Ravi Teja made a triumphant return with “Raja The Great”, after taking a brief sabbatical, thanks to mass entertainer “Touch Chesi Chudu”. It received much acclaim.
Let’s see if Ravi Teja can deliver another smash like “Raja The Great”….
Karthikeya (Ravi Teja), owner of Karthikeya Group of Industries in Pondicherry, loves his family dearly. At their insistence, he agrees to go for pelli choopulu; at first sight he likes Pushpa (Raashi Khanna), however her excessive talk turns off at first, only for him later to apologize and their romantic episodes to resume.
One day, his sister witnesses Irrfan murdering a social activist; it was this incident which had forced Karthikeya from Andhra Pradesh and settled him in Pondicherry.
What prompted him to quit his job and who is Irrfan?
Ravi Teja excels as the energetic police officer of his dynamic mass maharaja role, creating thrilling romantic sequences in the first half that were not expected of him.
Raashi Khanna exudes glamour as Pushpa. She does a fabulous job.
Seerat Kapoor is back to playing her stereotypical heroine role, yet fails to impress in flashback episodes.
Vennela Kishore does a fine job as the comic cop while Murali Sharma proves himself as the honest one, both playing excellent characters. Unfortunately Suhasini seems destined for forgettable roles.
JP as Ravi Teja’s father works, while Freddy Daruwala stands out as an effective villain.
Chota K Naidu has made his mark as an adept cinematographer of Bollywood films by using ramp and slow-motion action shots, along with ramp shots for ramped sequences, to add an impressive glow.
Jam8 (Bollywood music composer)’s compositions were ineffective; only two songs stood out as catchy. Editing was lacking in tautness.
Highlights of Ravi Teja’s film include his engaging performance and Raashi Khanna’s glamour; unfortunately however there are also downsides such as its outdated story and screenplay.
Ravi Teja has written many classic cop stories such as “Vikramarkudu,” and after an absence has returned to this genre; unfortunately he seems unable to select an interesting topic and story for this movie.
Vakkantham Vamsi’s story “Touch Chesi Chudu” is absolutely cliche from its inception.
Recurring in many writers’ and directors’ stories over the last twenty years has been the hero, much like the cast of Touch Chesi Chudu, hiding away in order to avoid his past only to be drawn back in by one of their former acquaintances resurfacing in the new place he lives.
Ravi Teja appeared discontent with repeating himself with similar films and took a year-long hiatus from filmmaking; yet we must question why he returned with such an obsolete plotline.
Formulaic stories work when they have fresh and engaging narratives; unfortunately, however, both screenplay and direction lack originality.
First half is mostly predictable but still enjoyable thanks to Ravi Teja and Raashi Khanna’s romance; especially now that Raashi Khanna has slimmed down and looks gorgeous. There are some amusing gags such as: “Navve Muslim ni emantaru? Ismail” but there are enough entertaining episodes that make for a decent viewing experience compared to its chaotic second half.
Shortly before intermission, the romantic thread comes to an end and Irrfan appears again – who may or may not have had some connection to his past life.
After intermission, the movie dives directly into a flashback episode which develops with great suspense – we see a dedicated police officer take on an ambitious politician.
Flashback scenes feature senior actress Suhasini in one scene where an emotional angle of the movie depends on her appearance, but after just one scene the writer and director forget about this episode and she does not appear again.
Pushpa (Raashi Khanna), who takes over most of the first half, only returns during the end titles roll. There is an extended scene in the second half in which Ravi Teja visits an office of a political broker to sip tea and gather information.
Director and writers may have thought their words were brilliantly executed, yet it comes across awkwardly bad on screen.
Seerat Kapoor’s romantic subplot is also badly written: she falls for him despite knowing that he doesn’t prioritize relationships while on duty, yet breaks up with him for that exact same reason.
Conflict between Ravi Teja and his director appears futile to place any narrative therein, with both issues regarding script and direction contributing significantly. Furthermore, Ravi Teja seems unfit as an actor for commercial movie genre.
Ravi Teja and Raashi Khanna’s performances and production values stand out, and director has attempted to make it entertaining with captivating scenes.
“Touch Chesi Chudu” is an overall disappointment from start to finish, both story and presentation being lacking appeal and one of the worst-made films recently released in cinemas. An experience to avoid.
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