Just before the start of a mega weekend, and a day before the release of Durgamati, I have decided to review the Telugu flick Bhaagamathie. This movie is quite popular, but for those of you who are unaware or haven’t watched it, this weekend’s new release Durgamati is an official remake of Bhaagamathie. So come this weekend, it will be a direct shootout between the two. And yes, there will be comparisons. Now straight to the review!

Bhaagamathie is the story of Chanchala, a convict, who is brought to a mansion for her round of interrogation. Except that the mansion is haunted. This is the main story, although there are some subplots along the way, all of which add up towards the end. The story is pretty interesting. The screenplay is a tad patchy especially the premise. Why would you send someone to a haunted mansion for an interrogation. Pretty far fetched I must say. Also, the horror element is a little inconsistent. While a few sequences are good, a few are rough around the edges. Again some comic relief(although scarce) was not required as it did kill the horror element and the tension that was built up. But it is pretty entertaining nevertheless. The last 40 odd minutes steal the show with twists after twists, some of which you saw it coming and some unexpected too. This is where the writing excels and the film ascends, culminating into an excellent climax thereby joining all the dots and loose ends.

The dialogues are pretty good. The music is decent, so is the BGM. The VFX needed some polishing but they didn’t bother me much. Director Ashok G has done a pretty good job with the direction. Although the first hour could have been better with a slightly more believable climax, the second half just takes the cake.

The performances are all excellent. Asha Sharath as Vyshnsvi has done a good job in an underwritten character. Unni Mukundan as Shakthi has some good screen presence. Murli Sharma as the ACP is fabulous. Jayaram as Eshwar Prasad puts up a great show. But at the centre of it is Anushka Shetty as Chanchala who has put up a noteworthy performance. She commands attention is each and every scene. It will be interesting to see Bhumi Pendekar in the Hindi Remake.

Bhaagamathie is well worth your time. Hoping Durgamati has a few surprises in store atleast for the audience who have already watched the original. A lip smacking shootout ahead! Available on Amazon Prime.