Chaitanya Dantuluri’s “Baanam” proves a strong point to all of us. It shows us that films with great stories will speak for themselves and that such stories will eventually make an impact. “Baanam” also marks the debut of Nara Rohit, the nephew of Chandrababu Naidu, who plays the role of an angry young man. A technically brilliant film avidly supported by a good cast makes sure that Baanam never veers away from its path…

What is it about : The story unfolds in Ranasthali, a quaint town in the late 1980’s where Bhagat Panigrahi (Nara Rohit) leads a normal life. His ambition is to become a IPS officer and when his father Sekhar (Shayaji Shinde), a former naxal returns home after 20 years he has all the more reason to rejoice. Meanwhile a local don, Shakti (Ranadheer) is slowly building his empire, terrorizing Police and anyone who opposes him. One day, Bhagat comes across Subbalaxmi (Vedika) at the railway station and after a series of unfortunate incidents he convinces her to stay in his house. When the former husband of Subbalaxmi involves one of the henchmen of Shakti’s gang to teach Bhagat a lesson, it triggers a series of consequences which force both Bhagat and Shakti to confront each other. The rest of the story is about how the burning ambition of Bhagat inspires him and others to stand up to fight against the tyranny of Shakti and his gang.

What is Good: Nara Rohit’s role as Bhagat is greatly underplayed. He’s good in his role as the angry young man who believes in a fighting spirit, exactly like what the script demands him to be. However, it’s Vedika and Randheer who walk away with all the honours. Vedika renders a credible performance as the meek girl who’s pushed around too much and it is her large eyes that convey a lot more than just tears. Ranadheer is brilliant as Shakti whose tyranny knows no boundaries and he has some of the best dialogues in this film. The rest of the star cast including Shayaji Shinde, Rajeev Kanakala, Bhanuchander, AVS do well in their respective roles.

What is bad: Despite a well etched character, Rohit’s expressions throughout the film remain the same and after a point it becomes monotonous.

Technical Departments: Chaitanya Dantuluri’s script is the heart and soul of this film. After a long time, someone from Tollywood has come up with a sensible script which not only stands out but also has the conviction to prove that a good script can work like magic. Direction is splendid right from the first scene. Mani Sharma’s music and background score for this film is one of his best works and the lyrics are some of the best written in recent few months. Cinematography by Anil Bhandari is top notch with a strong brown and greenish tinge in the scenes throughout the film. Editing by Marthand K Venkatesh is crisp. Seshu Priyanka Chelasani and the banner Three Angels studio should be appreciated for producing such a beautiful film.

Me Thinks: Baanam is a wonderful film if you like “realism” in movies. Watch this film because it makes a sincere effort to narrate a good story and more than that because it has its heart in the right place.

Tailpiece: Films like “Baanam” don’t exactly classify under the “Entertainment” genre, but if we believe that Cinema has to be meaningful then “Baanam” hits its target. Go Watch it.