I was drawn to watching this movie after watching Gangs of Wasseypur. I wanted to see how other film makers had handled this genre. Besides, I lived in Hyderabad and travelled across Andhra Pradesh writing my poems like 'Warangal Station' (2005) 'Lal Salaam,' (2005) 'Krishnaveni' (2007) and 'Tenali' (2007).*
As it happens Gangs of Godavari (2024) released in May this year is a Telugu movie dubbed for the most part in English. (One of the song sequences is not dubbed.) Watching this on Netflix, with no ads, is a compelling experience as the movie draws you into it. Writer and director Krishna Chaitanya has essayed his role well, making all the cinematic elements combine into a unified vision.
From the opening breathtaking drone shots of the river Godavari snaking its way over a murky landscape, the viewer is drawn into the cosmos of the film. Set in the 1990's, the opening leads us to the practice of kaththi kattadam, worshipping a goddess in a cave. Once a trident is placed in the ground with the name of the person, the person has to be wiped out.
The opening scene is a fast forward of an action which will only unfurl after a number of developments in the movie.
Rathna (Vishwak Sen) the lead character, plays his cards between two rival politicians -Nanaji and Doraswami - seeking to make it big in politics himself. On the way he meets Bujji (Neha Shetty) Nanaji's daughter - and falls in love with her. The daughter tries to reform Rathna telling him to try 'giving' and the world will change for the better.
But it is not Bujji who steals the show despite her looks. It is Ratna (Anjali), the one he sleeps with. Till the end it is Ratna who stays by Rathna's side. She understands him well, ever since he loses his father as a teenager. Ratna displays virtue and chides Rathna for stooping to harm his friends. The scene of Ratna chasing Rathna soon after the movie begins is memorable. It is shot in slow motion.
The cinematography by Anith Madadi is compelling, giving life to rural life along the banks of the Godavari. The scenes, many of them shot at night, with a streetlight make you feel you are there.
The script is good and the screenplay effective. The narrator's voice at the beginning is powerful and sets the scene for the suspense which follows.
This is a river movie about people who live life on its banks. It focusses on their rituals, and how social mores and observed and discarded. At the end of the movie the narrator intones that the use of a particular weapon was banned from that time onwards.
The dubbing in English is good. The lyricism of the poetry is maintained. In the special effects section in the first part of the film the attempt is made to make Rathna look heroic. His arch rival challenges him over Ratna in a game of cards. Both of them place their hands on the cards and Rathna lights it with a flame, challenging his rival to withdraw his hand first.
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