''Rangasthalam'' () is a 2018 Indian
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
-language
period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Period (music), a concept in musical composition
* Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
action drama film written and directed by
Sukumar
Bandreddi Sukumar (born 23 January 1970) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his complex, multi-layered screenplays and for infusing grey shades in the character sketches of his pro ...
. Produced by Y. Naveen, Y. Ravi Shankar and C. V. Mohan for the company
Mythri Movie Makers
Mythri Movie Makers Pvt. Ltd is an Indian film production company established by Naveen Yerneni, Y. Ravi Shankar, and Mohan Cherukuri, in 2015. It mainly produces and distributes Telugu films.
Notable films produced by the company include '' ...
, the film stars
Ram Charan
Konidela Ram Charan Teja (born 27 March 1985) is an Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur who works predominantly in Telugu films. One of the highest-paid Telugu film actors, he is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awa ...
and
Samantha Akkineni
Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly: Samantha Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She is a recipient of several awards, including four South Filmfare Awards, six South Indian ...
with
Aadhi Pinisetty
Aadhi Pinisetty is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil and Telugu films. He is the recipient of a Nandi Award and a SIIMA Award, in addition to two nominations for Filmfare Awards South.
Born to film director Ravi Raja Pinisetty, he debuted ...
,
Jagapathi Babu
Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Rao Chowdary (born 12 February 1962), professionally known as Jagapathi Babu (), is an Indian actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has also appeared in a few Tamil, , Kannada and Malayalam films. ...
,
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...
,
Naresh, and
Anasuya Bharadwaj
Anasuya Bharadwaj (born 15 May 1985) is an Indian television presenter and actress who works in Telugu films and television. She has received two South Indian International Movie Awards, an IIFA Utsavam Award and South filmfare Awards for her ...
in key supporting roles. ''Rangasthalam'' is set in the eponymous fictional village in the 1980s. It narrates the story of two brothers, Chittibabu (Charan) and Kumar Babu (Pinisetty) who oppose the village's local government and the corrupt co-operative society led by its president Phanindra Bhupathi (Babu).
Sukumar started working on the film's script after completing ''
Nannaku Prematho
''Nannaku Prematho'' () is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Sukumar and produced by B. V. S. N. Prasad under Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra, Bhogavalli Bapineedu and Reliance Entertainment. The film, se ...
'' (2016), and collaborated with
R. Rathnavelu
R. Rathnavelu is an Indian cinematographer who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. His work in films such as '' Sethu'', ''Nandha'', ''Vaaranam Aayiram'', ''Enthiran'', '' 1: Nenokkadine'', ''Rangasthalam'' and ''Sye Raa Narasimha Re ...
, who served as the director of photography.
Devi Sri Prasad
Devi Sri Prasad (; born 2 August 1979) is an Indian film composer, lyricist, singer-songwriter and performer. Popularly known by his initials DSP, he is best known for his work in Telugu-language films, and has also worked in a few Tamil films ...
composed the film's soundtrack and score;
Naveen Nooli
Naveen Nooli is an Indian film editor who works in Telugu cinema. He won the National Film Award for Best Editing for ''Jersey'' (2019).
Career
Nooli made his film debut with ''Login'' (2012), a Hindi film directed by his friend Sanjeev Red ...
edited the film. One of the first few Indian films to be entirely shot using Red Helium 8K cameras, ''Rangasthalam''
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began in April 2017 with the working title ''RC11'' and lasted until March 2018. Majorly filmed in a village set worth crore erected in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
, ten percent of the film's footage was shot in and around
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...
.
The film was made on a budget of
crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
, and was released globally on 30 March 2018. ''Rangasthalam'' received positive reviews from the critics who were particularly appreciative of Sukumar's writing and the performances of the
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to ...
, especially of Ram Charan and Jagapathi Babu. The film was commercially successful, grossing a total of crore, and is among
the highest-grossing Telugu films. It also won the
National Film Award for Best Audiography
The National Film Award for Best Audiography is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards pres ...
