'Ramana Avatara' movie review: Pray, what’s it saying?

Rama, also known as Gentleman Rama, wants to contest elections so that he can create employment in his village. This idea occurs to him as the girl he loves moves to the city for work. An emotional Rama vows to change his village for the better. He soon runs into trouble and is forced to leave the village. As events unfold, he becomes a sensational hero across the state. Why and how forms the 136-minute film.

The film begins well with songs, comedy and action sequences. But as it progresses, it turns into a shoddy retelling of the Ramayana. Rama is exiled from his village. He then meets a woman and falls in love with her. But she gets kidnapped when Rama is “chasing a golden deer”. One doesn’t need expert skills to predict what happens next.

Rishi, who had impressed with films like Operation Alamelamma and Kavaludaari, delivers a good performance but deserves better roles. Arun Sagar as Alexander and Pranitha Subhash as the female protagonist fail to impress. While Arun Sagar’s body language and dialogue delivery are unbearable, Pranitha is expressionless throughout the film. The climax fight sequence goes haywire and leaves one confused.

Some scenes make no sense. For example, Rama arrives in Bengaluru and witnesses protests for the legalisation of marijuana. This has no connection with the plot. Or is this how director Vikas Pampapathi wants to depict the city? Such questions are many.

What is the film trying to convey? Is it about job creation, with a Swades like message to encourage people to return to their roots? Or is it a mere good vs evil story retelling the Ramayana? At one point, it looks like a campaign for a political party with a certain kind of sloganeering.

Perhaps the film’s intent did not translate into the writing and execution.