Run Raja Run - The Vegetable Stand on the issue

 

Run Raja Run

2014, Telugu

 

Directed by Sujeeth

 

Stars Sharwanand, Seerat Kapoor, Adivi Sesh, Jayaprakash, Kota Srinivas Rao

 

Mohan's Measure ✲✲

A war-torn America, thirsting for some entertainment to make them forget their pains, found solace in what has been affectionately dubbed the "romantic-mystery-comedy".  Highlighted by such lovable films as "Ghost Breakers", "My Favorite Brunette", and "Two O' Clock Courage", the films were marked by strong acting, an engaging story and humor approaching the screwball.

Tollywood has many films that could fit into the genre, but only Run Raja Run could be considered relatively close to what these films could offer to the 21st Century's equally deadly World War, albeit it being only with a few grams of inanimate germs.

 

The movie's positives are fetching.  The opening ragtime jazz of "Rajadhi Raja" and the sudden intro of the heroine is perfect.  The romantic elements of the 40s are all there, and the bumbling but good-nature Sharwanand defines the pace.  Keeping it in a modern, secular world where the only religion is Catholic is good too.  It keeps away the need for caste and the associated caste based issues that complicate Telugu film in general.

 

But, because this is a Telugu film, such a tongue-in-cheek style cannot be maintained for very long, and soon we are faced with the usual set of bad guys and corrupt cops out to be wreak havoc on the world. The other issue is the heroine; the genre can be nothing without a lead actress who is both bubbly and intelligent; serving a straight-person/sidekick role, much in the way Ms. Sharma did in Agent Sai Srinivas Atreya.  Ms. Kapoor easily fits the former, but is left behind as mere eye-candy for most of the film.

 

But, despite this, the movie caught my attention, if only for the first half, and just enough to recommend it to you.