(As reported earlier, Prasad EFX has nothing to do with this project and we would like to apologise for the error in reportage.)
The Magnum opus, Rudhramadevi starring Anushka Shetty as a warrior queen and produced by Gunaa Teamworks recently released its trailer on the video streaming giant YouTube and has been making waves online. Among the cast of the film are Allu Arjun, Rana Daggubati, Nithya Menen, Suman, Prakash Raj, Krishnam Raju, Vikramjeet Virk and Aditi Chengappa among others.
The feature was shot for more than two years and the team has finally released its trailer to the audience to get a glimpse of the visual wonder. But to their disappointment, Rudhramadevi’s trailer lacks the firepower and gusto.
The VFX used in the lavish war sequences appear to be a mere mockery of something that was not prevized and ended up looking like a swarm of mosquitoes running across a battlefield; even the quality of computer graphics seems very sub-standard. A scene that caught our eye was a sword piercing the neck of one of the actors, where even the clean-up is not done well and the white margins of the sword are clearly visible in the frame below, that shows the lack of focus on the project by the filmmaker and the VFX supervisor.
Rudhramdevi claims to be the first historical stereoscopic 3D film from India. Now that’s just asking for trouble when you put out such bad quality work for public showing. Anushka Shetty plays the role of Rudhramdevi, the heir to the Kakatiya dynasty in this historical saga. She is seen in sword fights while looking absolutely stunning and showcasing her fighting skills.
The graphics and the colour correction come across as badly rendered video-game footages rather than a big budget Telugu film. Indeed, the producer has backed it with Rs 50 crore. The VFX quality in the trailer is being compared to its obvious competitor, Baahubali‘s teasers and being heavily criticised by movie lovers and netizens.
The trailer neither gives an idea about the story line nor does it establish any character. In fact the trailer was solely released to project the grandeur of the film, which in-turn has backfired. The looks designed by Neeta Lulla for the lead characters, Allu Arjun, Anushka and Rana Daggubati do come across as well researched and give a strong presence on-screen.
Art by Thota Tharani has enabled Gunasekhar in portraying the visual extravaganza of the 15th century. The background music scored by Maestro Ilayaraja is his 1001th project, right after his much appreciated work on R Balki’s Shamitabh.
Rudhramadevi is written, directed and produced by Gunasekhar. It is deals with the life story of Queen Rudhramadevi of Kakatiya dynasty. The story is set in today’s Warangal of Telangana State.
