Director Krishna Vamsi’s Rangamarthanda (a title conferred on a skilled theatre artist) is slightly different in how he integrates the life of a stage artist into this familiar tale.
Rangamarthanda is a remake of the 2016 Marathi film Natsamrat starring Nana Patekar. The Telugu remake is the story of a celebrated theatre artist Raghava Rao (Prakash Raj).
There is a scene where the onscreen wife of Brahmanandam dies. Sitting next to the pyre, he wonders why he can’t shed tears unlike in similar situations on stage.
Rahul Sipligunj brings a certain freshness to the table with his Telangana slang. The singer-turned-actor brings a much-needed liveliness to this otherwise depressing story.
Shivathmika Rajashekar springs a pleasant surprise by more than holding her own opposite both Prakash Raj and Ramya Krishna. She does quite well as a caring daughter.
In a nutshell, Rangamarthanda is for a thin section of the audience. Watch it if you are a fan of Prakash Raj or Brahmanandam or if you are an avid follower of stage plays.