‘Bheemla Nayak’ movie review: This starry outing is packed with fun moments

Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati lock horns in a racy, masala-laden adaptation that is effective in playing to the gallery

If Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020) was considered mainstream masala in Malayalam cinema, in hindsight, it appears like an arthouse project in comparison to its Telugu adaptation Bheemla Nayak. Director Saagar K Chandra, aided by Trivikram Srinivas who steers the screenplay and dialogues, dishes out a racy, crisp adaptation that amps up the beats to cater to the fanbase of Pawan Kalyan (Bheemla Nayak), while ensuring that his battle with the ego-driven Daniel Shekhar (Rana Daggubati) is not one-sided.

The battleground is the forest region connecting Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In the opening minutes, Bheemla Nayak pays his obeisance to the forest, while Daniel quips that he’s the tiger who is resting after a few drinks. Ravi K Chandran’s camera and the catchy folk number composed by S S Thaman lead us through the terrain. 

Daniel does not think it is a crime to have a stash of alcohol as his car zips through the forest zone, while the cops will have none of it. The clash between the cops and Daniel swiftly snowballs into something bigger, both trying to have an edge over the other. Bheemla tries to keep things in check, in vain.

The dialogues oscillate between a few politically charged statements to the filmy. Bheemla is a superintendent of police and a demigod for the locals. His reputation of coming down hard on criminals while being considerate to hapless souls who err out of desperation precedes him. Then there’s his backstory that the villagers know but will not discuss and consider it a ‘sacred oath’, which comes into play later. 

Daniel is an aspiring politician, backed by his family’s wealth and power. He fancies himself as a hero, paving way for pop culture references to Pawan Kalyan’s Gabbar Singh and the iconic character from Sholay.

Trying to broker some peace between these two men is circle inspector Kodandaram (Murali Sharma). The first hour shows a somewhat restrained Bheemla Nayak, like Ayyappan in the original. The difference, however, lies in the atmospherics. The title song, choreographed with ample slow movements and hundreds of junior artists dressed in multi-hued apparel, is enough indication to Daniel that Bheemla is no ordinary S.I.

In this adrenaline-laden battle, the women get some room to make themselves heard. It is fun to watch Nithya Menen as firebrand Suguna, though this character is paler than her counterpart in the original, stripped of the communist leanings. Thankfully, there is enough spunk and Nithya makes it worthwhile when she eggs Bheemla to not let go of any wrongdoer easily. Samyuktha Menon as Daniel’s wife gets a character that is a tad more assertive than in the Malayalam film.