held at Goa.[7]
The film's production was officially launched on 9 December 2011, in Hyderabad;[8] the film's title was announced as Yevadu and a first look poster was unveiled on the same day.[9] Paidipally based his screenplay from a story written by Vakkantham Vamsi.[10] Anand Sai was the film's art director and completed his work by September 2013.[11] Abburi Ravi contributed to the dialogues.[12] C. Ram Prasad was the film's cinematographer, while Marthand K. Venkatesh was the film's editor.[13]

Casting

Samantha Ruth Prabhu (top) was cast as the main female lead but was subsequently replaced by Shruti Haasan (bottom) due to creative differences.
Ram Charan was signed as the protagonist in October 2011. Allu Arjun was cast for a crucial cameo appearance in a role which would bring a twist in the film; the producers wanted an energetic and spirited actor in the part.[14] Samantha Ruth Prabhu was selected to play the female lead to be paired with Charan, and was expected to join the production in October 2012.[15] For the other pairing with Charan, in his alter-ego role, Amy Jackson was selected to play the role of Shruti.[16] This marked her debut in Telugu cinema, and she participated in various workshops to prepare herself for the role before joining the shoot.[17] Jackson revealed that she was afraid to be seen as a glamorous young woman aiming to be an actress; she worked hard to get her diction right and called the workshop an orientation programme to get her used to the Telugu language. For her role, she practised yoga, functional training, and went for jogs in and around Bandra bandstand in Mumbai, before rejoining the film's sets in Hyderabad.[18]
Kajal Aggarwal was signed for a cameo appearance and was paired with Arjun.[19] Her inclusion was in doubt due to scheduling conflicts,[20] but she eventually accepted the role, calling it a short and sweet one.[21] Shweta Bhardwaj was approached to perform an item number in early May 2012, which she confirmed the news at the time, but added that although she was approached, she was not officially cast in the film.[22] Scarlett Mellish Wilson was selected for an item number, which was supposed to be her first in Telugu; However the film, Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu, was released earlier, making it her debut.[23][24]
Samantha walked out of the project in mid-November 2012 due to creative differences.[25] She was subsequently replaced by Shruti Haasan,[26] who was reportedly paid a remuneration of 6 million, but her participation was delayed due to scheduling problems.[27] Sai Kumar was signed as the main antagonist.[28] Lyricist Sirivennela Sitaramasastri's second son, Raja, was signed for a supporting role.[29] Arjun's character in the film was reported to be severely injured in a fight and was to be presented as Charan after repeated plastic surgeries to his face.[30] His character's name was revealed as Sathya, and it was speculated that he would be a police officer in the film.[31] Murali Sharma was selected for a supporting role.[32] Shashank and Prabhas Srinu were seen in cameo roles.[33][34]

Filming

Visakhapatnam (top) and Ramoji Film City (bottom), where the film was significantly shot
Principal photography began on 27 April 2012.[35] Ram Charan was involved in two projects simultaneously, Yevadu and Zanjeer (2013). After completing initial filming on Zanjeer, Charan joined the cast and crew of Yevadu on 8 May 2012, to shoot the item number,[36] as well as scenes featuring him, Amy Jackson, and others. After this first phase of production, Charan was scheduled to go back to Bangkok to complete the filming schedule of Zanjeer, before rejoining the Yevadu production on 7 August 2012.[37] Filming continued in Hyderabad until mid-September 2012 after which production moved to Visakhapatnam on 14 September 2012.[38] By early October 2012, 40 percent of the film was completed, consisting mostly of the first half.[39] Shruti Haasan joined the film's sets on 24 January 2013.[40]
After a short break, filming recommenced on 5 March 2013,[41] and by the end of the month, 90 percent of the film's speaking sequences were completed.[42] Several action sequences were shot at Ramoji Film City in mid April 2013, under the supervision of Peter Hein.[43] By then, the portions containing Arjun and Aggarwal were almost complete.[44] The film's team left for Switzerland on 20 May 2013, to film a song sequence.[45] Charan and Haasan were on location in Zurich, Switzerland to film one of the songs, which was completed by 27 May 2013.[46]
Primary filming recommenced on 29 May 2013, in Hyderabad, with Amy Jackson rejoining the production. The filming was expected to be wrapped up by 20 June 2013.[47] In mid-June 2013, a song featuring Charan was shot at Keesara Strech, Ramoji Film City.[48] Later, a song choreographed by Shekhar, and featuring Charan and Haasan was shot at Annapurna 7 Acres Studio.[49] Meanwhile, a song featuring Charan and Jackson was shot in Bangkok.[50] The song Freedom which was choreographed by Johnny, was shot in early July 2013 at Ramoji Film City.[51]
Principal photography came to an end on 22 July 2013 after the completion of Haasan's scenes.[52] However, in late September 2013, some parts of the film were reportedly re-shot and new scenes were added, in an effort to speed up the pace of the film, after the completion of censor formalities.[53]

