23 (Iravai Moodu) Movie Review

Cast – Teja, Tanmai, Jhansi, Pawon Ramesh, Thagubothu Ramesh, Praneeth and others
Director : Raj R
Release Date : May 16, 2025
Banners – Studio 99, Spirit Media
Music – Mark K Robin

Raj R, known for his authentic and raw content-driven movies like Mallesam and 8 AM Metro, now comes up with a much more serious subject: 23 – Iravai Moodu, a social commentary centered around multiple tragic incidents that happened in Andhra Pradesh. Let’s see if he got it right again and stayed true to honest filmmaking.

Setup:

The movie is inspired by three real incidents/massacres that occurred in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh during the 90s: the Tsunduru Massacre (1991), the Chilakaluripeta Bus Burning (1993), and the Jubilee Hills Bomb Blast (1997). The story begins from the perspective of an upper-caste lawyer, Chandra, who is involved in these cases. From there, the narrative shifts to a young couple, Sagar (Teja) and Suseela (Tanmai), and Sagar’s friend Dasu. How one mistake leads to a devastating bus fire, the repercussions that follow, and how it all connects to the other incidents in terms of law, this forms the crux of the film.

Performances:

Teja as Sagar looked authentic in the beginning, and the required innocence was visible. But over the course of the film, and as the character ages, he couldn’t carry the emotional depth required for the role. He needs to improve a lot in his dialogue delivery and modulation. Tanmai, portraying the journey of a naïve young girl to an older woman, did a fairly decent job, especially in the initial village portions. Supporting actors like Praneeth (SP Shiva), Thagubothu Ramesh (jail inmate), Jhansi (professor), and the lawyer character played their parts well. Ramesh, in particular, was impressive in some of the emotional scenes toward the climax.

Technical Aspects:

Sunny Kurapati’s cinematography was adequate. Most locations were real, and they were captured well. But the budget limitations is clearly visible. Editing by Anil could have been more polished, as the flow and engagement, especially for a film of this nature are crucial and somewhat lacking. Music by Mark K Robin was ok; the love song and lullaby were just decent, though the background score was aptly designed. Director Raj R chose fairly known incidents and attempted to build a fictional narrative from multiple perspectives. He succeeded to an extent. There is substance and emotion at the core, but the execution falters, with the drama not engaging consistently. He leaned toward a docu-drama style, presenting facts one by one. A few dialogues were hard-hitting and impactful.

Thumbs Up:

Core ideology of the plot
Authentic and honest making
A few powerful dialogues

Thumbs Down:

Editing
Lagging screenplay

Analysis:

“All are equal, but some are more equal” and “Does the law apply equally to everyone in our society?”—these promotional lines summarize the intent of the film. The director questions systemic injustice through the lens of three real-life incidents. He highlights the Tsunduru Massacre, where upper-caste landlords killed eight Dalit individuals, and the accused were eventually acquitted after a long legal battle. In the 1997 Jubilee Hills bomb blast, the accused were sentenced to life but released on good conduct. Conversely, in the Chilakaluripeta bus burning case, the Dalit accused were initially sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment). Raj R points out this discrepancy in judicial outcomes based on caste and influence. While this is a powerful intention, it wasn’t conveyed effectively. The linkage between the incidents was confusing, and the core message got diluted. Despite touching on important topics like Unnathi (jail reforms), the idea of prisons as places for transformation, and a convict writing a book detailing the consequences of his crime including apologies to the victims — these themes felt more like elements of a docu-drama than part of a gripping courtroom or emotional drama. Though the naturalistic and grounded approach is commendable, the film suffers from the lack of a strong narrative thread and engaging flow.

At its heart, 23 – Iravai Moodu is an honest attempt at portraying various themes related to casteism, crime, reform, and social injustice. However, it struggles in execution. It may appeal to viewers who are drawn to unconventional or realistic storytelling, but manage your expectations based on the genre.

Bottomline: Honest, but uneven.