. A Kannada-dubbed version of the film titled ''Rangasthala'' was released on 12 July 2019. The film is considered one of the "25 Greatest Telugu Films Of The Decade" by
Film Companion
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
.
Plot
Chittibabu is a partially deaf, ill-tempered, jovial resident of a village named Rangasthalam. He earns a living by watering irrigational fields using a motor owned by his friend Kolli Rangamma, whom he refers to as atta (aunt), and is assisted by another villager, Mahesh. Chittibabu lives with his parents and sister and is in love with Ramalakshmi, a farmer who is initially unaware of his hearing impairment.
Rangasthalam's local government is led by the president of the
panchayat
The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical ment ...
, Phanindra Bhupathi, an influential, cruel landlord who misuses the cooperative society, charging high-interest rates and wrongly encroaching on farmers' lands under the pretext of unpaid loans. Kumar Babu, Chittibabu's brother who left the village for employment, returns to Rangasthalam and is disappointed to see this happening. Ramalakshmi's land is seized by the society for not paying the balance of her loan; she and Kumar Babu confront the society over this, claiming that her mother had paid it off before dying and that the accounts were inflated. Chittibabu learns from Mahesh that Bhupathi's henchman Sheshu Naidu had insulted his father in front of the village for Kumar Babu's acts. Chittibabu is enraged with Ramalakshmi and fights with Sheshu Naidu. The next day, he reconciles with Ramalakshmi but gets arrested for having harmed an employee of the council.
Bhupathi refuses to help, and Kumar Babu approaches the local
MLA Dakshina Murthy, who arranges for Chittibabu's bail. With Murthy's support, Kumar Babu nominates himself for the position of President of Rangasthalam. They gain support from the villagers over time, with a few of them filing nominations for the position of ward member. Rangamma, however, warns Chittibabu that many people who chose to run against Bhupathi, her husband included, were later found dead in mysterious circumstances. Chittibabu realizes that Bhupathi has had all of them murdered, and senses that Kumar Babu may be in danger. He takes bribes from Bhupathi and tries to force the villagers to withdraw their nominations. Despite this, Kumar Babu continues with his vie for leadership, leading to Chittibabu changing his mind and returning the money to Bhupathi.
Kumar Babu is attacked by Bhupathi’s group on the outskirts of the village, having gone to meet his girlfriend Padma in
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...
. At first, Chittibabu manages to save him from death, but a veiled man slits his already-wounded brother's throat. Bhupathi runs away from Rangasthalam, fearing for his life, and Chittibabu continues to search for him in the nearby villages. Meanwhile, Rangamma is unanimously elected as the village's president. At one point over the following days, Chittibabu observes a group of dancers reciting "Srimannarayana" in a devotional hymn dedicated to the
deity of the same name. He recalls Kumar Babu attempting to say something on the night of his death and realizes that he was repeating Srimannarayana
. Chittibabu rushes to meet Dakshina Murthy for help. He is too late, however, as he sees the latter severely injured in an accident in front of his own eyes.
Chittibabu attends to a comatose Dakshina Murthy without even returning to his village. The doctors warn that Murthy may not recover, and suggest
euthanasia
Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different eut ...
. Chittibabu opposes and continues to care for Dakshina Murthy for two years. One day, he regains consciousness, and Chittibabu brings him back to his home. The pair are accompanied by Ramalakshmi, now Chittibabu's wife. As they talk in private, Murthy asks about Bhupathi; Chittibabu replies that he beat him to death on the outskirts of Rangasthalam. Later, Chittibabu reveals that he, following Kumar Babu's dying chant of Srimannarayana, learned of Murthy's orchestration of his brother's death. Kumar Babu was in a relationship with Murthy's daughter Padma, despite belonging to a
lower caste. Dakshina opposed this, motivating him to have Babu killed. Chittibabu waited two years for Murthy to fully recover solely so that he could experience the full pain of death. Chittibabu then murders Murthy and leaves the building along with Ramalakshmi, as Padma arrives with her husband.
