At the end of ‘Andhhagadu’ you might wonder what was it that the makers set out to do. It’s a revenge drama cloaked as a comedy. It’s also a coming together of genres that don’t blend seamlessly. Just like the hero who makes us believe that he doesn’t take himself seriously, are we too supposed to not read much into this film?
Scripted and directed by Veligonda Srinivas, Andhhagadu opens with blind children who see the brighter side of life. They live in hope that they might see the world some day, but they don’t brood for not being able to. One of them is Gautham (Raj Tharun) who grows up and is lucky enough to regain eyesight. He sees the world with all its beauty and fallacies, falls in love, then runs to a doctor asking him to take away his eyesight stating he’s been pushed to the brink.
The mystery unravels layer by layer, packed with humour that’s occasionally silly. RJ Gautham is a role that plays to the strength of Raj Tharun’s trademark street smartness. The portions between him and comedian Satya keep the humour coming. It’s outrageous to think that Gautham can serenade Nethra (Hebah Patel, a picture of effortless ease and confidence), a doctor, and she never knows he’s blind. She eventually finds out and walks away, though she becomes instrumental in finding him an eye donor.
Andhhagadu , for quite a while, is happy being a romantic comedy that doesn’t use disability as an emotional crutch. But we don’t empathise with the characters when the charade is prolonged. Gautham, who can now see, falls in love with Nethra not realising he’s dated her before. To not reveal herself through her voice, she acts dumb! The fun continues until the spirit of Kulkarni (Rajendra Prasad), whose eyes Gautham now has, turns up and wants Gautham to avenge those who killed him.
The idea might have seemed intriguing on paper, but the narration is far from it. Several twists pop up and most of them aren’t convincing. The final reveal doesn’t have its impact. Instead of being stunned, to borrow Nethra’s line from the film, you end up feeling like a fool.
With a taut screenplay and narration, it could have been an interesting story of an underdog having his revenge. In its current form, the film is a mishmash of ideas.
Andhhagadu
Cast : Raj Tharun, Hebah Patel and Rajendra Prasad
Direction : Veligonda Srinivas
Story line : A blind guy can now see, but a turn of events makes him feel he’s better off without eyesight.