Themes and influences

Despite the film's writer, Vamsi, denying it in early June 2013,[54] many critics believed the film was heavily inspired from John Woo's 1997 action film, Face/Off, as well as bearing similarities to the Telugu films Chhatrapati (2005) and Vikramarkudu (2006), both directed by S. S. Rajamouli.[55][56][57][58] While critic Sangeetha Devi Dundoo called the film a combination of Face/Off and Vikramarkudu,[59] another critic, Karthik Pasupulate, wrote, "This movie this isn't a rip off of Face/Off. We don't have filmmakers who have the required creativity and technical know how to make half decent adaptation of that 1997 action thriller. The director just borrows the central idea to dish out another silly revenge drama."[60]

Soundtrack

Main article: Yevadu (soundtrack)
Devi Sri Prasad composed the film's soundtrack, which consists of six songs. Ramajogayya Sastry penned the lyrics for two songs, while Sirivennela Sitaramasastri, Chandrabose, Krishna Chaitanya and Sri Mani each wrote the lyrics for one song.[61] Aditya Music acquired the audio rights.[62] The soundtrack was released on 1 July 2013.[63]

Release

The film was initially slated for a 14 July 2013 release, which was Charan's first wedding anniversary.[64] After few delays, the film's release date was announced as 31 July 2013 to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Ram Charan's 2009 film Magadheera.[65] After several delays, the film was rescheduled to open the same day as Pawan Kalyan's Attarintiki Daredi, but was postponed again to 21 August 2013.[66][67] The Central Board of Film Certification gave the film an 'A' certificate because of its violent action sequences.[68] However, due to protests in Seemandhra over the Telangana State formation, the release of both the films were delayed. Raju scheduled the release on either Diwali or Christmas 2013, again postponing the release from 10 October to avoid another release conflict with Attarintiki Daredi.[69][70] Due to Piracy issues, Attarintiki Daredi released on 27 September 2013 which forced Yevadu to enter the theatres as a December release.[71]
Dil Raju confirmed that the film's original and Malayalam dubbed version would release simultaneously on 19 December 2013.[72] Regarding the film's release, Dil Raju said "I'm planning to release the film on Dec 19 if the Telangana bill is not passed. I haven't decided on postponing the film, but if the bill is passed and it is likely create some agitation, then I plan to release the film during Sankranti next year in January".[73] The film finally released on 12 January 2014 as a Sankranthi release clashing with 1: Nenokkadine, Veeram and Jilla at the worldwide box office.[74] Sathyam Cinemas distributed the film in Chennai, where it released in 16 screens.[75] A special paid premier show was held on 11 January 2014 at 9:00 PM and the money made from the premier show was donated to the construction of Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Mallepally.[76]
Bhadrakali Prasad acquired the film's Tamil dubbing rights under his banner Bhadrakali films. The Tamil dubbed version was titled Magadheera after the 2009 Telugu film of the same name. The film's dubbing activities commenced in July 2015.[77]

