Rudhramadevi is a historical drama layered with a solid story that unfolds sword fights, war strategies, cabals hungry for power and many more in its narrative course.
The impeccable set design calls for an applause and so is the mind-blowing and mesmerizing music by Maestro Ilayaraja.
Of all the actors, Anushka and Allu Arjun effortlessly take the cake. The latter's rendition of his lines is a killer. Chiru's voice-over and Bunny's makeover take you on a high.
Though there are few lags and technical snags, the novel treatment to this piece of history overshadows them. The twists also pop up at right places to hold your attention.
The film also defies some elements of science esp. when it comes to acoustics, there's an entwining rope acting as a pulley, and to add further a rope pulls the weight of a man and a horse through a closing gate.
The editing becomes botched up as the film inches towards the climax. As all the soldiers are dressed in same uniform it's difficult to differentiate and the brothers making merry on the wall is supporting whom? Their own soldiers or Gona's army? So many questions pass by leading to incoherence in the narration.
Gunasekhar with his army of cherry-picked cast and crew unleashes magic. His social commentary is relevant to stigmas and taboos prevalent then and now. The promising revelation towards the end of the western world learning from Indian ethos is so heart-rending. Many scenes take you through an emotional upheaval and the background music complements them quite well.
In this Guna's magnum opus, 3D adds depth to the visual style and occasionally hits you with flying leaves and arrows. There are few 'popping out of the screen' effects.
On the whole, the film is worth the wait and worth the watch, and stands tall as an interesting tale of history!!
My Rating - Expectation - 9/10; Reality - 7/10
