Movie name: Ooru Peru Bhairavakona.
Release Date: February 16, 2024.
Rating: 2.75/5
The cast includes Sundeep Kishan, Varsha Bollamma, Kavya Thapar, Viva Harsha, Vennela Kishore, and Ravi Shankar.
Director: VI Anand.
Producer: Razesh Danda.
Music Director: Shekar Chandra.
Cinematographers: Raj Thota.
Editor: Chota K. Prasad.
Related Links: Trailer.
Ooru Peru Bhairavakona, starring Sundeep Kishan, generated a lot of buzz among the audience thanks to its chart-topping songs and appealing trailer. The female leads in the VI Anand-directed fantasy drama are Varsha Bollamma and Kavya Thapar. The filmmakers chose early premieres because they were completely confident in their work. Let’s see how the film goes.
Story:
Basava (Sundeep Kishan) works as a stunt double in movies. In desperate need of money, he steals the bride’s jewelry from a wedding. While fleeing the police, Basava and John come across Agraharam Geetha (Kavya Thapar), who has been in an accident. They decide to help Geetha and transport her in their car. Basava, John, and Geetha arrive at a mysterious location called Bhairavakona, where they encounter strange phenomena. What are they? What led Basava to steal jewelry? Who is Bhoomi (Varsha Bollamma), and what is her relationship to Basava? What is the enigma of Bhairavakona?
Plus Points:
Sundeep Kishan is one of those actors who enjoys experimenting with different genres, and with Ooru Peru Bhairavakona, he has done so once more. Sundeep Kishan is sincere in his portrayal of Basava. The actor’s body language, dialogue delivery, and mannerisms are all spot on, and his efforts are clearly evident. Sundeep’s scenes with Viva Harsha turned out well.
Kavya Thapar receives the majority of the screen time, and she performs as expected. She looked good on screen and had an impact during the comedy scenes. Varsha Bollamma delivered a strong performance, but the ineffective writing let her character down.
Throughout the promotional campaign, Sundeep Kishan and his team repeatedly stated that the film would be full of humor. Rightfully so, the film contains a fair number of comedic moments that make you laugh. Viva Harsha and Vennela Kishore are well used, and their one-liners will tickle your funny bone. Viva Harsha, in particular, shines in a character that alternates between innocence and vacuity.
Minus points:
Ooru Peru Bhairavakona fails in several ways. The main focus of the film is the love story. There aren’t enough scenes featuring Sundeep Kishan and Varsha Bollamma, making it difficult to connect with their emotions. The key scene/twist reveal in the second half involving the lead couple should have been emotional and shocking, but the presentation here rendered it insignificant. There are two chart-topping songs, but their placement detracts from the overall impact.
The film incorporates multiple genres, but execution is not done well enough. The director attempted to create a sense of mystery surrounding Bhairavakona from the beginning, but the suspense was not properly built. The stakes were never high, so we had little interest in learning about the mystery surrounding Bhairavakona.
The fun moments in the first half are passable, but the actual story is introduced around the halfway point. The interval episode is neat, but because the scene staging and world-building aren’t done well, its impact is minimal. Both halves lack exciting moments. Although there are some really good, fun moments, the film falls short overall due to a lack of emotional depth and flat narration.
Everything in the second half appears rushed, and one gets the impression that the film ended abruptly. The heroine’s backstory is a beaten-to-death concept, and the creators attempted to incorporate fantasy, comedy, horror, and suspense elements, but these elements appear somewhat contrived.
Technical Aspects:
Shekar Chandra’s songs are lovely, but they feel out of place due to writing issues. The art direction team did an excellent job, and cinematographer Raj Thota skillfully captured the village locations. The editing is subpar, and the second half appears rushed. The VFX work could also have been improved.
Director VI Anand chose a new concept, but he didn’t completely succeed. The film has some engaging moments and fun scenes, but the weak second half and disappointing ending will leave us feeling let down. The emotions, thrills, and suspense are not handled well.
Verdict:
Overall, Ooru Peru Bhairavakona is an ambitious attempt to combine fantasy and love elements, but the results are underwhelming. The first half is acceptable, but the second half is below par. Sundeep Kishan, Viva Harsha, Varsha Bollamma, and Kavya Thapar all do well in their roles, and the comedy scenes keep us engaged. The filmmakers attempted to provide the audience with everything they wanted by combining different genres, but the film ultimately falls flat due to poor execution. If the emotional and thrilling scenes had been handled better, the film could have been a good watch. As a result, it is best to watch Ooru Peru Bhairavakona with low expectations.