Marketing

The film's posters were designed by Anil and Bhanu of AB Core Design.[78] The first-look poster was unveiled on 24 March 2013, featuring Charan with a rugged look.[79] The first-look teaser of 36 seconds was unveiled on 27 March 2013.[80][81] The theatrical trailer was launched on 1 July 2013, along with the film's soundtrack, and received a positive response from the audience.[82] The promos for the songs "Nee Jathaga Nenundali", "Oye Oye" and "Pimple Dimple" were released on 1, 3 and 21 July 2013, respectively.[83][84][85] The 16 second promo for the song "Freedom" was unveiled on 31 December 2013, which received positive reviews.[86]
Dil Raju started the film's promotional activities 12 days before the film's release, and planned an advertisement campaign on television, newspapers, magazines, and movie portals.[87] Charan released the second trailer of 85 seconds on 3 January 2014, at the Sandhya 70MM theatre in RTC X Roads.[88][89] Hindustan Unilever became associated with the film by paying 10 million for co-branding activity in terms of hoardings, television, radio, and print. MediaCorp did the marketing tie-ups for the film.[90] The film's official app was launched on 5 January 2014.[91] While promoting the film, Shruti Haasan was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, and underwent treatment for suspected food poisoning.[92] The promo of the song "Cheliya Cheliya" was unveiled on 7 January 2014.[93]
The film's crew visited Tirumala Temple on 17 January 2014, and made obeisance to Venkateswara, before interacting with the audience at Group Theatres.[94] A press meet addressing the audience was held at Vijayawada on the next day, with Vamsi, Dil Raju, Sai Kumar, Shashank, L. B. Sriram, Raja and others in attendance.[95] The promo of the song "Ayyo Paapam" was unveiled on 13 March 2014.[96]

Legal issues

The All India Film Employees Confederation mandated that all regional film productions employ at least 70 per cent local stuntmen. When the Chennai stunt masters, FEFSI Vijayan and Stunt Silva, failed to comply with this mandate, Andhra Pradesh stuntmen obstructed the film's production.[97]
K. Nagendra Prasad, a former councillor of Yemmiganur in Kurnool district, lodged a complaint with the police regarding a poster, alleging that it featured an image of a half-nude Amy Jackson. Suits were filed, naming Ram Charan, Amy Jackson, Dil Raju, the film's presenter Anitha, co-producer Sirish, the photographer, and the owner of the Raghavendra theatre which screened the film, citing section 292 of the IPC, as well as section 3 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act of 1986.[98] Vamsi defended that Jackson's still used in the poster was from a song sequence which had no obscenity in it and called the charges baseless.[99] Justice K. G. Shankar of the High Court stayed the criminal cases on 28 July 2014.[100]
Just before the release of Race Gurram (2014), stills of Shruti Haasan from the song Pimple Dimple, taken from obscene angles, were leaked on the internet. Shruti received huge criticism for the photos, while some called it a cheap publicity stunt. Regarding them, she said that those stills were neither pre-approved by the production house or her and were shot during a song shoot and called the leakage a breach of trust. She filed a FIR in Hyderabad.[101] CID began investigation in May 2014. They questioned administrators of the websites which uploaded the photos, and the photographers who reportedly supplied the photos to them. However, it was uncertain whether uploading the photographs, since they were taken in a public place, could be termed as illegal, and sought a legal opinion on how to go about the investigation.[102]

Home media

The film's television rights were acquired by MAA TV for an undisclosed price.[103] The film registered a TRP rating of 10.14 during its television premiere.[104] The television rights of the dubbed Malayalam version, Bhaiyya My Brother, were sold to Mazhavil Manorama for 6.5 million, which was the highest price ever paid for a Telugu film dubbed in Malayalam.[105] The Indian DVD and Blu-ray were marketed by Aditya Videos, and were released in June 2014.[106][107]

