The filmmaker makes no bones about this film being all about Bhairathi Ranagal and hence does not bother delving deep into the stories of other characters.
Shiva Rajkumar in 'Bhairathi Ranagal'. (X)
Bhairathi Ranagal is the prequel to Mufti (2017) that traces the origin of the titular character in Ronapur, where he transforms from being an angry young child to a righteous lawyer to the now-feared mafia leader.
Shiva Rajkumar reprises his character, and we get to see him in all his glory with his favourite acting co-star— the long or machete which has been his companion in many of his cult films.
Mufti was a Sriimurali film, which has Shiva Rajkumar play an important role that entered around the interval point.
However, Shiva Rajkumar’s character Bhairathi Ranagal— a Robin Hood-like bad guy— became a cult figure to such an extent that fans wanted a spinoff on Ranagal’s back story.
This film is that prequel that talks about how Bhairathi Ranagal became both the dreaded don as well as the messiah of the masses.
Narthan has crafted a story that has all the essential requirements for a film that celebrates Ranagal.
Some cool entry shots, many fight sequences with the interval one being the most effective, multiple villains, an emotional background set against the backdrop of a dry arid landscape and some clever moments that connect things that happen in Mufti, which include the back stories of characters played by actors Chaya Singh and Devaraj.
‘Bhairathi Ranagal’ is an action drama. (X)
The filmmaker makes no bones about this film being all about Bhairathi Ranagal and hence does not bother delving deep into the stories of other characters.
Even the female lead has just one or two lines that establish her character and one shot that showcases her family. The villains in the film are there not to challenge Ranagal as much but as steps to elevate his character into being larger than life and glorious, just like how fans would have wanted it.
The film begins with an interesting back shot of Shiva Rajkumar in jail trying to calm his supporters and having a copy of Valmiki Ramayana in his hand.
This book finds a reference much later in the story and the filmmaker has kept some of those bits for possibly the sequel to Mufti.
What is also interesting is the flashback sequence of young Ranagal as a teenager who wants to fight for justice but is forced to become an angry young child taking the law into his own hands. This sequence is well written.
The same angst-filled Ranagal is seen much later in the second half in a police station sequence. These bits of joining the dots or parallels are a treat.
Barring Shivar Rajkumar, there is not much for some of the main characters to do. Avinash is effective as is Gopalkrishna Deshpande. Shabeer Kallarakkal looks menacing and is probably the only one among the villains who gives the protagonist a little bit of a fight.
A still from the film ‘Bhairathi Ranagal’. (X)
What is commendable about Bhairathi Ranagal is the setting of Ronapur. One needs to hand it to the cinematographer, production designer, art department and director for ensuring that the world of Ronapur is immersive.
Be it the setting of the mines, scrapyard, Ranagal’s home or the other parts of the arid town, they all have a great amount of detail and need to be commended.
The music is apt for a story like this and fortunately does not go on to become too loud or over-the-top and jarring in the peak action sequences like some of Ravi Basrur’s recent work.
Bhairathi Ranagal is a fan feast, but that doesn’t mean it is flawless. The journey of Bhairathi Ranagal from a righteous lawyer to the ruthless mafia don takes some time and this requires some patience.
Also, with the protagonist himself being a grey character, one needed a bigger or more powerful villain to stand up to and unfortunately, Rahul Bose’s Parande does not live up to that order.
Hence, it becomes somewhat easy and predictable for Ranagal to go on his bloodbath in the second half. The film also has a big dose of gore, with hands and heads being chopped off, so one might need to be forewarned about that.
Bhairathi Ranagal is a tailor-made fan feast for Shiva Rajkumar. His energy is unparalleled and some of the sequences have him drawing whistles and hoots for just his intense eyes that do most of the talking.
However, if you are looking for something more than that fan feast, then this might not be what you would be expecting.
(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
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