Robin Bhuyan (Editor)
With renowned actor Ravi Sharma in the lead role, Sri Raghupati is a film that has managed to become one of the biggest hits among Assamese films, and it has made a name for itself in Assamese cinema. However, is the movie worth the hype? Let us find out.
If we look at the Assamese industry, very rarely do we get to see action thrillers that not only try to give a socio-political message but also perform well at the box office. Sri Raghupati is one such film, and it is no surprise that it has managed to captivate the audience.
(Spoilers ahead)
The story revolves around Sri Raghupati Barua, an honest ACS officer working for the government who is forced to take up a revolutionary journey after his sister is brutally raped and murdered. He comes across a heinous trafficking racket and is not willing to let anything stop him from getting justice for his loved ones. If you are used to watching action movies, especially Telugu action flicks, then you might not find the story very unique, as it doesn’t have much new to offer. However, what’s amazing and astonishing is that the director and the crew of Sri Raghupati have managed to make this movie on a budget of merely 2 crores. If you look at Bollywood, Tollywood, or Kollywood, such a movie will usually have a budget of between 50 and 100 crores. Not only did the team at Sri Raghupati manage to make this movie on a very low budget, but the most amazing thing is that the experience the film provides is no less than those made in Bollywood or Tollywood with expensive budgets.
Another interesting thing is how the film draws a parallel between the main character and Sri Ram from The Ramayana. The main character’s name, Raghupati, is another name for Sri Ram, and there is a dialogue in the film that says that Ramachandra was born to slay the ruler of Lanka, Ravana. Although Ravana was eventually killed, over time, thousands of other ‘Ravanas’, began to emerge in society. The ‘Ravanas’ in society are referring to the trafficking rackets.
Director Subrat Kakoti does a fairly good job, and he manages to keep the audience tied to their seats with the intense music and screenplay. Although the film is based on a serious issue and criticises the political system as well, it also provides comic relief through characters such as the private detective played by Arun Nath.
Talking about drawbacks, there are a few loopholes. Audiences may be left wondering how an ACS officer became such an effective fighter who could take on an entire armed gang single-handedly. How and where he learned to operate AK-47s and machine guns is another question! The film also doesn’t give you enough time to connect to the characters, so although the story is quite intense, you might not connect to the characters enough. The ending was also a bit abrupt, like most action flicks, and could have been better.
Despite its few flaws, the film was definitely entertaining and is certainly worth a watch.
Rating: 7 out of 10
