Bhimaa (2024) is an Indian Telugu movie on ibomma which is a genre fantasy action thriller written and directed by A. Harsha and produced by K. K. Radhamohan. Directed by Karunakaran, the movie is planned to release on March 8, 2024, and also stars Priya Bhavani Shankar and Malvika Sharma opposite Gopichand who plays a dual role. Although high expectations were set for the film, it was highly rated in most views and failed at the box office. But it’s a mix of fantasy, action and thriller to interest a curious crowd which was visible during its OTT release on Disney + Hotstar.
Bhimaa is based on SI Bhimaa, posted to Mahendragiri, a town plagued with crime in Karnataka. The town is dominated by thugs and, when Bhimaa gets there, she realises there is a gangster called Ravindra Varma played by Nassar who was conducting some unfair tests on children to create a plant known as Sanjeevini who is believed to have the power of revive the dead.
When Bhimaa tries to prevent him, Ravindra Varma kills Bhimaa, the children and Vidya, Bhimaa’s love interest. When Bhimaa dies in one part of the tale, its spirit switches over to Ramaa, who is also a twin brother, but a temple priest. Ramaa replaces her brother and avenges the death of the innocents by killing Ravindra Varma.
Category
Details
Title
Bhimaa
Release Date
8 March 2024 (Theatrical), 25 April 2024 (Disney+ Hotstar)
Language
Telugu
Genre
Fantasy Action Thriller
Director
A. Harsha
Producer
K. K. Radhamohan
Music Composer
Ravi Basrur
Cinematography
Swamy J. Gowda
Editing
Tammiraju
Release Coincidence
Released on Maha Shivaratri (March 8, 2024)
OTT Release
Disney+ Hotstar (April 25, 2024)
Box Office Performance
Bombed at the box office
Highlight Performances
Gopichand’s portrayal in dual roles
Performances
Gopichand gives a power-packed performance as the brave cop Bhimaa and the honest temple priest Ramaa. I am sure everyone would remember his makeover of a lover named Ramaa to the brother turned vicious with the spirit of Bhimaa. Still, Gopichand tries his best but the script fails to explore his full potential leaving the roles somewhat underbaked.
Priya Bhavani Shankar and Malvika Sharma have done their part to grace the movie well but allocating less screen presence and concrete characterization to its lead actors speaks volumes about the movie. Nassar as the cunning Ravindra Varma plays out his part perfectly but the crux of a disturbing villain is missing in his characterization.
Direction and Cinematography
A. Harsha tries to make a fantasy thriller with some revenge and family drama but fails to do so. Despite this wonderful set-up, the actual movie suffers from its pacing and shaky tonal consistency. Things with sequences, especially those involving supernatural twists, could have taken the film to another level, but poor handling made these sequences seem quite ordinary.
On the positive side of things, Swamy J Gowda’s work of capturing the eerie beauty of Mahendragiri through his lens is excellent. The visuals of this movie are primarily dark which helps in building up the intensity of the movie’s plot particularly during the night sequences and action.
Music
This separates Bhimaa from many similar films as it can show why it has one of the stronger elements in the film’s music as composed by Ravi Basrur. The songs, especially the Yedo Yedo Maaya and Gaali Soundullo are pleasant and most often appreciated. “The Rage of Bhimaa” is used in some of the action sequences and plays a complementary role in raising the tempo to the final scenes of the movie.
Nonetheless, integrated audio, which has an overall great effect, is occasionally too intense and aurally drowns out some important scenes’ emotions. Nonetheless, the role of the music in setting the preconditions for tension and anticipation is fine in the sense that the film genre belongs to the category of fantasy-action.
Themes and Message
The main themes of Bhimaa are revenge, redemption and brotherhood. In its essence, it reminds the viewers of the camaraderie between the brothers and transforms an essentially nonviolent priest of Ramaa into a vengeful hero willing to fight for his brother and community. The element of the spirit of Bhimaa possessing the body of Ramaa kind of makes it more fictional than real, reality and fantasy.
Altruism is another theme explored in the film despite Ravindra Varma creating Sanjeevini with a view of benefiting himself, not the general population they would harm through the film’s climax. Bhimaa generates provokes viewers to think about honestly, whether the world is good or evil, or whether people are willing to do whatever it takes in the name of or for justice.
Bhimaa had the potential to be an exciting blend of fantasy, action, and thriller, but it ultimately fell short in terms of execution. While Gopichand delivers a commendable performance, the weak script and underdeveloped characters prevent the film from reaching its full potential. Despite its shortcomings, Ravi Basrur’s music and Swamy J. Gowda’s cinematography provide some redeeming qualities.
For fans of Gopichand and fantasy-action thrillers, Bhimaa may still offer an entertaining experience, particularly with its unique premise and supernatural elements. However, the film’s lack of depth and pacing issues make it a missed opportunity for what could have been a gripping adventure.
