Producers : Manjunath V Kandkur
Director : Naresh Kumar
Music Director : Kiran Ravindranath
Cinematographer : Shekar Chandra
Editor : Giri Mahesh
Starring : Chetan Maddineni, Kashish Vohra, Prakash Raj And Others
Touted to be the official remake of the Kannada movie First Rank Raju, this is the Telugu version that is in the theatres now. The film unit promoted the film very well and expressed confidence over the success of the movie. Directed by Naresh Kumar HN, 'First Rank Raju' is all about a take on education where every parent is pressuring their kids to be better in academics.
Story: First Rank Raju (Chetan Maddineni) is a topper student who lives his life fulfilling his parents' (Naresh, Rajashree Nair) aspirations. Despite having 100% of book knowledge, First Rank Raju has 0% or world knowledge. He becomes a nerdy and naive person who can't even do small things. He also doesn't reciprocate heroine (Kashish Vohra)'s feeling for him. His life becomes a big mess slowly and he realizes the same. What happens then? What did Raju do? Forms the story of the movie.
Performances: Chetan Maddineni definitely showed great improvement when compared to his previous films. Not only in terms of his acting, but he also tried to show a massive difference in dialogue delivery and facial expressions as well. Kashish Vohra is pretty and promising in this film. She not only looked gorgeous in the movie but will also deliver a beautiful performance. Naresh went under the skin of the character and performed well. Prakash Raj's energetic performance added more strength for the film. Brahmanandam and Vennela Kishore will definitely evoke some good Laughs in the theatre. Priyadarshi breathes life into his character. Posani Krishna Murali also performed well. The rest of the cast also made their presence felt.
Technical Aspects: Director Naresh Kumar has come up with an extremely interesting concept and a solid story. He has tried to lace it up with a lot of entertainment and comedy. He has touched some sensitive issues in this film and has narrated it and an interesting way. There are some boring scenes in the film. The director has executed the story well. Production values by Manjunath V Kandukur and Dolphin Entertainment banner are luxurious. It is evident that the producers have invested decent amounts in this film. Music by Kiran Ravindranath is just average. But his BGM is worth appreciating. Cinematography by Shekar Chandra is good. He has produced some bright and colorful visuals for the film. Editing by Giri Mahesh is just average.
Verdict: The entire movie depicts how the Indian education system is and also showcases it in a slightly satirical way. The movie starts off on an interesting note and the entire first half is extremely fun and full of comedy. The second half turns a bit serious and a lot of emotions are embedded in the story. The characterizations are designed in a decent way. Despite having a few shortcomings in the story, the movie is entertaining and there won't be any boring scenes in the film. To conclude, 'First Rank Raju' is a must-watch film not only for the students but also their parents.
Filmybuzz.com Rating: 3/5
