Almost everything about 'Run Raja Run' is as it should be. When it is Sharwanand who is the hero, making a fast-paced movie with so much mind games involved should not come with stunts that only a superstar is thought to be fit to pull of. One may recount, rightly or wrongly, two or three films while watching 'Run Raja Run', yet the film keeps on surprising us due to the twists. There is a revenge element here, but the action part is creatively missing. In the end, the villain is defeated without the hero having to use a stuntsman's help, much less resort to gravity-defying stunts,.
While the mind games are intelligent and are executed in a way that seems like a smattering of Hollywood-style presentation, the dialogues are thankfully devoid of superstar-esque punchlines. The heroism is elevated rather subtly and it is the story which is the hero rather than the main lead. The Raja called Run Raja is given a decent send off from the narration when it is time for the story-teller to give the retrospective account.
Raja (Sharwanand) appears to be a naive, mindless youngster who could not clear his Class 10 exam for want of the bare minimum intelligence. He comes across as a Romeo version of that immature man-boy from 'Amma Cheppindi' but has so much of knack for masquerading the truth. He gives a run for his enemy's money in the most unexpected way and people around him, friends and foes alike, may not have assessed him fully as yet. The youngster has failed in love some dozen times and it's when the apparently playful guy bumps into Priya (Seerat Kapoor), who may not be the girl she poses herself as.
Raja's love affair with the new 'Soundarya lahari' ends up giving him a challenge in the form of the girl's Commissioner of Police-father. The father, played by Sampath, wants to use Raja as a scapegoat in his game plan. Raja is apparently put in a tricky situation and his plight may be intractable.
The director managers to narrate a story with so many non-obvious ideas, in a simpler way. The style of screenplay has snatches of the narration we saw in 'Kick' but with a difference.
Debutante Sujeeth lavishly leverages the skills of his able cinematographer and editor. The cinematography especially is slick and so also the BG. Gibraan's music lends a fresh feel to the proceedings. The songs coalesce into the narration and that's a reason why the film doesn't look unnecessarily lengthy, the other reason being doing away with fights. The song picturizations live up to the pop song-like feel that the audio evokes. The screenplay is tight. The juxtapositions here and there help to make the pace look even faster.
The humour refuses to play to the gallery. It's neat and helps Sharwanand's characterization. The scenes between Sharwa and his father have a Tamil flavour. Sampath as the Commissioner manages to be light-veined as well as crooked in his looks. One wishes that there was more of Kota Srinivasa Rao and Vennela Kishore, as their chemistry is refreshing.
Adivi Sesh is seen in a good role. Seerat Kapoor doesn't come with that starry aura. Sharwa looks better than he did in 'Ko Ante Koti'; he doesn't have to emote intensely and that's a welcome change from his serious image.
Verdict: Sujeeth's writing and execution is creative. With no action and only mind games and slick and snazzy presentation, the film will be lapped up by the class movie-loving audience.
Rating: 3.25/5