Cast
Production
Development
Writer and filmmaker
Sukumar
Bandreddi Sukumar (born 23 January 1970) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his complex, multi-layered screenplays and for infusing grey shades in the character sketches of his pro ...
discussed the possibility of directing a rural drama with his regular collaborator, cinematographer
R. Rathnavelu
R. Rathnavelu is an Indian cinematographer who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. His work in films such as '' Sethu'', ''Nandha'', ''Vaaranam Aayiram'', ''Enthiran'', '' 1: Nenokkadine'', ''Rangasthalam'' and ''Sye Raa Narasimha Re ...
before the production of the former's directorial ''
1: Nenokkadine'' (2014). After completing ''
Nannaku Prematho
''Nannaku Prematho'' () is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Sukumar and produced by B. V. S. N. Prasad under Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra, Bhogavalli Bapineedu and Reliance Entertainment. The film, se ...
'' (2016), Sukumar narrated two story lines to Rathnavelu: a contemporary film with an
Indian green revolution backdrop, and a rural drama. Rathnavelu chose the latter and suggested to make it a period drama as it would give them an opportunity to showcase the local culture more effectively.
He felt more like a member of the direction team than being a cinematographer during the film's production: "You’ve to think like him
ukumarwhile working with him, and getting into the psychology of the characters helps a lot."
Sukumar approached
Mythri Movie Makers
Mythri Movie Makers Pvt. Ltd is an Indian film production company established by Naveen Yerneni, Y. Ravi Shankar, and Mohan Cherukuri, in 2015. It mainly produces and distributes Telugu films.
Notable films produced by the company include '' ...
in October 2016, and the latter agreed to bankroll the film.
The production team wanted to shoot the film in
Araku Valley
Araku Valley is a hill station in Alluri Sitharama Raju district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, lying 111 km west of Visakhapatnam city. This place is often referred to as ''Ooty of Andhra''. It is a valley in the Eastern Ghats inh ...
, but Rathnavelu was opposed to the idea. He opined that ''Rangasthalam'' is a film which "drew a lot from the locations that it was going to be shot in".
The film's crew scouted to locations near
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...
and the Godavari region, and found areas near
Kolleru Lake
Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in state of Andhra Pradesh and forms the largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia (with 245 km2 of lake area and 302 km2 of total Ramsar designated wetland), 15 kilometers aw ...
apt for the film's periodic setting. Rathanavelu found acres of grasslands by the riverside. They made it the entrance of the village, a "killing field" where people are murdered, to create an "eerie" mood in the film.
Rathnavelu opted for a "muted and earthy" colour palette with no bright shades of yellow, red and blue.
Naveen Nooli
Naveen Nooli is an Indian film editor who works in Telugu cinema. He won the National Film Award for Best Editing for ''Jersey'' (2019).
Career
Nooli made his film debut with ''Login'' (2012), a Hindi film directed by his friend Sanjeev Red ...
, who earlier collaborated with Sukumar for ''Nannaku Prematho'', was signed as the editor. Impressed with their work in ''
Jyo Achyutananda'' (2016), Sukumar chose Ramakrishna and Mounika to handle both art direction and production design.
The film's production formally commenced on 26 February 2017 with the working title ''RC11''. Sukumar fine tuned the script until April 2017.
Though the film was initially named ''Rangasthalam 1985'', it was later rechristened to ''Rangasthalam''. The film was produced on a budget of .
Casting
Sukumar met
Ram Charan
Konidela Ram Charan Teja (born 27 March 1985) is an Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur who works predominantly in Telugu films. One of the highest-paid Telugu film actors, he is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awa ...
through a common friend Ranga during the filming of ''Nannaku Prematho'' and got his approval for the script.
Charan played Chittibabu, a "partially hearing impaired innocent guy" whose disorder was used to convey all the emotions the character goes through.
He sported a bearded look in the film and underplayed the character to make it feel real.
Charan also had to master the accent spoken in the Godavari regions, and struggled to match the villagers' speed.
Charan was styled by his sister Sushmita Konidela, who had to source fabrics with typical prints that were used in the 1980s. She also had to refer the looks sported by their father, actor
Chiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi starred in over 150 feature films in Telugu language, Telugu, as ...
in his earlier films.
