Shatruvu (1991)

Definitely the weakest out of all the Kodi Ramakrishna films I have seen yet. I could catch glimpses of the magic that would make his future movies so memorable and impactful, but everything was so choppy here (borrowing yet another word from my bestie, thanks fam) and as hard as I tried to like this movie, it just didn't work for me. As soon as the script started getting interesting, it would suddenly veer off in a completely different direction, making me lose focus real quick. Plus, I felt that there just wasn't enough of Venkatesh. He was brilliant as the advocate-turned-vigilante protagonist, but so severely under-utilised it hurt. I couldn't help but remember his strong performance in Dharma Chakram (1996) and wistfully longed for something similar in this movie too. Brahmanandam was impactful, even though his role was short, and well, that's Brahmi garu for you. A true Nata Samrat.

One thing I really appreciated in this movie was its ending. No, not because it ended, but because considering how heavy the main premise of the movie was, the ending didn't leave you with a false promise of happily ever after, and was instead suitably dark and somewhat dreary. Vijayashanti's cries of "No, Ashok!" were haunting, and the perfect end to this movie. That's the Kodi Ramakrishna magic I was talking about; or rather, the glimpses of that magic.

In conclusion, 1991 truly was Venkatesh's year. 

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