- Date of Release: 05 August 2022
- Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
- Language: Telugu
- Watch On: Zee5 Premium
Bimbisara
Introduction
Onto the next release of the extended weekend but before that here is wishing you a Very Happy Diwali from Popcorn Reviewss. Have a safe and a prosperous Diwali and light up other people’s hearts with joy! Speaking of which yesterday was one of the rare days wherein I actually happened to witness a miracle. And I say a miracle because a supposed impossible runchase was underway. It was India vs Pakistan at the T20 world cup and both teams did put up a show of a lifetime! But it was that man whom we fondly call as The King(and for a good reason), who took us home – Virat Kohli. We all will have stories to tell from last night – we were alive when that man took us home that night, when Virat Kohli took us home last night! And in that jubilation, the review of Bimbisara did get delayed by a day. So even though I had finished watching Bimbisara well before the match had started, here are my two cents on the film.
Story & Screenplay
This is a segment that I begin with by mentioning a quick synopsis of the film. But Bimbisara is one such film that you should go in with as little information as possible, something that I did. This is because the story(and not the screenplay) is layered and has one too many curve balls that will keep you invested. The screenplay though is simplistic and standing at a shade under 150 minutes, does make for an interesting watch.
The drama opens with seemingly unrelated events and oscillates between the past(where the drama does unfold in 500 BC) and the present in a non linear fashion with a few comedic moments integrated well in the screenplay. This in itself is an interesting concept related to time travel that takes a real life ruler(pre Buddha times) and weaves a story around it. So you are introduced to the protagonist and the antagonist in two different timelines with seemingly unrelated events, in a story which is quite layered. The narrative style is almost like a folklore!
I have begun to enjoy dramas that do mix mythology with a modern day setting, and although done in a simplistic manner, it is still effective here. The proceedings are interesting with a few twists and turns which are really interesting. In fact if you do look closely, the screenplay is an interesting character study on a character that starts off on the wrong note by being cruel, only to be exposed to the world which leads into his character transformation(with a beautiful relationship between him and a little girl epitomizing it). This does make for several heartwarming moments that are really well integrated in the screenplay.
The issue in the film does lie towards the end in the final act which does get a little too carried away with the far fetched action scenes. This did made me realise that this is at the end of the day a mass masala commercial entertainer and it did score well for most parts. But one of the reasons why the final act is a tad underwhelming is because it is rushed and feels far too simplistic. The writers needed to go from point A to point B and perhaps opted for the easiest route, this when a layered approach would have made the film even more impactful. But overall, the screenplay is well written with a storytelling technique which was quite impactful.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are massy but well written. The music is decent as is the BGM. The cinematography is good as well with some good VFX given the budget of the film. Director Malladi Vassishta does a pretty good job here. He is able to integrate some heartwarming moments while keeping the audience engaged throughout the drama. The direction here is first rate.
Performances
The performances are really good here. Vivan Bathena as Doctor Subramanya does a good job in a slighy underwritten role. Sridevi as the little kid contributes to many heartwarming moments. Prakash Raj and Srinivasa Reddy have their moments to shine. Samyukta Menon and Catherine Tresa are really good too but their characters have limited scope in the overall screenplay. But it is Kalyan Ram who shines in the “dual” roles, particularly as Bimbisara. He has a lovely character arc and he does full justice to his role.
Conclusion
Bimbisara is an interesting concept in a film where mass is done right! Available on Zee5.