A screen test was conducted on
Anupama in January 2017 before selecting her as the female lead, though
Samantha Akkineni
Samantha Ruth Prabhu (formerly: Samantha Akkineni; born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She is a recipient of several awards, including four South Filmfare Awards, six South Indian ...
was finalised later for the same. She played Ramalakshmi, a "typical village belle",
and her lines were dubbed by Jyothi Varma. Most of Samantha's portions were filmed during the early mornings and late hours, as she did not like to work in the noon.
In an interview with ''
Firstpost
''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18.
The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...
'', she said that everything about her role in the film was on a different tangent, and that she initially struggled to adjust with the rural environment, as she grew up in the urban areas of
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
To prepare for her role, she observed and spent some time with the women in the villages near Rajahmundry, and took inputs from Sukumar who wanted her portrayal of Ramalakshmi seem unrestrained.
Jagapathi Babu
Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Rao Chowdary (born 12 February 1962), professionally known as Jagapathi Babu (), is an Indian actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has also appeared in a few Tamil, , Kannada and Malayalam films. ...
was cast as the antagonist; his inclusion was confirmed by the film's crew in January 2017. He played the role of the village head who speaks less and conveys more through his eyes, gestures and body language.
Aadhi Pinisetty
Aadhi Pinisetty is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil and Telugu films. He is the recipient of a Nandi Award and a SIIMA Award, in addition to two nominations for Filmfare Awards South.
Born to film director Ravi Raja Pinisetty, he debuted ...
was cast as the protagonist's brother Kumar Babu, whom Sukumar described as the "personification of the innocence of the
980s.
Sukumar approached Pinisetty during the shoot of ''
Ninnu Kori
''Ninnu Kori'' () is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy drama film directed by debutant Shiva Nirvana from a screenplay written by Kona Venkat. Produced by DVV Danayya under DVV Entertainments, the film stars Nani, Nivetha Thomas a ...
'' (2017) to cast him for the character, which the latter termed as one of his easiest portrayals.
Pujita Ponnada
Pujita Ponnada is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. She is principally noted for her roles in the films ''Rangasthalam'' (2018) and ''Kalki'' (2019).
Early life
Pujita Ponnada was born into a Telugu family in Visa ...
, who made her debut with Sukumar's production ''
Darsakudu
''Darsakudu'' () is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language film written and directed by Jakka Hari Prasad. The film features Ashok Bandreddi, Noel Sean, Eesha Rebba and Pujita Ponnada in the lead roles. It is produced by BNCSP Vijaya Kumar, Thomas Reddy A ...
'' (2017), was cast as Pinisetty's love interest in the film.
Television presenter
Anasuya Bharadwaj
Anasuya Bharadwaj (born 15 May 1985) is an Indian television presenter and actress who works in Telugu films and television. She has received two South Indian International Movie Awards, an IIFA Utsavam Award and South filmfare Awards for her ...
was cast as Rangammatha, a 28-year-old woman with a mindset of the 1990s.
Sukumar cast her after she successfully auditioned for the role, adding that she had a "divine face". For the role, she sported no makeup and instead opted for a turmeric-smeared look.
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...
and
Brahmaji
Brahmaji (born 25 April 1965) is an Indian actor best known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is a regular actor in director Krishna Vamsi's films. Brahmaji appeared in an important role in Krishna Vamsi's debut film as a director, '' Gulabi''. ...
were cast in supporting roles; the latter played the role of a
Tehsildar
In India and Pakistan, a Tehsildar or Mamlatdar is a tax officer accompanied by revenue inspectors. They are in charge of obtaining taxes from a tehsil with regard to land revenue. A tehsildar is also known as an executive magistrate of the relev ...
.
Some of Brahmaji's portions in the film were edited out due to excessive length.
In October 2017,
Pooja Hegde
Pooja Hegde (; born 13 October 1990) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Telugu films, in addition to Hindi and Tamil films. She began her career as a model and was crowned as the second runner-up at the 2010 I Am She–Miss Univ ...
was signed to perform an
item number
In Indian cinema, an item number or item song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, and Be ...
song "
Jigelu Rani" in the film.
