[intro] Raju Gari Gadhi is ample proof that the genre of horror is here to stay because the Telugu audience are showing no signs of fatigue from it. An analysis of the film and its genre. [/intro]

This year, Tollywood saw a total release of 153 films. Of which, horror films accounted for about 15 films which includes sequels of successful horror films like “Mantra-2” and “Ganga”. An interesting trend is, Telugus are lapping up horror in whichever format presented. “Arundhari” which released a few years back is still one of the top ten grossers in Tollywood with an eye-popping collection. Last year, “Gitanjali” swept the honors with a collection of Rs.28 crores plus. A year before, “Prema Katha Chitram” collected more than Rs.29 crores making it a super-duper hit.

This year films like “Ganga” and “Mayuri” again sizzled at the box-office with steady collections. While “Ganga” collected Rs.18.65 crores in the dubbed Telugu version, “Mayuri” made Rs.15 crores mark giving both name and money to producer C.Kalyan who bought the rights of the Telugu film. The only films which didn’t fare well at the box-office in this genre in 2015 were “Avunu-2” and “Pizza-2”. But that hasn’t deterred the producers and directors from latching on to more and more interesting ways of presenting horror stories. The latest film that is scorching the box-office figures is “Raju Gari Gadi” released in Dusehra by the famed TV-anchor turned director Ohmkar. The film already crossed Rs.11 crores since release which includes Rs.1.50 crore satellite rights by MAA TV. Despite the other movies like “Kanche” drawing rave reviews, RGG is the sizzler of the season with collections going stronger by the week.

The film has the X-factor that is needed to boost collections. Director Ohmkar who almost disappeared with a forgettable film “Genius” a couple of years stormed back with a strong story that appears illogical at times but connects it back to good family sentiment and a climax that actually turns the whole story on its head. The line itself is not new: A slew of contestants are selected to participate in a reality game show by MAA TV and they have to stay in a haunted house for five days. The house has a famous bolted door called “Raju Gari Gadi” in which a certain princess and her father are desperate for male suitors who can wed the princess. A story that looks like a concoction of many films which dealt with the theme before. But this is where Ohmkar weaves an entertaining story with captivating comedy performances by TV artists of “Jabardast” fame like Raju and Shankar which keeps the audience in splits throughout the duration of their screen presence. Cleverly inter-mixing a simple suspense with some eerie scenes that are re-recorded with frightening music by Sai Karthik and exceptional cinematography by A.Gnana, the film rarely lags except in the second half when the plot loosens a bit and the climax uncovers what is really happening. The highlight of the film is an electrifying performance by Saptagiri who comes in the pre-climax scene as another wild-card participant. That fifteen minutes of Saptagiri is itself worth all the money on the ticket and you wonder why film-makers are not exploiting such raw talents enough instead of gorging on aging demigods like Brahmanandam and Jayaprakash Reddy.

Unlike some intelligent horror films, Ohmkar who has a sense of the pulse of the audience knows how to dumb it down for the audience but he does it without resorting to cheap gimmicks like Lawrence Raghavendra or raising the spectre to complex plots like director Ashwin of ‘Mayuri’ fame. Instead, he does it in his style of mixing a good message and family sentiment with unadulterated horror show that succeeds almost until the end except the climax which gives you mixed feelings. For a film which showcases the wild-energy talent of new-age comedians, RGG is also seeing some good publicity which can pull up its collections before the next crop of star films release this week onwards. The controversy of using Power Star Pawan Kalyan as a “God” who can scare ghosts away or using Shakalaka Shankar as Ram Gopal Verma or the news of a teacher and a heart patient passing away after watching the film itself – all these are going to rev up the final figures of RGG. The film has established Ohmkar as a director of caliber who can mix emotions and sentiment with a comedy touch to create a new brand of horror. The film looks dumb at many places with illogicalities right from the game show, the absurdity of the police permission etc. but the narrative carries the film through with genuine improvisations by the lead characters which include the Jabardast gang of comedians, Saptagiri, Dhanya Balakrishnan and Ohmkar’s own brother Aswin. Rajeev Kanakala is also seen in one of the best cameos and his performance also mints good emotions for the film.

In summary, Tollywood’s love affair with horror continues as more and more movies keep re-testing this genre in different formats and remix versions. RGG is ample proof that the genre of horror is here to stay because the Telugu audience are showing no signs of fatigue – even if total figures are dipping. But at a time when the big stars are not really improving the general content of the film beyond formula plots and item songs, horror is the only genre which is seeing an interesting mixture of creative screenplay, technical brilliance and comedy collapsing into one genre. This must be widely welcomed till Tollywood finds the next winning formula