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Dhruva
Dhruva links:
• Ram Charan interview
• Pre-release function
• Trailers
• Photos
• Wallpapers
Jeevi
rating: 3.5/5
Punchline: At par with world cinema
Genre: Thriller/Action
Type: Remake (Thani Oruvan in Tamil)
Banner: Geetha Arts
Runtime: 2 Hours 45 minutes
Release date: 9 December, 2016
Theater watched: Screen 4 (Dolby Atmos), Prasads Multiplex, Hyderabad
Cast: Ram Charan , Rakul Preet Singh, Arvind Swami, Nasser, Posani Krishna Murali, Navdeep, Randhir, Sayaji Shinde, Madhu Singampalli etc
Music: Hip hop Tamizha
Cinematography: PS Vinod
Editor: Naveen Nooli
Dialogues: Vema Reddy
Production designer: Rajeevan
Lyrics: Chandrabose & Yadagiri
Story:
Mohan Raja
Screenplay: Mohan Raja & Surender Reddy
Direction: Surender reddy
Producers: Allu Aravind & NV Prasad
Dhruva links: |
Dhruva makes his lifetime mission to become a cop and eliminate criminals when he is 15 years old. He forms a group of likeminded friends when he join police training academy. Siddharth Abhimanyu (Arvind Swamy) is an young and top scientist in India who has a criminal network which he operates clandestinely. Dhruva who is looking for a bigger target stumbles upon the secret criminal activities of Siddharth. Rest of the story is all about how they outsmart each other before Dhruva winning the duel.
Actors: Ram Charan is perfect for the role of a tough and an intelligent cop. His physical transformation (6-pack and hair-cup) suited the character excellently. His styling is great. His performance in a couple of scenes (proposal scene to heroine and death scene of a friend) is first-rate. Arvind Swamy proves that audiences can also fall in love with a villain while rooting for the hero. The writer has redefined the role of a villain with such a good looking, intelligent yet evil character and Arvind Swamy entices you with his terrific performance. Rakul Preet Singh brings glamour and love to this otherwise intense drama. Navdeep and Randhir are good as few of Dhruva’s buddies. The character of Posani Krishna Murali provides a bit of comic relief (though didn’t yield the desired results fully). Sayaji Shinde and Madhu Singampalli (Chakravakam fame) are good as baddies. 
Story - screenplay - direction: Story of the film is solid and screenplay is engaging. Story and screenplay is provided by Mohan Raja who directed the classic original Thani Oruvan. There are good twists in the screenplay at regular intervals till climax to engage audiences. It’s very difficult to remake a classic film from other languages. Surender Reddy has succeeded in getting the emotions right and his stylish making skills help the film to look slick. Though there are many high points in the film, the most exciting one (from the audience applause point of view) is the Dhruva proposal scene at a crucial time in second half. I was always curious about the number 8 in Dhruva’s logo and it’s beautifully explained in the climax of the film. The final moments between hero and villain touch your heart. The runtime of the movie appears lengthy and there are a few moments in the film where you feel that it’s being dragged. But the screenplay twists makes you get hooked to it. 
Other departments: Dialogues written by Vema Reddy are apt. There are a few thought provoking dialogues like ‘chinna chinna mobile apps prati kshanam update avutunte, eppudo raasina rajyangam enduku update cheyadam ledu’. Cinematography by PS Vinod is of top notch. There is a blueish theme for the film for visuals which has been consistently replicated right from the time when first poster was released. Songs scored by Hiphop Tamizha are alright. I liked the way Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech is included in title song (visuals of the video are also shown). Background music creates an impact. Production design by Rajeevan is slick. Editing Naveen Nooli is nice. Production values by Geetha Arts are excellent. 
Analysis: I haven’t seen Thani Oruvan and I haven’t bothered to know about story as well. Hence whatever I have written here is from a fresh perspective. Dhruva is an unique and intelligent tale where hero and villain don't want to kill each other. They just want to kill the spirit in each other. We have a few films in the history of cinema where audiences fall in love with the villain character (ex: Joker in The Dark Knight). Plus points of the film are story, screenplay, performances and technical values. On the flipside the runtime is lengthy and there are a few scenes that appear dragged. Dhruva is one such a kind of film that kills the familiarity and routine (except for a couple of love-related scenes with heroine and a bit of comedy projected scenes through Posani character). Making an unfamiliar film and keeping it engaging throughout is a rare feat and Surender Reddy deserves an applause for it (though it’s a remake). Solid story, engaging screenplay and riveting performances make Dhruva an intelligent thriller which is at par with any of Hollywood or Korean films (thanks to Mohan Raja). Go and watch it!