Filming
''Rangasthalam'' was majorly filmed in a village set worth erected in Hyderabad,
with only ten percent of the footage shot in real locations.
400 people worked on the village set for two months.
The props were procured from a few antique shops in Rajahmundry and from the old buildings in the nearby villages.
Sukumar and Rathnavelu wanted to shoot the film in harsh sunlight, planning to complete by July 2017: "In April and May, the river appears dry and sand looks burnt. People haven't seen Godavari in this angle, in an angry mood. The same river looks different, romantic if the treatment is different."
''Rangasthalam'' is one of the first few Indian films to be entirely shot using Red Helium 8K cameras; it was chosen for its "great dynamic range" and for filming sequences under extremely low light conditions.
A
gimbal
A gimbal is a pivoted support that permits rotation of an object about an axis. A set of three gimbals, one mounted on the other with orthogonal pivot axes, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain independent of ...
was used to support 90% of the film's shoot as the script was conversation-based and involved multiple actors. Rathnavelu also opted to shoot longer takes to capture sequences in real time without being "intrusive".
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
commenced in April 2017; Charan and Samantha joined the film's sets at Rajahmundry where a song on the duo was filmed. The first schedule was wrapped on 27 April 2017, in which scenes featuring Charan, Samantha and Pinisetty were filmed. Unable to bear the heat, Samantha fainted on the sets, which resulted in the first schedule being wrapped up a day in advance. Filming was postponed further by a month, concerned with the rising temperatures in the Godavari belt. The film's crew left for Hyderabad in mid-May 2017, where Prakash Raj joined the sets. By the end of June 2017, two major schedules were wrapped up and filming continued near the
Papikonda National Park
Papikonda National Park is a national park in India, located near Rajamahendravaram in the Papi Hills of the Alluri Sitharama Raju and Eluru districts of Andhra Pradesh, and covering an area of . It is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area ...
. Some filming locations, scheduled to be submerged under the
Polavaram Project
The ''Polavaram Project'' is an under construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. The project has been accorded National project status by the Centr ...
, were either deserted or had limited inhabitation.
Due to lack of proper communication and facilities, the equipment and the crew traveled in boats to Rajahmundry everyday post wrapping the day's shoot.
In mid-July 2017, the construction of the village set was completed and principal photography resumed at Hyderabad.
Key scenes on the film's principal cast were filmed in a 35-day schedule. Due to the rains, M90 Lights were used to bring the harsh burnt-out look.
As the grass turned green, Ramakrishna replaced the soil and planted dry grass to maintain the initially planned colour palette.
A song on Charan and majority of the supporting cast was filmed in October 2017, which was choreographed by Shobhi. In November 2017, a key action sequence featuring Charan and other supporting actors was shot in a village fair set. By then, majority of the principal photography was wrapped up.
The final schedule commenced in mid-January 2018 near Rajahmundry. A song, choreographed by
Prem Rakshith
Prem Rakshith is an Indian choreographer who was introduced to the movie industry by Actor Jithan Ramesh. He has won four Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi- ...
, was filmed on Charan and Samantha on the banks of the Godavari river in the beginning of the schedule. Samantha completed filming for her portions in February 2018. The item number "
Jigelu Rani" featuring Pooja Hegde and choreographed by
Jani Master
Jani Master (born Shaik Jani Basha; 2 July 1982) is an Indian dance choreographer who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He has also worked in Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi films. He choreographs in a wide range of dancing styles, but he is mostl ...
was filmed in a set erected at a private studio in Hyderabad. In March 2018, Charan completed filming for his portions, and the principal photography was wrapped.
Themes and influence
Sukumar drew inspiration from the lives of people he knew personally, and incorporated the themes of a corrupt co-operative society controlled by few influential men in the village, and that of young men leaving for the
Gulf region
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body ...
to secure employment.
Phanindra Bhupathi, being the most powerful man in the village, is shown at least 4–5 feet above everyone else. His house is built on a pedestal, signifying his authority over others.
