Cast: Sharwanand, Surabhi, Brahmaji, Harish Uthaman
Banner: UV Creations
Music: Praveen Lakkaraju
Cinematographer: Karthik Ghattamaneni
Story: Merlapaka Gandhi
Screenplay: Merlapaka Gandhi & Sheik Dawood G
Director: Merlapaka Gandhi.
Express Raja is a laugh riot laced with many twists and turns.
Plot: The movie explodes with a kidnap drama and the smoke trail takes you through many characters, twists and multiple back stories. Raja (Sharwanand) is a unemployed youth and falls for Amulya (Surabhi) in a chance meeting. Romance sparks, love blossoms and the cupid takes care of the rest. Raja hates dogs and Amulya loves them. This becomes a deterrent for their love to inch ahead and Raja gets on a dog hunt and forcibly pulls others into his quest. Giri (Saptagiri) accidentally falls in their lap and the comical journey begins. There are other gangs - Binaami British (Supreet) and Keshava Reddy (Harish) - involved in this search and the stakes become higher with each passing scene. What happened to Raja's love story and what are they really searching for forms the rest of the story.
Performances:
Sharwanand: He is the show stealer and the entire movie rests on his strong shoulders. He is really quick in his moves doing good justice to the title of the film. It's good to see him evolve as a hero who can do roles with commercial trappings.
Surabhi: She has less to deliver than giving a glamdoll appearance. Whenever she pops out on the screen, flames it with her beautiful presence.
Saptagiri: He lives to his magic and remains a show stopper for this film. He is in his elements and pulls off situational and over the board comic sequences with much ease.
Supreet: He is seen in a toned down avatar and he tries to tickle the funny bones than to appear with menacing looks.
Harish: He is the antagonist of the film and shows his acting prowess in couple of scenes.
Urvashi: This senior actress does two different roles with poise. One is brooding with angst and the other with a kid at heart.
Shakalaka Shankar: He walks in late into the film and spills humor wherever he can.
Music: Praveen gets his things right. The director's vision of plugging a harmonica as the hero watches the heroine takes wings with a melodious background score. There are many such pointers at crucial junctures where the composer makes most of it with jazzy and, at times, massy overtures.
Analysis:
Director Melapaka Gandhi presses the accelerator of this express film vehicle from the word go. He presses it even hard with every passing scene as more twits and more characters make inroads into the narrative. All this amid throwing truckloads of comedy.
The film's structure looks complex for a while and the way Gandhi simplifies every bit by keeping the pace under control calls for a thunderous applause. A multiple flashback mode is like a double-edged sword and the director handled it quite well.
As the film inches towards the interval you predict something to unfold in the later half. However, the director keeps his cards close to the chest and turns one at the interval to bowl you over.
And towards the end the interspersing emotions makes our day with a proper culmination. Then the final card is out with a near perfect resolution and, of course, the much needed twist to the tale.
Merits: Sharwanand, Saptagiri, engaging screenplay, music and crazy twists and turns
Demerits:
Hard to find... We can even organize a 'Demerit' hunt to find one.
Others: The supporting cast of Posani, Brahmaji, Kadambari and Nagineedu appear for brief time but make their mark in the film. The camera work is classy and welcoming. The minimalistic production values are apt and the canvas looks more colorful in song and dance sequences.
Verdict: Express Raja comes at the right time and can take your festivities to another level. It's a perfect thriller with loads of satiating elements such as comedy, emotion, drama, love, action that are archetypal for a commercial potboiler.
ALSO READ: Qlik Here To Rate Express Raja
