What’s “Ooru Peru Bhairavakona” about?
While fleeing from police, Basava (Sundeep Kishan) and his friend John (Harsha Chemudu) inadvertently find themselves in Bhairavakona, a remote village, after stealing a bag of jewelry. Geetha (Kavya Thapar), whom they rescued from an accident, joins them.
But the village doesn’t seem quite right. Furthermore, the villagers are absent during the day. Upon observing peculiar and alarming occurrences in the village, they try to flee from it. The villagers assert that once one enters this village, there is no means of escape. On the other hand, Rajappa (Ravishankar) takes their bag and keeps it for himself.
What remains to be seen in the story is if Basava and his gang manage to flee the village and why the people there appear and act strangely. What made Basava turn into a thief for the girl he loved, Bhoomi (Varsha Bollamma)?
Analysis
“Ooru Peru Bhairavakona” has garnered attention and excitement through its promotional material. Director Vi Anand stated that he drew inspiration from the “Garuda Puranam,” a literary work that explores various aspects of Hindu gods, including the concept of “heaven and hell,” to depict the journey of the soul. Despite to these grand assertions, “Ooru Peru Bhairavakona” is fundamentally a supernatural fantasy film that combines elements of the horror and zombie genres. There are also inspirations from Netflix web dramas.
Anand has created a fantasy world named “Bhairavakona” to place his story. The story becomes intriguing with Sundeep Kishan and Harsha entering the village. The traditional horror scenes where the protagonist’s companion stumbles upon a solitary girl in the nighttime forest and becomes captivated by her attractiveness, only to later discover that she is a ghost, offer some enjoyable moments. Then, Vennela Kishore’s introduction as a doctor who despises women provides additional comedy. Gradually, it captivates the viewer with different facets of the peculiar phenomenon occurring in the village. More mystery is added by the villagers’ plot twist.
Everything is satisfactory thus far. When it comes to the pivotal section of the film, it loses momentum. Clearly apparent post-interval are the script’s issues. It’s evident by the end that the script has many problems.
Like always, Sundeep Kishan displays his good acting skills. He does best in portraying the sequences where he must ultimately display his remorse. He appears to have executed daring feats for the film as well. Varsha Bollamma’s portrayal of a tribal girl who charms the hero is satisfactory. Kavya Thapar’s role can be described as that of a character actor rather than a lead actress. Both Viva Harsha and Vennela Kishore offer laughs.
The movie benefits from Raj Thota’s superb camera work and Shekar Chandra’s excellent score. Thota has demonstrated amazing camera work, effectively capturing both the fantastical realm of ‘Bhairavakona’ and the ordinary world, resulting in rich visuals. Although the film predominantly takes place during night time, Raj Thota ensures a visually quality experience.
Sekhar Chandra has given highly catchy melodies. The song “Nijame Ne Chebutunna” gained millions of views on YouTube and went viral well in advance of the movie’s release. Despite its wrong placement in the story’s narrative, the song’s melodic quality allows it to be effective on screen. The other song “Humma Humma Bomma” is also quite foot tapping. The background score is impactful. The visual effects are adequate. The production design is okay.
Bottom line: “Ooru Peru Bhairavakona”, a supernatural fantasy, starts off well, engages the audience for a few scenes, but subsequently loses its momentum.
Rating: 2.5/5
Film: Ooru Peru Bhairavakona
Cast: Sundeep Kishan, Varsha Bollamma, Kavya Thapar, Viva Harsha, Vennela Kishore, and others
Music: Shekar Chandra
DOP: Raj Thota
Editor: Chota K Prasad
Art Director: A. Ramanjaneyulu
Presented by: Anil Sunkara
Producer: Razesh Danda
Written and Directed by: VI Anand
Release Date: Feb 16, 2024