Priyanka Sundar, writing for ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'', noted that the film focuses on the theme of good versus evil, by making the antagonist display signs of
god complex
A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face ...
.
Film critic
Baradwaj Rangan
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu' ...
noted that ''Rangasthalam'' exists in the feudal realm of
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal (born 14 December 1934) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema, he is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. He has received ...
''
Ankur'' (1974) and ''
Nishant'' (1975), and
Bapu ''
Mana Voori Pandavulu
''Manavoori Pandavulu'' () is a 1978 Indian Telugu-language film directed by Bapu and written by Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, dealing with the struggle against the feudal system in their own unique way. The film is remake of Kannada movie ''Paduvaa ...
'' (1978). He added that the film is both political and personal drama, with a "morally uplifting social uprising" and "carefully nurtured vigilante justice".
Sankeertana Varma, writing for Film Companion, called ''Rangasthalam'' an upgraded version of ''Mana Voori Pandavulu'' set in a "village where caste is everywhere".
Film critic Karthik Keramalu noted that ''Rangasthalam'' explores the themes of caste-based
honour killings
An honor killing (American English), honour killing (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect wha ...
and
brahminical patriarchy
The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...
through Dakshina Murthy's character, a soft-spoken politician.
Sukumar added that he was also inspired from the ethics followed while implementing
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
, where the officials would wait until the person recovers from illness and is healthy.
Music
Devi Sri Prasad
Devi Sri Prasad (; born 2 August 1979) is an Indian film composer, lyricist, singer-songwriter and performer. Popularly known by his initials DSP, he is best known for his work in Telugu-language films, and has also worked in a few Tamil films ...
composed the film's
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
and
score. The former consists of six songs, all written by
Chandrabose.
Chandrabose wrote the lyrics at Puducherry after holding discussions with Sukumar and Prasad.
He completed writing five songs out of six in four days,
with each one taking half an hour to complete.
The tunes were composed after Chandrabose completed writing the lyrics.
The first single "Yentha Sakkagunnave", sung by Prasad himself, was released by
Lahari Music
Lahari Recording Company is an Indian music company based in Bangalore. It owns a music label called "Lahari Music" also a film production company called "Lahari Films LLP". They later ventured into construction under the name of HomEquity Indi ...
on 13 February 2018. Two other tracks, "Ranga Ranga Rangasthalana" and "Rangamma Mangamma", were released on 2 and 8 March 2018 respectively. Lahari Music released the soundtrack on 15 March 2018 in YouTube and all other digital platforms.
The initial release contained only five tracks; the sixth one was excluded as it contained spoilers about the film's plot.
The sixth track, titled "Orayyo", was a song used in the score for the scenes depicting Kumar Babu's funeral in the film. Sung by Chandrabose himself, "Orayyo" was released on 3 April 2018. The soundtrack received positive reviews from the critics, who were appreciative of the lyrics and Prasad's instrumentation in tune with the film's periodic setting.
Release
Theatrical
In December 2017, the makers announced that ''Rangasthalam'' would release globally on 30 March 2018. The global theatrical rights were sold for , and the film was scheduled to release in 1200 screens.
''Rangasthalam'' was released across 600 screens in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 200 screens in the rest of India, and 350 screens in the overseas markets.
In April 2018, the makers announced that the film would be dubbed into Tamil, Malayalam, Bhojpuri and Hindi languages with the same name. In March 2019, a Kannada-dubbed version of the film titled ''Rangasthala'' was announced, making ''Rangasthalam'' the second Telugu film after ''
Mayabazar
''Mayabazar'' () is a 1957 Indian epic Hindu mythological film directed by K. V. Reddy. It was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their banner, Vijaya Productions. The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, with ...
'' (1957) to have a dubbed release in Karnataka. It was released in 150 screens on 12 July 2019. The film's Tamil dubbed version was later released on 30 April 2021. The film's Hindi dubbed version is expected to release in theatres by Goldmines Telefilms along with
AA Films
AA Films is an Indian motion picture distribution company, owned by Anil Thadani. It mainly distributes Hindi films and Hindi-dubbed South Indian films in North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern pa ...
in February 2022.
