Mirai

genre with a touch of Ramayana and our Puranas and spellbinding visuals. You gotta applaud the director and cinematographer of the movie Karthik Gattamneni. Capturing and showcasing his vision on the big screen in such an aspiring fashion is so great to see. The writing by Karthik and Manibabu is really engaging and is racy. Sreekar Prasad's editing keeps up to the pace of the story. The presence of Lord Rama and our Puranas is integrated well. There are no unnecessary songs in the film and the focus is sharp on the plot and subject. The output we got even after the limited budget and constraints is a great achievement. Kudos to the producers. The first 30 minutes of the movie can feel kinda rough with some jokes which I felt were targeted towards the kids but they were a hit and a miss for me. The dialogues feel a bit repetitive during this phase too. But the way Mirai picks up it's pace reaching the core of the story is really good. The sequence involving the humongous eagle is just brilliance. The way the whole sequence is designed and shot and placed in the storyline gives you the adrenaline pump that you need. The climax tussle between Teja and Manoj keeps you on the edge of your seat and is very engrossing leaving you with a great high. The music by Gowra Hari is amazing as well, especially during the interval and the climax. The cinematography by the director, Karthik, himself is spellbinding and the frames look so solid and grand. All the fights and the train sequence are captured brilliantly with Kaecha, Sri and Rabin choreographing the stunts. The stunt sequence with Tanja Keller in the rain, the climax clash and the post interval fight stood out for me. Nagendra Prasad's production design and the incredible VFX headed by Ramji just elevate the film to another level. Teja Sajja is just fantastic in his role as the Super Yodha. The way he just moves and performs those risky action sequences and fights is very punchy and realistic. There's a certain smoothness and skill in the way he carries himself and he's really convicing in the emotional scenes as well. His efforts and hardwork dedicated towards the film translates onto the screen. Manchu Manoj as the Black Sword, the evil in desire of the power, fits perfectly. He's menacing and threatening and you actually fear him. He's good at action and is demonic in his laughter and the way he works. The strong backstory his character gets humanizes him and you understand why he's doing what he's doing. A solid act all around. Tanja Keller as the female antagonist surprised me. She was so slick and stylish and she just performed all those stunts so effortlessly. Karthikeya Dev in the flashback sequence is great as the young black sword. Shriya Saran's character drives the movie forward and is the soul of the movie. It feels good to see one of my favourite actresses doing meaningful roles which carry weight in the story. Jagapati Babu and Jayaram are solid in their roles as well. It was refreshing to see Rithika getting a role which matters and she's good. But her dubbing doesn't work properly.