Review: Rajakili
While the first half is filled with comical moments, the next half turns serious with Murugappa Sendrayar having to pay a heavy price for his infidelity.
Film: Raja Kili
Producer: Suresh Kamatchi
Director: Umapathy Ramaiah
CAST: Thambi Ramaiya, Samuthirakani, Deepa, Praveen Kumar G, Daniel Annie Pope, Pazha Karupaiya, Vetrikumaran, Arul Doss, Shwetha, Reshma Pasupaleti, Subha & Others
Banner: V House Productions
DOP: Kedarnath – Gopinath
BGM: Sai Dinesh
Audiographer: Tapas Nayak
Editor: Sudharsan R
Rating: 3 stars
Raja kili is a lighthearted entertainer with a social message that is very much relevant to the times we live in.
The film, which marks the directorial debut of Umapathy Ramaiya, begins with a kind-hearted social activist Anandan rescuing a poor man found scavenging dust bins.
Anandan realises that the individual he has rescued is Murugappa Sendrayar (Thambi Ramaiah), a very wealthy man, who at one point in time owned multiple businesses. What then happened to Murugappa Sendrayar? What led to his fall from grace and why is he now a deranged person? Raja Kili gives you the answers to these questions and more.
Although the makers claim that the story is imaginary and that it is not based on any individual’s life, one strongly gets the impression that the film is loosely inspired by the life of the owner of the Saravana Bhavan group of hotels, P Rajagopal.
Raja Kili might not be an outstanding film but it certainly isn’t boring. There is not a single dull moment in the film. While the first half is filled with comical moments, the next half turns serious with Murugappa Sendrayar having to pay a heavy price for his infidelity. The film stresses the fact that those who are disloyal to their spouses may well end up paying a costly price for their mistakes.
Umapathy Ramaiah’s father Thambi Ramaiah carries the entire film on his shoulders with effortless ease. He appears to be totally comfortable playing the lead character Murugappa Sendrayar, who eventually turns into a hedonist. He is ably supported by a host of actors including Samuthirakani, Deepa, Shwetha, Reshma Pasupaleti and Subha.
Umapathy Ramaiah, who has already proved that he can act, establishes that he can do equally well as a director. To his credit, he delivers a reasonably good film that entertains.
The film’s cameramen Kedarnath – Gopinath do a neat job and music director Sai Dinesh, who has provided the background score for the film, delivers what is necessary for the film.
On the flip side, the film has a few scenes that could come dangerously close to being classified as sleazy. There are also a couple of songs that could have been done away with.
Nevertheless, Raja Kili is a comedy drama that entertains for the most part. More importantly, it is a film with a substantial and signficant message on trust, sincerity and loyalty.