Home media
Star Maa purchased the satellite rights. The film registered a TRP rating of 19.5 on its television premiere.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
acquired the film's digital rights, made it available online on 12 May 2018, much before the 50th day of theatrical release.
Reception
Box office
''Rangasthalam'' opened to a 100% occupancy in some areas of India, including districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, earning globally.
At the United States box office, the film debuted with earnings of US$640,000 from its premieres in 160 locations, and of US$1,204,578 in two days.
The film benefited from the then ongoing strike in Tamil Nadu against digital service providers, and earned in its first weekend at Chennai. ''Rangasthalam'' grossed globally, with a distributor share of in its first weekend. ''Rangasthalam'' earnings exceeded US$2 million on its third day of theatrical release in the US, becoming the ninth Indian Telugu-language film to do so.
By the end of its first week, the film grossed and a distributor share of , achieving break-even. After earning more than US$3 million in 9 days in the US, ''Rangasthalam'' became the all-time third highest grossing Telugu film in that country. In 31 days, it had grossed a worldwide total of and a distributor share of , becoming the third-highest grossing Telugu film of all time. In 33 days, the film crossed US$3.5 million mark in the US. In its complete global theatrical run, ''Rangasthalam'' grossed a total of and earned a distributor share of , becoming the
highest grossing Telugu film of that year.
Critical response
''Rangasthalam'' received positive reviews from the critics who were particularly appreciative of Sukumar's writing and the performances of the ensemble cast; they were critical of the film's slow pace and runtime nearing three hours.
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has a score of based on reviews, with an average rating of .
Baradwaj Rangan
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu' ...
called ''Rangasthalam'' an "unusual
masala movie" whose punch moments "arise organically from the screenplay" which aren't just "a shot or a line set up simply to get the pulse pounding at regular intervals". Rangan added that Sukumar "works with a larger vision", and "leaves behind his fingerprints" in what he called the "most hodgepodge of genres".
Subhash K. Jha, in his review for the
Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. Their main offices are located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The se ...
, called ''Rangasthalam'' a film "from the heart" and wrote that it "plays itself out with a karmic velocity giving the main characters a chance to grow without revelling in their dazzle
ic. Jha praised the performances of Charan and Babu, in particular, adding that the former "remains almost flawlessly in character," which was "diffident and disarmingly disingenuous, valiant but not fearless".
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo, in her review for ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', likened ''Rangasthalam'' to a novel: "In its first few pages, this fictitious dusty village of the
980sreveals itself gradually. The dialect is rooted, not a generic one that mainstream films present in a broad brushstroke for instant appeal." Dundoo opined that it was the most defining film for both Sukumar and Charan, adding that it marked the latter's rise as an actor. Neeshita Nyayapati of ''The Times of India'' called Charan's performance "stupendous"; she wrote, "Be it in the scenes where he oozes childishness or the ones when you see a broken man that no one can heal, you can see it all in the way his eyes emote." Manoj Kumar R, reviewing for ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
'', called ''Rangasthalam'' a "well-crafted canvas" which was made with "honesty and high regard for the audience". He found Babu's portrayal of the village's president "convincing".
Hemanth Kumar was particularly appreciative of Sukumar's writing in his review for ''Firstpost''. He wrote, "To narrate a political drama is one thing, but to create such an universe within the parameters of a revenge drama is sheer brilliance. The more you dig into ''Rangasthalam'', the more rewarding it is." Kumar called the climax "explosive" and remarked, "Adjectives don’t do enough justice to what
he film
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
manages to achieve in the end." Murali Krishna CH of ''
The New Indian Express
''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naid ...
'' too praised the climax, stating that Sukumar "weaves his magic wand" towards the end with an "interesting" twist. However, he was critical of the film's narrative, opining that it "lingers too long" in certain sequences, which made them look staged. Calling the film a "well designed mass entertainer" with a "clearly and adamantly rural" narrative, K Naresh Kumar of ''
The Hans India
''The Hans India'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as in New Delhi. The newspaper was started on 15 July 2011 and belongs to Hyderabad Media House Ltd., which also owns ...