Reception

Critical response

According to International Business Times India, the film received "decent feedback" from critics.[108]
Y. Sunita Chowdary of The Hindu felt that the film was made only for the mass audience. She criticised the film's revenge sequences, calling them "non-stop and prolonged" but praised Devi Sri Prasad's music and C. Ram Prasad's cinematography.[59] Sridhar Vivan of Bangalore Mirror gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "For those watching Yevadu, the first half ends quite shockingly as the director tries to wrap up the movie in the first leg itself. It is a treat for Cherry's fans and for others, it's strictly average stuff". He felt that the violence, lack of comedy and a predictable turn of events affected the film's narration.[55]
IndiaGlitz rated the film 3 out of 5 and wrote, "Yevadu has not one but two revenge stories. The first revenge story has not much going for it — perhaps the director deemed it fit not to take it seriously. Followed by this no-brainer, there comes the film's actual story, giving us respite and much-needed entertainment in good measure".[56] Sify also rated the film 3 out of 5 and wrote, "Yevadu provides novelty in the beginning episodes promising a different commercial film but ends up as a regular revenge drama. Has many cliched moments but it is also a film that works to some extent. A masala fare".[57]
Karthik Pasupulate of The Times of India was yet another to rate the film 3 out of 5, but he criticised its blatant similarities to Face/Off. He added that the action choreography was "undecipherable" and called Sai Kumar's character as "one of the most over the top villain characters ever" adding that he would certainly "break the outer limit of human hearing threshold".[60] Shekhar of Oneindia Entertainment rated the film 3 out of 5 as well, stating, "Yevadu is a good action entertainer with all commercial ingredients. Ram Charan Teja is the showman in the film. If you are looking for entertainment without any message, it is good treat for you this Sankrathi".[58]

Box office

India

The film became the biggest opener for Ram Charan by collecting 86.5 million on its first day, making the film with the fourth highest opening day grosses of all time, surpassing 1: Nenokkadine.[109] While the film's trade witnessed a drop on its second day, earning 40 million, it improved on its third day, earning 45 million, bringing its three-day total to 173.8 million, overtaking the totals of 1: Nenokkadine and Ramayya Vasthavayya (2013).[110] The film collected a distributor share of 200 million in four days at AP Box office.[111] The film collected 278.5 million in six days, surpassing the first week share of Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, and was expected to surpass its first week worldwide share of 335 million.[110] The film also established a first week record in Nellore, and the east and west areas of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, by collecting 16.3 million, 26.7 million, 22.2 million and 40.6 million, respectively. However, it missed a first week record in Ceded and Visakhapatnam by a small margin. It also took the second spot in the list of the top 10 films with highest first week shares from AP.[112]
The film collected 337.5 million in 9 days, and more than 60 million from other areas, including Karnataka, the rest of India, and overseas territories, enabling it to cross the 400 million mark at the worldwide Box office, becoming Ram Charan's fourth film to cross that mark.[113] The film grossed 350.5 million in 11 days.[114] The film collected 363.2 million by the end of its second week at the AP Box office and 440 million worldwide.[115] The film collected 376 million in 16 days at AP Box office, and was expected to reach the 500 million mark worldwide.[116] The film completed a 25-day run in early February 2014, collecting more than 380 million at the AP Box office.[117] The film collected 393.4 million at the AP Box office and 471 million worldwide during its lifetime, and was declared as one of the Ram Charan's biggest hits.[118]

Overseas

According to Taran Adarsh, the film collected 14.6 million in its opening weekend in the United States.[119] In its first five days in the US, the film collected 22 million.[120] By the end of its second week, the film's performance was disappointing; and it only collected a total of $330,000 as of 20 January 2014, while 1: Nenokkadine collected $1 million during that same span of time.[121] Overseas, the film grossed a total of 17 million during its lifetime.[122]