Ghaati Movie Review – Anushka Shetty’s Revenge Drama Fails to Impress

Ghaati Movie Review – Anushka Shetty's Revenge Drama Falls Flat

Anushka Shetty is back on the big screen with Ghaati, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, a film set against the raw and rugged backdrop of the Eastern Ghats. Marketed as a powerful revenge drama with themes of survival and rebellion, the movie generated decent buzz before its release. With an ensemble cast featuring Vikram Prabhu, Jagapathi Babu, Chaitanya Rao, and Ravindran Vijay, expectations were high for a gripping cinematic experience. But does Ghaati live up to the hype or fall short of its promise? Let’s dive into the full review.

Story

The backdrop of the Eastern Ghats bordering Andhra Pradesh and Odisha is what the movie Ghaati unfolds within. The story of Sheelavathi (Anushka Shetty), a bus conductor, and her fiancé Desiraju (Vikram Prabhu), who works as a lab technician, unfolds there. The two plan to get married after their debts are repaid.

The Ghaati people mostly live on cannabis cultivation and smuggling. Convinced by Sheelavathi, Desiraju applies his scientific expertise to come up with a liquid form of cannabis. Their clandestine business soon makes them rich but also attracts the local kingpins — brothers Kundala Naidu (Chaitanya Rao) and Kaastala Naidu (Ravindran Vijay).

Pretending to be friends at first, the brothers turn against the couple, causing the gruesome murder of Desiraju. Cornered, Sheelavathi turns against the tyrants, conflicted between avenging her brother and becoming the hero her people need.

Performances

Anushka Shetty carries the movie with a confident presence in places, especially during the action sequences. Yet, her character is marred by uneven writing, making her performance less effective than anticipated.

Vikram Prabhu debuts in Telugu with honesty, although his time on screen is short and his dubbed voice sometimes sounds unnatural. Chaitanya Rao works hard in his villainous role but sounds loud sometimes, while Ravindran Vijay does not leave a lasting impression.

Jagapathi Babu adds a few comic touches as a grey-shaded cop, though his role is underwritten. Jisshu Sengupta and other supporting actors appear wasted, with little scope to shine.

Technical Aspects

Visually, the film benefits from the rich landscapes of the Eastern Ghats, beautifully captured by Manojh Reddy Katasani’s cinematography. The natural setting adds authenticity and scale to the story.

On the negative side, the music of Nagavelli Vidya Sagar is uninspiring. None of the songs connect, and the score doesn't help the drama. Editing by Chanakya Reddy Toorupu is uneven, and the film ends up being longer than its runtime. Visual effects are also poor and take away from the impact of major scenes.

Positives

• Eastern Ghats landscape and Ghaati village setup
• Some interesting action scenes
• Screen presence of Anushka Shetty

Negatives

• Tame and predictable script
• Lack of emotional depth at key moments
• Inadequate music and score
• Apathetic performances by some actors
• Outdated dialogues and direction
• Overlong run with too many action sequences

Verdict

Ghaati had the promise of being a gritty and intense drama of survival, vengeance, and leadership. Although the setting and central concept are intriguing, the movie fails because of poor writing, formulaic narration, and lackluster direction. Anushka Shetty attempts to keep the movie together but is let down by the script.

Overall, Ghaati is a disappointing film from director Krish Jagarlamudi. It succeeds partially and proves to be a lost chance even though it had an interesting set-up.

Rating

★★☆☆☆ (2/5)