'' wrote, "As the disunited denizens slowly unite under the saviour, the story takes its interesting twists and turns with a very gripping climax to elevate the film altogether." In contrast, Nagarjuna Rao, in his review for ''
Gulf News
''Gulf News'' is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was first launched in 1978, and is currently distributed throughout the UAE and also in other Persian Gulf Countries. Its online edition was launch ...
'', found ''Rangasthalam'' a "gripping" tale with a "predictable" end. He called Babu's performance "domineering" and added that the film "could well be" Charan's career best. Similarly, Latha Srinivasan opined that the climax was "a bit of a let-down". In her review for
NewsX
ITV Network, (also Information TV Pvt Ltd), is a media group founded, owned and promoted by Kartikeya Sharma, the son of Venod Sharma, a politician. Presently, it owns 12 news channels, a Hindi daily, '' Aaj Samaj, daily newspaper, The Dail ...
, she felt that the ending "could have been better written" to "pack a punch rather than just add a twist".
Krishna Sripada was critical of the climax as well. Reviewing the film for ''
The News Minute
''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Dhanya Rajendran, Chitra Subramaniam and Vignesh Vellore in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, And ...
'', he wrote, "''Rangasthalam'' gives you likable characters in a screenplay that aims to touch dizzying heights without packing enough fuel. A story that makes you wait and wait should offer more when it eventually comes to a close." Priyanka Sundar called Prakash Raj the film's game changer towards the end. Sunder wrote that Raj stuns the viewers in the scene "because of the way all of it is presented".
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
, in its review, noted that the film holds the viewers' attention till the end despite the lengthy runtime and slow pace. It praised the performances of the ensemble cast, the cinematography, and the music but was critical of the film's plot for lacking novelty. Suresh Kavirayani of ''
Deccan Chronicle
''Deccan Chronicle'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded by Rajagopal Mudaliar in the 1930s & currently owned by Samagrah Commercial Pvt Limited. It is published in Hyderabad, Telangana, by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited ( ...
'' too opined that ''Rangasthalam'' had a regular storyline but was presented by Sukumar in a unique way. ''
Film Companion
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
'' while compiling the ''25 Greatest Telugu Films of the Decade'', called this movie as an updated version of ''
Mana Voori Pandavulu
''Manavoori Pandavulu'' () is a 1978 Indian Telugu-language film directed by Bapu and written by Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, dealing with the struggle against the feudal system in their own unique way. The film is remake of Kannada movie ''Paduvaa ...
'' (1978). Nagarjuna Rao of ''
Gulf News
''Gulf News'' is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was first launched in 1978, and is currently distributed throughout the UAE and also in other Persian Gulf Countries. Its online edition was launch ...
'' gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and stated, "There comes a career best for all actors at some point of time. ''Rangasthalam'' could well be Ram Charan’s, though he’s not been in the showbiz for too long, and there’s still a long innings ahead of him. ''Rangasthalam'' may not set the cash registers ring like some of Charan’s successful movies — and he’s had a few failures, too — but the film will remain as one of his best."
Accolades
At the
66th National Film Awards, the film won the
Best Audiography. It won ten awards at
Zee Cine Awards Telugu
The Zee Cine Awards Telugu is an awards ceremony for the Telugu cinema and Telugu music. They were instituted in December 2017, under the name Zee Telugu Golden Awards to award the excellence in Telugu cinema and Telugu Music.
History
Zee Telu ...
. The film won many awards at
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
and
South Indian International Movie Awards
South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreci ...
.
References
External links
*
''Rangasthalam''on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
{{Sukumar (director)
2010s Telugu-language films
Films scored by Devi Sri Prasad
2018 action drama films
Indian action drama films
Films set in Andhra Pradesh
Films shot in Andhra Pradesh
Films that won the Best Audiography National Film Award
Indian historical action films
Films set in 1985
Films directed by Sukumar
Films shot in Hyderabad, India
Films shot in Telangana
Films shot in Rajahmundry
Mythri Movie Makers films
Films about the caste system in India