Anaganaga Oka Raju Review

Naveen Polishetty is back on the big screen after a gap of nearly three years since his runaway hit Ms Shetty Mr Polishetty. Backed by a solid production house, Sithara Entertainments, and featuring in-demand heroine Meenakshi Chaudhary, Anaganaga Oka Raju has all things going in its favour. Let’s see if Naveen proves worthy of the tag ‘Star Entertainer’ yet again.

Setup:

Raju (Naveen) is the heir and grandson of Gouravapuram Zamindar Gokaraju. Once a wealthy family, they are now left with nothing but pride as zamindars. After getting insulted at a relative’s wedding, Raju decides to marry a girl from a rich family and begins his search. After stumbling upon Charulatha (Meenakshi Chaudhary), the daughter of Bhupatiraju from Peddapalem, he falls for her instantly and makes multiple plans to make her fall in love with him. Everything works out, and he eventually marries her. What happens next? Do all his troubles go away, or do new ones arise? What unfolds in Peddapalem forms the rest of the story.

Technicalities:

DOP Yuvraj’s cinematography is decent, though the beauty of the Godavari districts could have been captured a little better. More finesse and naturality would have enhanced the visual appeal. Songs are picturised well. Editing by Vamsi Atluri is decent, but the comedy episodes in the first half needed better landing. The initial 25-minute setup feels slightly lengthy. Mickey J Meyer’s music is decent. Bhimavaram Balma and Rajugari Pelliro songs are good, but the special number ‘Andhra to Telangana’ is forgettable and adds no energy to the film. The background score is routine but works. Sithara Entertainments’ production values are adequate, with song set pieces looking rich and well-mounted. The story by Naveen and Chinmayi is predictable and routine, but they made it an engaging watch with screenplay. Debutant Maari does a good job in extracting laughs and maintaining pace in the narrative.

Performances:

Naveen Polishetty once again proves why he is called the ‘Star Entertainer’. He literally carried the entire film with his presence and witty one-liners. He looked great and performs with ease, portraying innocence, comedy, dances, action (in a couple of scenes), romance, and a touch of emotion towards the end. Meenakshi Chaudhary looked charming and bubbly in the first half, shifting to a more homely look in the second half. She was great in the songs as well. Rao Ramesh had very little to do and feels underutilised. Supporting actors like Bulliraju, Revanth, Mahesh, Chammak Chandra, etc., are okay and largely serve as support to Naveen.

Positives:

Naveen Polishetty’s trademark humour and one-liners
Two well picturized songs
Emotional drama in the pre-climax

Negatives:

Predictable story and twists
Initial 20–25 minutes setup
Forgettable special song and routine background score

Analysis:

Naveen Polishetty has created a strong brand for himself with just three films. Whenever his film releases, audiences expect fun and entertainment throughout, which adds pressure on both him and the makers. Anaganaga Oka Raju delivers on those expectations to an extent and also surprises with a small emotional core towards the end.

Naveen clearly outperforms everyone else in the film. A little more screen space for actors like Rao Ramesh could have added extra humour. However, as long as the film provides entertainment at consistent intervals, there isn’t much to complain about.

The first half is largely driven by Naveen’s comedy, with a steady flow of jokes and comedy moments. There are a few hilarious sequences especially the dog-saving scene. After the initial setup, the first half moves breezily with humour-driven narration. The songs are well picturized with rich production values. The first half ends on a predictable twist. The second half starts with light-hearted political humour, which mostly works. The final 30-minute stretch takes an emotional approach, and the drama lands effectively. Naveen’s shift from a happy-go-lucky ‘Raju’ to President ‘Raju’ has come out well.

Overall, it’s Naveen Polishetty’s one-man show. He entertains from start to finish, making it a good festive-season watch.

Final Verdict: Entertaining Raju!

Rating: 3/5