In one of his interviews, Ravi Teja mentioned that some directors had already approached him for the Raid remake, but he declined since it doesn’t fit within his comfort zone (mass-masala-glamour). However, when Harish Shankar proposed Mr.Bachchan, he readily agreed because Harish Shankar’s remakes are different. I completely agree with this, and that’s exactly what I felt when I watched Gaddalakonda Ganesh and Mr. Bachchan. Harish Shankar will go to any extent to entertain with his masala-action dramas.
The thing with a remake movie is, when you know what’s coming yet still find yourself drawn to the narrative, then it’s a successful remake. And that’s the Harish Shankar formula. Let’s take the example of Dabangg and Pawan Kalyan’s Gabbar Singh. Who would have expected that Antakshari event with rowdies at the police station?
The Grandeur Plot
In Mr. Bachchan, Ravi Teja plays a tax official who raids the house of a powerful and wealthy man and gets suspended from the department. The entire first half has him romancing the heroine and enjoying his suspension period. In the second half, his suspension is repealed, and he’s assigned to conduct a raid at another ruthless, powerful man’s home.
Raid (2018) vs. Mr.Bachchan (2024)
In the original movie Raid by Rajkumar Gupta, there’s minimal setup before the raid. We learn that Ajay Devgn has been receiving information from an anonymous source about hidden wealth, and he keeps it all secret, even from his staff, because he (correctly) doesn’t trust them.
What I like most about Raid is that it manages to be thrilling without being stressful. But in Mr. Bachchan, everything is grand—4-5 songs, tonnes of junior artists and their melodrama, comedians popping up like those random pineapple pieces in a spicy biryani.
Bhagyashri, Harish Shankar’s Lucky Star
Despite its niggles, clichéd templates, and outdated comedy of nearly two and a half hours, Mr. Bachan might entertain the regular Telugu movie audience, who doesn’t have much in the way of expectations or deep thoughts.
For example, you shouldn’t ask questions like how a 1980s couple from a village dreams up a song in Switzerland, or why the camera angles focus more on the heroine’s curves than her face, or why the ruthless villain and his entire gang are helpless against an average man without even a gun.
It’s a director’s film that draws steamy performances from both Bhagyashri Borse and Ravi Teja, and that’s the biggest highlight of the film. Honestly, it’s more Bhagyashri’s film than Ravi Teja’s.
Ravi Teja – Harish Shankar Mass Elements
What makes the difference in such an old-type story is the spicy cooking by Harish Shankar. He knows the recipe well. More than Ravi Teja, it’s Bhagyashri Borse who got the whistles. There are certain antics of Ravi Teja—like wrapping his arms around belly curves, clasping fat tissues, cuddling earlobes and neck—which could appear like ‘overacting’ if not handled well by the director. But Harish Shankar managed those areas really well with his camera angles and aesthetic direction skills.
He used them excellently to bring out hilariously entertaining episodes from the central characters, and even threw in retro Bollywood songs in the first half.
Why you should try Mr.Bachchan
- Sathya and his comedy track with Sachin Khedekar
- A surprise cameo in the second half
- The climax twists and fights
- Bhagyashri and her cuteness-overloaded songs
- Retro song recording sections—probably the best comedy track of the film
- Reference episodes to Amitabh Bachchan movies
- The only hope for Ravi Teja, he badly needs a hit, let’s support 🙂
“Mr. Bachan, the only hope”—I believe this title fits Ravi Teja perfectly. After multiple flops, his only hope is in Harish Shankar, and I believe this will end up as an average grosser. One thing is sure: Bhagyashri is going to be the next Sreeleela of Tollywood.
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